Part-time employment ''keeps your skills updated''

20 Nov 2009

A recruitment expert has urged people to take part-time work to ensure their skills are up-to-date.

Those who are pursuing qualifications such as business and management courses through distance learning have been advised not to be afraid of taking part-time employment.

Employment figures from the Office for National Statistics show that companies are still reluctant to take on full-time workers even if there is a need for more staff.

Due to a shortage of full-time positions, record numbers of people have been forced into taking part time-work, with 997,000 employees and self-employed people in this position.

However, according to Felix Wetzel of UK online recruitment site Jobsite, part-time roles are beneficial.

He said: "Working part-time keeps your skills updated, provides you with a current reference, allows you the time to job hunt and attend interviews for a full time position and keeps you in that crucial work place routine."

Part-time work also offers an opportunity for people to improve their skills by undertaking distance learning courses, which cover professional as well as vocational training.