Skilled leaders hard to find

Held on Friday (August 26), the Telstra 2011 Business Awards showcased the innovative measures taken by talented businesses and firms.

As part of the finalist submissions process, contestants were asked to complete a survey on the current state of their company's industry and future expectations.

According to the results, almost 20 per cent of firms have said their biggest concern for the next 12 months was a lack of skilled workers.

Other difficulties identified included the high Australian dollar, increasing business costs and the levels of cross-sector competition.

Justin Gill - a nominee in the Small Business category - told news.com.au that his boutique construction business constantly struggled to find employees with the right mix of skills.

He also expressed his frustration at the difficulties involved in sourcing potential leaders, asserting: "To find skilled labour with the attitude that they want to do the right thing and they want to learn and they want to keep improving is hard."

The implementation of a dedicated leadership program has been shown to be beneficial in attracting and maintaining trainee managers - with some studies showing that career progression is quickly becoming of increasing importance to modern employees.