Race for new skills to stay afloat

Quickly adapting: Computer screens at ETX Capital in London. Learning new skills has become imperative to cope with the disarray caused by the coronavirus. — Bloomberg

LONDON: Learning new skills is taking on greater significance at manufacturer Zero Point 8 in the United Kingdom’s industrial heartland. For workers, it’s about staying employed and healthy. For the company, it’s about keeping afloat.

Social distancing rules that dictate production can only continue safely if workers are two meters apart means splitting them into two shifts. Some staff at the plant have had to rapidly retrain to cover the roles usually performed by others.