倫敦商界領袖們表示，首都的技術人才短缺現象正日益加重，政府的教育和培訓改革未能提供充足的高技能員工，以滿足它們的需求。

　　London's business leaders say skills shortages in the capital are getting worse, with the government's education and training reforms failing to produce sufficient skilled staff for their needs.

　　最新的《英國工商業聯合會/畢馬威倫敦商業調查》(CBI/KPMG London Business Survey)發現，74%的企業表示在尋找高技能員工方面存在困難，這個比例高于一年以前的61%，比2005年1月時高出一倍。

　　The latest CBI/KPMG London Business Survey found 74 per cent of companies reporting problems with finding skilled staff, up from 61 per cent a year ago and half in January 2005.

　　在126家企業中，有五分之四表示，它們預計未來6個月會面臨進一步的人才短缺--這些企業在倫敦雇傭著近50萬人。

　　Four-fifths of the 126 businesses - which employ almost half a million people in the capital - said they expected to run into further shortages over the next six months.

　　英國工商業聯合會總干事理查德o蘭伯特(Richard Lambert)表示："很多人都會震驚地發現，這個城市比英國其它地區的失業率都高，同時雇主又越來越難以找人填補高技能職位的空缺。"

　　Richard Lambert, director-general of the CBI employers' body, said: "It will shock many to discover that the city has the highest unemployment rate of any region in the UK while, at the same time, employers are increasingly struggling to fill skilled job vacancies.

　　"我們需要逐步改變所提供的教育和培訓，確保擁有所需要的高技能員工，保持在全球競爭中的領先地位。"

　　"We need a step-change in education and training delivery to ensure we have the highly-skilled workforce we need to stay ahead of the global competition."

　　專業服務公司畢馬威的倫敦高級合伙人伊恩o巴洛(Ian Barlow)表示，向移民開放的方式能使各公司繼續通過海外途徑填補高技能人才缺口。不過，他表示，倫敦的技能和培訓體系必須改變。

　　Ian Barlow, London senior partner at KPMG, the professional services firm, said an open approach to immigration would allow businesses to continue filling their skills gaps from overseas. But he said the skills and training system in London must be transformed.

　　"當前的體系讓很多倫敦人失望，他們沒有得到恰當的技能培訓，不能勝任現有的職位。這個體系應該受雇主需求的驅動，而不是受政府和倫敦技能委員會(London Skills Commission)供應的驅動。"

　　"The current system is failing many Londoners, who are not being trained with the right skills to fill the jobs available. The system needs to become demand-driven by employers, not supply-driven by government and the London Skills Commission."

　　這項調查發現的其它問題還包括運輸，有86%的公司表示倫敦的公共交通體系影響了它們的生產力，83%的公司呼吁提高鐵路運力。

　　Other concerns identified by the survey included transport, with 86 per cent saying London's public transport system had damaged their productivity and 83 per cent calling for an increase in rail capacity.

　　有半數企業提出雇傭監管比較繁重，29%的企業舉例列舉了官方規劃方面的繁文縟節。

　　Employment regulations were also mentioned by half the businesses as burdensome, with 29 per cent citing planning red tape.

　　然而，這項一年進行兩次的調查發現，大多數企業看好倫敦，95%的企業表示這是一個做生意的好地方，78%的人對自己在未來6個月的前景持樂觀態度。四分之三的人表示，倫敦的決策者對企業很友好--不過，23%的企業表示他們并不友好。

　　However, the twice-yearly survey found most businesses upbeat about London, with 95 per cent saying it was a good place to do business and 78 per cent optimistic about their prospects for the next six months. Three quarters said London's policymakers were business- friendly - though 23 per cent said they were not.

　　40%的企業表示，在過去6個月內，它們的業務量比平常增長更快，44%的企業表示它們的利潤增速加快。

　　Four in 10 said their volume of business had grown faster than normal over the past six months, and 44 per cent that their earnings had risen faster.

　　不過，69%的企業表示，倫敦住房的成本、可用性和質量是招募和留住員工方面的一個障礙。

　　But 69 per cent said the cost, availability and quality of housing in London was a barrier to staff recruitment and retention.