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Transferable skills 'are key'

A focus on individuals who have gained transferable skills by working in several industries could help recruiters fill more roles in the coming months, it has been claimed.

Darra Singh, chief executive of Jobcentre Plus, said there are many people who are presently looking to move from one field to another and recruiters should take advantage of this trend to market the skills that make these candidates that much more desirable to employers.

He commented: "With an increasingly flexible labour market, smart recruiters should look to widen their net and consider candidates with transferable skills gained working in different sectors."

Mr Singh added a shift towards flexible skills would also help employers get the best candidates from other industries.

According to the Office for National Statistics, the UK employment rate for October to December 2009 was 72.4 per cent, down 0.1 on the previous quarter.

Overall, the number of people in employment fell by 12,000 during the three-month period to reach 28.91 million.