LIFELONG LEARNING
FUTURE SKILLS WALES
2005 SECTOR SKILLS SURVEY
2005
ACCAC
Association of School and
College Leaders
Basic Skills Agency
Careers Wales
CBI Wales
Dysg
FSW
PARTNERS
2005
ELWa
ESTYN
Federation of Small Businesses
Fforwm
Higher Education Funding Council
for Wales
Higher Education Wales
Jobcentre Plus
Local Government Data Unit –
Wales
National Training Federation
for Wales
Sector Skills Development Agency
Wales Council for Voluntary Action
Wales TUC
Welsh Assembly Government
Welsh Development Agency
Welsh Local Government
Association
The Future Skills Wales 2005 Sector Skills Survey was undertaken on behalf of the FSW Partnership by
GfK NOP Social Research.
FUTURE SKILLS WALES 2005 SECTOR SKILLS SURVEY
CONTENTS
1 Introduction
1.1 Background to the Future Skills Wales Survey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
1.2 Survey Methodology . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
1.3 Defining the Sector Skills Council . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.4 Sample size for the sector . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.5 Reporting Conventions and Report Outline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
1.6 Employer Characteristics for Lifelong Learning
1.6.1 Type of establishment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
1.6.2 Ownership . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6
1.6.3 Financial Turnover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
2 Recruitment Difficulties and Skills Shortage Vacancies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
2.1 Extent of vacancies, hard-to-fill vacancies and skill shortage vacancies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
2.1.1 Comparison for Lifelong Learning over time (comparing 2003 and 2005) . . . 9
2.2 Occupational profile of hard-to-fill vacancies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
2.3 Causes of hard-to-to fill vacancies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
2.4 Responses to hard-to-fill vacancies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
2.5 Nature of skill shortage vacancies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
3 Internal Skills Gaps
3.1 Incidence of skills gaps and distribution by occupational group . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11
3.1.1 Comparison for Lifelong Learning over time (comparing 2003 and 2005) . . 13
3.2 Skills lacking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
3.3 Other technical and practical skills lacking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
3.4 Measures to overcome skills gaps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
4 Provision of off-the-job training
4.1 Incidence of off-the-job training and allocation across occupations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16
4.2 Type of off-the-job training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
4.3 Barriers to provision of off-the-job training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18
5 Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20
Appendix I: Glossary of Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Appendix II: Broad Sector and SSC definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23
Appendix III: Questionnaire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
1
SECTION 1: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background to the Future
Skills Wales Survey
Welsh Assembly Government Strategy
documents such as The Learning Country
and The Skills Employment Action Plan
2005 highlight the importance of
joined-up working between employers,
employees and public sector agencies
to raise skills levels and support high
quality jobs in a growing economy.The
need for greater understanding of
employers’ skill needs has given rise to
a number of major surveys in Wales,
England, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
The Welsh research programme, Future
Skills Wales (FSW) has to date
consisted of three surveys (in 1998,
2003 and 2005) commissioned by the
FSW partnership.The focus of the first
two surveys was to look at the generic
skills requirements of employers in
Wales. In both years parallel studies
were carried out among Welsh
households to identify the skills offered
by the Welsh population.
The shape that the Future Skills Wales
2005 Sector Skills Survey (here on in
referred to as FSW 2005) has taken has
been influenced by two main factors:
The desire to produce a common
measure of skills deficiencies which
is consistent and comparable across
sectors, countries and regions
The need to make this information
available for Sector Skills Councils
for labour market analysis in Wales
enabling shared dialogue by using
comparable and consistent measures
2
SSCs are employer-led organisations
which have been charged with
developing skills and business
performance levels in specific, discrete
business sectors, based on detailed
analysis and understanding of the
sector.This has been given additional
impetus through the Sector Skills
Agreements, which are designed to
deliver action to meet priority skill
needs and which are based on rigorous
and robust evidence, including evidence
on skill deficiencies. FSW 2005 aims to
meet those needs as far as possible
within one survey, providing the
efficiencies of central co-ordination and
the benefits of comparability and
consistency.
The main aim of FSW 2005 is to
provide the FSW Partnership with
reliable information on the skills
deficiencies which employers in Wales
experience; information which can be
used to inform skills development
policy and planning.
The specific measures which the survey
covers are as follows:
The incidence of vacancies among
employers and the proportion of
vacancies which are proving hard-tofill because of a lack of suitable skills:
which occupations and which skills
are affected, and what actions have
been taken to deal with them
The number of employers that are
encountering skill gaps among the
workforce: the extent and nature of
these, which occupations/ skills are
affected, what is their impact and
what actions are taken to deal with
them
FUTURE SKILLS WALES 2005 SECTOR SKILLS SURVEY
The incidence of off-the-job training
activity, which occupational groups
are receiving training and, where
applicable, the reasons why off-thejob training is not currently arranged
Where possible throughout this report
comparisons are made with previous
Future Skills Wales reports (2003),
although the variations in survey
questions, methodologies and timing of
surveys mean these comparisons
should be treated as indicative.
1.2 Survey Methodology
The survey covered employers across
all business activities in Wales,
employers being defined as
establishments rather than enterprises
(i.e. any site where employees are
based, including head office sites, local/
regional sites and sites of single unit
enterprises). In order to be eligible for
the survey, establishments needed to
have at least one employee (in addition
to any owner/ manager). Based on
IDBR estimates1, there are 70,515 such
establishments in Wales employing just
over 1 million people.
The broad principles of sample design
were as follows:
Sectors were sampled proportionate
to the number of units in that
sector, assuming a total sample size
of approximately 6,000;
The resulting interview targets for
each sector were reviewed to check
whether they would deliver results
which were ±5% reliable at the 95%
confidence level (assuming medium
case scenario i.e. 70% figure).Where
there was a shortfall for particular
sector and where population size
allowed, the interview targets were
boosted to meet the reliability
requirement
Where size of population did not
allow boosting to this level, targets
were based on the maximum sample
achievable assuming a 4:1 success
rate. (In other words, every four
approaches to establishments would
result in one successful interview).
Within SSC, sample targets were
calculated proportionate to
employment, thereby ensuring that
large establishments (in terms of
employment) would be over sampled.
The target number of interviews per
size band within sector was calculated
on the basis of IDBR counts
(proportional to employment).The
sample was purchased from Experian2.
Some of the initial targets, particularly
in the larger size bands, exceeded the
number of records available from
Experian and had to be adjusted in
order to reflect this.
The IDBR estimates are based on establishments with 1 or more employees, with an adjustment
made to exclude companies with 1 director as the only employee.The survey excluded all
establishments where the respondent was the only person working at that site, and therefore tables
illustrating establishment counts by employee size band show a minimum number of one employee.
1
Experian is a global information solutions company and provider of sample for the survey.
The Experian database incorporates what was the Yellow Pages database (now Yell.com).The National
Employers Skills Survey 2004, Skills in Scotland 2004 and Northern Ireland Skills Monitoring Survey
2002 also use Experian (previously BT’s Business Database) as a sample source.
2
3
Business activities which are currently
unallocated to SSCs were grouped into
three categories for sampling and
analysis purposes: primary,
wholesale/retail and business/public
services in line with Sector Skills
Development Agency (SSDA) practice.
Lifelong Learning UK. Further analysis
has been obtained by employment in
establishment as follows:
Micro (1-9 employees), unweighted
base size 172
Small (10 – 24 employees),
unweighted base size 58
The main fieldwork was preceded by a
cognitive pilot and standard pilot, details
of which are provided in a separate
Technical Report. Fieldwork for the
main stage took place between 10th
March 2005 and 18th May 2005
inclusive using Computer Assisted
Telephone Interviewing. In total, 6,719
interviews were achieved, including 26
Welsh interviews.
Taking into account the finite population
correction factor3 and design effects for
the survey, the confidence interval at
the 95% level4 for the data for Lifelong
Learning UK is ±6% for a survey result
of 50 per cent and ±5% for a survey
result of 70 per cent.
1.3 Defining the Sector Skills
Council
1.5 Reporting Conventions and
Report Outline
The data for each establishment was
coded to 4-digit SIC code.As of
October 2005, Lifelong Learning UK
was defined by the SIC codes: 80.22,
80.3, 80.42 and 92.51, and was
described as ‘community-based learning
and development, further education,
higher education, library and
information services, work-based
learning’.
This report uses a number of terms
throughout.These are defined as
follows:
1.4 Sample size for the Sector
A total of 294 interviews were
conducted with establishments in
Medium/ large (25+ employees),
unweighted base size 64
recruitment problems refer to
vacancies that the employer
describes as either hard-to-fill or
skill-shortage related hard-to-fill
(HTF) vacancies are those vacancies
self classified by the respondent as
hard-to-fill
skill shortage vacancies (SSVs) are
defined as hard-to-fill vacancies
where applicants do not have the
The finite population correction factor: when enumerating a 95% confidence interval the conventional
way, in most cases, a simplified formula is used which makes the assumption that the universe
population is large relative to the sample size (as a rule of thumb, large is defined as around 5% of the
population). If the sample proportion exceeds this, then we have to apply a finite population
correction, which ensures that we are not over-estimating the real confidence interval.A large sample
to population ratio will lead to a narrower confidence
3
A confidence interval of 95% means that we can be 95% certain that the true value of a survey
estimate lies within ±5 percentage points of the survey estimate. For example, for a survey estimate of
50%, with a 95% confidence interval, the true value would lie somewhere between 45% and 55%.
4
4
FUTURE SKILLS WALES 2005 SECTOR SKILLS SURVEY
required skills, work experience, or
qualifications required
needs to be taken in interpreting the
results this is pointed out in the
commentary. Further guidance on the
statistical reliability of figures is given in
the Technical Report (which will be
available on the website
www.futureskillswales.com).
skill gaps refer to the extent to
which employers perceive current
employees to be less than fully
proficient for their current job
The figures given in the report either
relate to the number of establishments
reporting a particular issue e.g. how
many employers are experiencing
vacancies, skill deficiencies etc, or to the
number of employees e.g. when
providing data on the number and
profile of staff employed; the number
and profile of vacancies and hard to fill
vacancies; and the number and profile
of staff with skill gaps.As a rule of
thumb, where figures are based on
establishments they have been weighted
to the total number of establishments
employing at least two people (70,515).
Where figures are based on employees
they have been based on the total
employment base (1,083,795). Results
are reported on the weighted totals,
and tables show the unweighted base
as well as the weighted base. Comment
is also made as to whether this is an
establishment or employee base.
Clearly in some sectors sample sizes
are relatively small (reflecting the size
of the sector universe).Where care
1.6 Employer Characteristics for
Lifelong Learning UK
1.6.1 Type of establishment
The FSW 2005 survey asked questions
related to the nature of the
establishment and this document
reports survey data.The survey data
shows that a third were single site (33
per cent), whilst 52 per cent were multi
site (not head office) establishments. 15
per cent of establishments were head
offices.
All respondents were asked to classify
their establishment as private sector,
public sector, a charity organisation or a
voluntary organisation, and this
question allowed a multiple response.
Over half of establishments surveyed
were from the public sector (54 per
cent), with another third (35 per cent)
from the private sector. One in ten
were charities (10 per cent) and 4 per
cent voluntary organisations.
Chart 1.1 Site description
One of multiple sites
not head office
Single site
52
33
Head office
15
0
10
20
30
40
% of establishments
50
Source: FSW 2005, question B4a.
Base: all establishments (Unweighted: 294; Weighted: 1,295). Single response.
60
5
Chart 1.2 Type of establishments
Public
54
Private
35
Charity
10
Voluntary
4
0
10
20
30
40
% of establishments
50
60
Source: FSW 2005, question B4b.
Base: all establishments (Unweighted: 294; Weighted: 1,295). Multiple responses allowed.
1.6.2 Ownership
Almost three-quarters of
establishments were Welsh5 owned
(72 per cent), whilst nearly 1 in 5 were
other UK owned (18 per cent).Very
small minorities were other European
Union owned (1 per cent) and
American owned (also 1 per cent).
Chart 1.3 Ownership of establishments
Welsh owned
72
Other UK owned
18
Other EU owned 1
American
1
Others
2
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
% of establishments
Source: FSW 2005, question B5.
Base: all establishments (Unweighted: 294; Weighted: 1,295). Single response.
Donít k now/refused not shown (4%).
Ownership was self-classified by the respondent from a choice of Welsh owned, Other UK owned,
Other European Union owned, or Other (specify).
5
6
FUTURE SKILLS WALES 2005 SECTOR SKILLS SURVEY
1.6.3 Financial Turnover
For 11 per cent of establishments,
turnover had decreased in the 12
months prior to the survey.Almost a
quarter of establishments (23 per cent)
did not know.
For three in ten establishments (30 per
cent) the financial turnover6 at that site
was deemed to have increased over the
previous 12 months, whilst it had stayed
at broadly the same level for around a
third of establishments (33 per cent).
Chart 1.4 Turnover in past 12 months
Increased
30
Roughly the same
33
Decreased
11
Too early to tell,
in business < 1yr
Don’t know
3
23
0
5
10
15
20
25
30
35
% of establishments
Source: FSW 2005, question B6.
Base: all establishments (Unweighted: 294; Weighted: 1,295). Single response.
6
For public sector, charity and voluntary organisations, the question referred to their ‘financial budget’.
7
SECTION 2: RECRUITMENT
DIFFICULTIES AND SKILL
SHORTAGE VACANCIES
Aside from asking about the number of
vacancies generally, FSW has taken two
more measures relating to vacancies:
Hard-to-fill vacancies – vacancies the
establishments understand to be
hard-to-fill
Skill shortage vacancies – vacancies
that establishments believe are hardto-fill due to applicants lacking the
skills or qualifications required.
The volume of these vacancies is
determined by the number of
respondents citing the following
reasons for the post being hard-tofill;
Applicants lack the qualifications
employers want;
Applicants lack the relevant experience;
Applicants lack the relevant skills we
require.
Table 2.1 Extent of vacancies, hard-to-fill vacancies and skills shortage vacancies
(2005 data)
Lifelong
All Wales Learning UK
% of all establishments reporting vacancies
21
24
% of establishments with hard-to-fill vacancies
10
6
4
4
Number of vacancies
37,875
688
Number of hard-to-fill vacancies
13,242
156
5,405
114
Vacancies as % of employment
3.5
1.6
Hard-to-fill vacancies as a % of employment
1.2
0.4
Skill shortage vacancies as a % of employment
0.5
*
% of establishments with skills shortage vacancies
Number of skill shortage vacancies
Source: Future Skills Wales 2005. *denotes less than 0.5% but greater than zero.
Base:All establishments (All Wales Unweighted: 6,719,Weighted: 70,515; Lifelong Learning UK
Unweighted: 294,Weighted 1,295). Note: hard-to-fill vacancies are a subgroup of ‘vacancies’
and skill shortage vacancies are a subgroup of hard-to-fill vacancies.All vacancies measures
are expressed as a percentage of all establishments in Wales/in SSC
8
FUTURE SKILLS WALES 2005 SECTOR SKILLS SURVEY
Table 2.2 Summary of reported vacancies in Lifelong Learning UK by
establishment counts by employee size band
% share of total
employment
% share of all
vacancies
Total vacancies
as % of
employment
% share of
hard-to-fill
vacancies
Total hard-to-fill
vacancies as %
of employment
% share of skillshortage
vacancies
Survey-based estimates
1 to 9
8
38
8
54
3
70
10 to 24
7
18
5
12
1
11
86
44
1
34
*
19
Size of
establishment
25+
101%
100%
100%
* less than 0.5%. Note: some column totals do not add up to 100% due to rounding.
Shaded columns show row percentages. Source: FSW 2005, questions C1, C2b, C6
2.1 Extent of vacancies,
hard-to-fill vacancies and
skill shortage vacancies
On an establishment level:
24 per cent of establishments in
Lifelong Learning UK reported
vacancies compared with the all
Wales average of 21 per cent.
6 per cent of all establishments in
Lifelong Learning UK had vacancies
that were proving difficult to fill at
the time of interview (this equates
to 23 per cent of all those with any
vacancies)
4 per cent of all establishments had
skill shortage vacancies (this equates
to 15 per cent of all those with any
vacancies)
The level of hard-to-fill vacancies was
slightly lower than that recorded for all
Wales, whilst levels of skill shortage
vacancies were in line with those at an
all Wales level.
On a vacancy level hard-to-fill vacancies
accounted for around a quarter (23 per
cent) of all vacancies in this SSC.
100%
Analysis by size of establishment shows
that smaller establishments were
disproportionately affected by
vacancies.Thus, micro establishments
(1 to 9 employees) accounted for 8 per
cent of employment but 38 per cent of
all vacancies, 54 per cent of hard-to-fill
vacancies and 70 per cent of skill
shortage vacancies.
2.1.1 Comparison for Lifelong
Learning UK over time
(comparing 2003 and 2005)
No analysis was published from
FSW 2003 for employers in Lifelong
Learning UK.
2.2 Occupational profile of hardto-fill vacancies
Further analysis of the characteristics of
hard-to-fill vacancies was not possible
in Lifelong Learning UK due to an
unweighted base size lower than 50 in
terms of the number of establishments
reporting hard-to-fill vacancies.
9
2.3 Causes of hard-to-to fill
vacancies
2.5 Nature of skill shortage
vacancies
Further analysis of the characteristics of
hard-to-fill vacancies was not possible
in Lifelong Learning UK due to an
unweighted base size lower than 50 in
terms of the number of establishments
reporting hard-to-fill vacancies.
The number of establishments reporting
skill shortage vacancies was too small
for robust analysis, but we are able to
provide anecdotal information
pertaining to the types of other
technical and practical skills that were
lacking amongst applicants for skill
shortage vacancies. Comments received
from employers in Lifelong Learning UK
are provided below for reference,
together with the type of occupation in
which the skill shortage was occurring.
2.4 Responses to hard-to-fill
vacancies
Analysis of the responses to hard-to-fill
vacancies was not possible in Lifelong
Learning UK due to an unweighted
base size lower than 50 in terms of the
number of establishments reporting
hard-to-fill vacancies.
Table 2.3 Other technical and practical skills lacking amongst applicants for skill
shortage vacancies (employers’ verbatim comments)
Comment
SOC group
Using data base
Senior Managers & Corporate Managers
ERP systemsin UK cannot find people to fill it Science & Engineering Professionals
Lots of different skills needed
Business & Public Service Associate
Professionals
Upgrading normal gas engineers into teachers Business & Public Service Associate
Professionals
Qualifcations relevant to the position
Business & Public Service Associate
Professionals
Need to relate to IT course and need to have Business & Public Service Associate
the skills to assess IT courses, also need Welsh Professionals
language skills which are impossible to find now
Networking
Desktop publishing
Business & Public Service Associate
Professionals
Administrative Occupations
Qualified in A1 and V1
Caring Personal Service occupations
Qualified bus driver, they need to be able to Transport Drivers and Operatives
lead children, foundation skills in small livestock
and also an interest and not just the skills
Source: Future Skills Wales 2005, question C9.
10
FUTURE SKILLS WALES 2005 SECTOR SKILLS SURVEY
SECTION 3:
INTERNAL SKILL GAPS
employer, an employee is not fully
proficient at their job.
3.1 Incidence of skill gaps and
distribution by occupational
group
Respondents were asked, of all their
staff in each occupational category,
what proportion were fully proficient at
their job.A skill gap is defined as
existing where, in the opinion of their
17 per cent of establishments in
Lifelong Learning UK reported a skill
gap (or a lack of full proficiency) in any
one occupational group.This figure was
in line with the all Wales figure
reported in FSW 2005.
Table 3.1 Incidence and number of skill gaps in Wales 2005 and in Lifelong
Learning UK
Base:All establishments
Wales 2005
Lifelong Learning UK 2005
70,515
1,295
18
17
Weighted base
% of establishments reporting skill gaps
Source: Future Skills Wales 2005, question D7 (derived)
Table 3.2 Incidence of skills gaps and distribution across occupation groups
(2005 data)
Skill gaps as %
of total
employment
Total number
of employees
with skill gaps
Skills gaps as
% of total
employment
Lifelong Learning UK
Total number
of employees
with skill gaps
All Wales
63,803
6
1,143
3
Managers and senior officials
4,798
3
107
2
Professional occupations
4,290
3
497
2
Associate professionals
Administrative & secretarial
occupations
3,141
4
39
3
5,873
5
285
3
Skilled trades
6,109
7
86
8
Personal service occupations
5,591
6
16
1
Sales & customer service
15,431
10
30
3
Transport & machine operatives
11,146
8
22
6
7,426
6
60
2
ALL
Elementary occupations
Source: Future Skills Wales 2005, question D7(derived). - denotes zero.
Base:All employees with skill gaps (All Wales Unweighted: 10,157,Weighted: 63,085; Lifelong
Learning UK Unweighted: 292,Weighted 1,143).
11
In terms of the number of employees,
the survey recorded a total of 1,143
employees with skill gaps at the time of
interview, representing 3 per cent of
total employment in Lifelong Learning
UK.The corresponding all Wales figure
was 6 per cent.
Transport/Machine Operatives (9
per cent)
Skilled Trades (8 per cent)
Table 3.2: Incidence of skill gaps and
distribution across occupation groups
(2005 data)
The occupational categories in Lifelong
Learning UK that had the highest
incidence of skill gaps were:
Table 3.3 Skills lacking amongst employees with skill gaps (2005 data)
Lifelong
Base: all establishments with skill gaps
Learning UK
followed up
All Wales
Unweighted
1,469
**54
12,558
221
%
%
General IT user skills
40
58
IT professional skills
26
38
Other technical and practical skills
52
50
Communication skills
49
39
Customer handling skills
57
44
Team working skills
49
48
Problem solving skills
58
47
Management skills
40
41
Using numbers
25
22
Literacy skills
23
25
Welsh language skills
23
33
Work experience (unspecified)
3
0
Time management/keeping
2
1
Sales/marketing skills
3
1
Motivation/behaviour
2
0
Other
2
2
Weighted
Don’t know/no answer
3
Source: Future Skills Wales 2005, question D8. Multiple response allowed.
Mentions of 2% or more at an all Wales level. **small base (less than 100)
12
2
FUTURE SKILLS WALES 2005 SECTOR SKILLS SURVEY
3.1.1 Comparison for Lifelong
Learning UK over time
(comparing 2003 and 2005)
No analysis was published from
FSW 2003 for employers in Lifelong
Learning UK.
3.2 Skills lacking
Establishments that had experienced
skill gaps7 were asked to define what
skills they felt needed improving for an
occupation where staff members were
considered to be less than fully
proficient
The skills most commonly reported as
lacking amongst employees were mainly
generic skills, for example, team
working skills (48 per cent), problem
solving skills (47 per cent) and
customer handling skills (44 per cent).
However, general IT user skills were
lacking for nearly three in five
establishments with skill gaps that were
followed up (58 per cent), while other
technical and practical skills were
mentioned by half (50 per cent).
Further analysis by size of
establishment (in terms of numbers of
staff employed) was not possible due to
small base sizes.
3.3 Other technical and practical
skills lacking
50 per cent of establishments with skill
gaps that were followed up cited other
technical and practical skills as lacking.
Respondents were asked to provide
details of the types of technical and
practical skills missing and this resulted
in a wide range of responses.The
number of establishments reporting
other technical and practical skill gaps,
however, was too small for robust
analysis, but comments received from
employers in Lifelong Learning UK are
provided below for reference, together
with the type of occupation in which
the skill shortage was occurring.
Table 3.4: Other technical and practical
skills lacking amongst employees skill
gaps (employers’ verbatim comments)
3.4 Measures to overcome skill
gaps
All respondents who reported skill gaps
amongst their staff were asked what
measures, if any, they had taken to
overcome a lack of full proficiency at
that establishment.
The most common responses involved
making changes internally.Thus 90 per
cent provided further training/
development amongst the workforce,
whilst three quarters (73 per cent) had
reallocated work within the company
and more than three in five had
changed working practices and
increased or expanded trainee
programmes (both 64 per cent).
Lifelong Learning UK employers were
more likely than employers in general
to have reallocated work within the
company and increased/expanded
trainee programmes.
Some establishments had looked
externally for solutions.Thus, 30 per
cent had increased recruitment, whilst
28 per cent had expanded recruitment
channels.
The results are based on skill gaps followed up in detail. If an establishment had more than 2 occupations
with skill gaps, just two were chosen at random for further investigation relating to skills lacking.
7
13
Table 3.4 Other technical and practical skills lacking amongst employees with
skill gaps in Lifelong Learning UK (verbatim comments from employers)
Comment
SOC group
Learning and development/ There is a set of NVQ
suites we need to expand on that learning.
Higher level IT skills
Qualified in A1 and V1.
Specific training in psychology/ Behaviour/ Teaching
autistic children training.
Coaching skills/ Mountaineering, climbing skills.
14
Corporate Managers
Corporate Managers
Teaching and research professionals
Teaching and research professionals
Teaching and research professionals
Range of teaching strategies/ Producing their own Teaching and research professionals
resources.
It's really in regards to the teaching profession.
Teaching and research professionals
We use a certain package that all teachers must use.
We need to train teachers to use this package and
improve on their skills.
Within Training.
Teaching and research professionals
Practical skills in physical training.
Teaching and research professionals
They're qualifying in adult guidance.
Teaching and research professionals
The sort of information would be library related/
Business and public service
Perhaps library and information technology skills.
professionals
Photocopier/ Micro film reader/ Micro fiche reader/ Business and public service
We have a gallery hanging art work.
professionals
Deliver training to new standards/ Technical training. Business and public service
professionals
To the industry and the job.
Business and public service
professionals
Communications.
Science and technology associate
professionals
Introduction of new technology and keeping up
Science and technology associate
with it.
professionals
Teaching.
Business & public service associate
professionals
To be well organised/ Being aware.
Administrative occupations
Information Technology skills
Administrative occupations
People handling skills/
Administrative occupations
Inputting and understanding the work they are
Secretarial and related occupations
doing in relation to the business.
Time management
Secretarial and related occupations
Communication and time management.
Secretarial and related occupations
Keeping up with technology.
Skilled metal and electrical trades
Always improving as we go along.
Skilled construction and building trades
FUTURE SKILLS WALES 2005 SECTOR SKILLS SURVEY
Table 3.4 Other technical and practical skills lacking amongst employees with
skill gaps in Lifelong Learning UK (verbatim comments from employers) [cont.]
Comment
SOC group
Improve her technique on planning the meals.
Textiles, printing and other skilled trades
Organisational changes/ System changes.
Caring personal service occupations
Keeping up to date with things.
Transport & mobile machine drivers
and operatives
Elementary administration and service
occupations
To have the correct training provided.
Source: Future Skills Wales 2005, question D9.
No establishments in Lifelong Learning
UK reported that no particular action
had been taken in response to skill gaps.
In House Training (7 per cent)
When asked this question the
respondent was offered a list of
possible measures taken in response to
skill gaps that might be lacking and was
also given the option to report other
measures that might be missing.This
resulted in the following being
mentioned by minorities of employers
with skill gaps within their workforces:
Shadowing/Mentoring (3 per cent)
More supervision/one to one
supervision (5 per cent)
Team Building Exercises (2 per cent)
General Training/Coaching (2 per cent)
Induction Training (2 per cent)
Further analysis by size of
establishment was not possible due to
small base sizes.
Table 3.5 Measures taken in response to skills gaps (2005 data)
Base: all establishments with skill gaps amongst
employees
All Wales
Unweighted
Lifelong
Learning UK
1,469
**54
12,558
221
%
%
Further training amongst workforce
84
90
Changed working practices
59
64
Reallocated work within company
51
73
Increased/expanded trainee programme
50
64
Increased recruitment
34
30
Expanded recruitment channels
23
28
3
1
No particular measures taken
6
Source: Future Skills Wales 2005, question D11. Multiple response allowed.
** small base (less than 100)
0
Weighted
Other
15
SECTION 4:
PROVISION OF OFF-THE-JOB
TRAINING
4.1 Incidence of off-the-job
training and allocation across
occupations
Over eight in ten (84 per cent) of
employers had funded or arranged offthe-job training for their staff in the 12
months prior to the interview, much
higher than the level recorded at the all
Wales level (58 per cent).
In terms of the types of occupations
receiving off-the-job training, this was
most likely to be funded or arranged
for Managers/Senior Officials (68 per
cent) and Professionals (55 per cent).
Compared to the all Wales figures,
higher than average proportions of
establishments in Lifelong Learning UK
provided off-the-job training for:
Professionals
Administrative/Secretarial
occupations
Analysis by size of establishment
revealed that off-the-job training was
more likely to be offered by
establishments employing ten or more
Table 4.1 Incidence of off-the-job training and allocation across occupation
groups (2005 data)
Lifelong
Learning UK
Incidence of off-the-job training (question E1)
All Wales
Base: all establishments
Unweighted
6,719
294
70,515
1,295
%
%
58
84
4,339
251
40,803
1,091
%
%
Managerial occupations
65
68
Professionals
25
55
Associate professionals
15
15
Administrative/secretarial occupations
35
48
Skilled trades
19
6
Personal service occupations
12
11
Sales/customer service
22
16
9
1
17
11
Weighted
% of establishments providing off the job training
Off-the-job training by occupation group (question E2)
Base: all establishments providing off-the-job training
Unweighted
Weighted
Transport/machine operatives
Elementary occupations
Source: Future Skills Wales 2005
16
FUTURE SKILLS WALES 2005 SECTOR SKILLS SURVEY
people than by micro establishments
(91 per cent versus 81 per cent).
Broadly speaking, establishments with
25 or more employees were more
likely to provide off-the-job training to
each occupation type than
establishments with fewer than 25
employees.
Micro
(1 – 9 employees
Small
(10-24 employees)
Medium/large
(25+ employees
Table 4.2: Incidence of off-the-job training and allocation across occupation
groups by employment in establishment (2005 data)
Establishment count
by employee size band
Unweighted
172
**58
**64
Weighted
915
180
200
%
%
%
81
91
91
Unweighted
140
**53
**58
Weighted
745
164
182
Incidence of off-the-job training (question E1)
Base: all establishments
% of establishments providing off the job training
Off-the-job training by occupation group (question E2)
Base: all establishments providing off-the-job training
%
%
Managers/Senior Officials
65
75
71
Professionals
45
68
83
Associate Professionals
11
15
29
Administrative/Secretarial occupations
39
53
79
Skilled Trades
4
6
15
Personal Service occupations
6
13
29
16
19
15
Transport/Machine Operatives
0
2
3
Elementary occupations
5
19
29
Sales/Customer Service
Source: Future Skills Wales 2005. ** small base (less than 100)
17
4.2 Type of off-the-job training
In order to gauge what type of training
was being provided to employees,
respondents were asked whether the
off-the-job training they provided was
mainly statutory (i.e. legally required),
non statutory or evenly split between
the two.
Around 1 in 10 establishments were
providing mainly statutory training (9
per cent), whilst more than a third (37
per cent) reported that their off-thejob training was mainly non-statutory.
Half of establishments (52 per cent),
however, reported that their off-the-job
training was evenly split between the
two types.
Further analysis by size of
establishment (in terms of numbers in
employment) did not reveal any
significant differences in terms of the
type of off-the-job training provided.
4.3 Barriers to provision of offthe-job training
Establishments that had not funded or
arranged off-the-job training in the past
12 months were asked why; this was a
multiple response question.
The number of employers in Lifelong
Learning UK that had not provided offthe-job training was too small for
robust analysis.
Table 4.3 Types of off-the-job training (2005 data)
All Wales
Lifelong
Learning
UK
4,339
251
40,803
1,091
%
%
Statutory, that is, because it is a legal requirement for your staff
to be trained in this area
23
9
Non statutory, that is, not legally required
33
37
Evenly split between the two
42
52
1
2
Base:All establishments providing off-the-job training
Unweighted
Weighted
Don’t know
Source: Future Skills Wales 2005, question E3. Multiple response allowed
18
FUTURE SKILLS WALES 2005 SECTOR SKILLS SURVEY
Table 4.4 Types of off-the-job training by establishment count by employee size
band
Base: all establishments providing offMicro (1-9 Small (10-24
25+
the-job training
employees) employees)
employees
Unweighted
140
**53
**58
Weighted
745
164
182
%
%
%
9
11
5
Non-statutory, that is, not legally required
36
43
35
Evenly split between the two
51
45
60
4
0
0
Statutory, that is, because it is a legal
requirement for your staff to be trained
in this area
Don’t know
Source: Future Skills Wales 2005, question E3. Multiple response allowed
19
SECTION 5: SUMMARY
Tackling recruitment difficulties
and skill shortages.
Although reported vacancies for
Lifelong Learning UK were slightly
higher than the all Wales average, hardto-fill vacancies were lower and skill
shortage vacancies were in line with
those at an all Wales level.Thus, 24 per
cent of employers were experiencing
vacancies, 6 per cent had hard-to-fill
vacancies, and 4 per cent reported skill
shortage vacancies.
Anecdotal data provided some
indication of the types of other
technical and practical skills lacking
amongst applicants for skill shortage
vacancies, and in which occupation
types these occurred. For example,
some employers felt that applicants for
vacancies in Business and Public Service
occupations lacked skills relating to
networking and welsh language skills.
Addressing skill gaps and
deficiencies in the workforce
17 per cent of Lifelong Learning UK
establishments reported skill gaps, and
these were most likely to occur
amongst Transport/Machine Operatives
and Skilled Trades.
The skills most commonly reported to
be lacking amongst the existing
workforce were general IT user skills,
other technical and practical skills, team
working skills and problem solving
skills.
20
Anecdotal data provided an indication
of the types of other technical and
practical skills lacking and in which
occupation types these occurred. For
example, those employed as Teaching
and Research professionals were
thought to lack skills relating to
(amongst others) psychology/behaviour
and a range of teaching
strategies/producing their own
resources.
The most common measures taken in
response to skill gaps were to provide
further training/ development or
reallocate work within the
establishment.
Improving employer investment in
training and workforce
development.
84 per cent of establishments in
Lifelong Learning UK were investing in
off-the-job training. A higher than
average proportion of employers
providing off-the-job training stated that
there was a broadly even split of
statutory and non statutory training.
Just one in eleven (9 per cent) said that
they were providing mainly statutory
training (23 per cent at the all Wales
level).
FUTURE SKILLS WALES 2005 SECTOR SKILLS SURVEY
APPENDIX I:
GLOSSARY OF TERMS
Business Eye
Generic skills
A free, impartial information service for
Wales created to find the answers to
business questions.Aimed at all types of
businesses or new start ups seeking
general business advice.Aims to put
businesses in contact with support from
the public, private or voluntary sectors.
Skills that are transferable across most
jobs and without which it is very hard
to get work or progress in the labour
market.
Education and Learning Wales
(ELWa)
ELWa is an Assembly Sponsored Public
Body (ASPB) established by the
Learning and Skills Act 2000. Its remit
covers further education, governmentsupported training, adult community
learning and school sixth forms. ELWa’s
main statutory responsibilities are to:
Secure the provision of facilities for
post-16 education and training in
Wales (with the exception of higher
education);
Encourage young people and adults
to participate in learning; and
Encourage employers to participate
in, and contribute to the costs of,
post-16 education and training.
Establishment
Any site where employees are based
and therefore including head office
sites, other local/regional sites and sites
of single unit enterprises.
Experian
Global information solutions company
and provider of sample for the survey.
The Experian database incorporates
what was the Yellow Pages database
(now Yell.com).
Job specific skills
These are the skills that are needed to
work for a particular employer,
reflecting the specific needs or methods
of that employer.
Hard-to-fill vacancies
Vacancies that are self classified by the
respondent as hard-to-fill.
Inter Departmental Business
Register (IDBR)
A list of UK businesses maintained by
National Statistics (NS) and combines
the former Central Statistical Office
(CSO) VAT based business register and
the former Employment Department
(ED) employment statistics system. It
complies with European Union
regulation 2186/93 on harmonisation of
business registers for statistical
purposes.
Labour force
The total number of workers available
for employment.The labour force is
made up of two distinct elements those who are in work and those who
are not in work but who would like to
be, given the opportunity.
Labour Force Survey
Largest regular household survey in the
UK.A nationally (UK) representative
sample of approximately 120,000
21
people are interviewed over a three
month period.The survey asks a series
of questions about respondents’
personal circumstances and their labour
market activity. Results are published
every month for the latest available
three month period.
SOC
Recruitment problems
Independent, UK-wide organisations
developed by groups of influential
employers in industries or business
sectors of economic or strategic
significance. SSCs are employer-led and
actively involve trade unions,
professional bodies and other
stakeholders in the sector. SSCs are
licensed by the Secretary of State for
Education and Skills, in consultation
with Ministers in Scotland,Wales and
Northern Ireland, to tackle the skills
and productivity needs of their sector
throughout the UK.
Refers to vacancies that the employer
describes as either hard-to-fill or skillshortage related.
Skills deficiencies
Refers to the sum of skill gaps and skill
shortage vacancies.
Skill gap
(Or internal skill gap) the extent to
which employers perceive employees
are less than fully proficient for their
current job.
Skills shortage
Where employers are unable to find
new staff with the skills that they
require.This is one of a number of
possible causes of a recruitment
difficulty.
Skill shortage vacancy
These vacancies are defined as hard-tofill vacancies where applicants do not
have the required skills, experience, or
qualifications.
SIC
Standard Industrial Classification system
used to provide a consistent industrial
breakdown for UK official statistics.
22
Standard Occupational Classification
system used to provide a consistent
occupational breakdown for UK official
statistics.
Sector Skills Council (SSC)
SSC footprint
The coverage of a Sector Skills Council
in terms of types of industry that fall
within the remit of that SSC.The SIC
codes used are a ‘best fit’ of each SSC’s
core business sectors and the extent to
which this is an exact fit varies between
SSCs.
Vacancies
A measure of the level of recruitment
activity in the labour market.
FUTURE SKILLS WALES 2005 SECTOR SKILLS SURVEY
APPENDIX II:
BROAD SECTOR AND SSC
DEFINITIONS
In line with other UK employer skill
surveys, sector analysis of FSW 2005
has moved towards defining sectors in
a manner more consistent with SSC
definitions of the sectors they cover,
rather than the more general
definitions of sector used in previous
surveys.
The SSC and its corresponding Broad
sector category are shown below
together with a description of the
sector and a definition in terms of
Standard Industrial Classification (SIC).
The SIC codes used are a ‘best fit’ of
the SSC’s core business sectors and the
extent to which this is an exact fit
varies between SSCs.
SSC names, description, SIC definitions and corresponding Broad Sector
category
SSC name
SSC description
SIC definition
Lifelong Learning UK Community-based
80.22, 80.3, 80.42
learning and
development, further
education, higher
92.51
education, library and
information services,
work-based learning
Broad Sector
Public admin/
education/health
Other Services
23
APPENDIX III:
QUESTIONNAIRE
Future Skills Wales 2005
Future Skills Wales 2005
Sector Skills Survey
Employer Questionnaire
SCREENING QUESTIONS
ASK TELEPHONIST
S1.
S2.
Good morning/afternoon my name is ............. I am calling from NOP, an independent
research agency. We are conducting a major research project on behalf of the
Future Skills Wales Partnership. Can I just check, is that (INSERT ORGANISATION
NAME)?
Yes
1
No
2
TYPE
IN
CORRECT
NAME
We are conducting a survey about recruitment, human resources and workplace
skills. Can I speak to the person at this site, who has greatest involvement in these
sorts of issues?
If respondent attempts transfer to someone at another site
We need to speak to someone at this site rather than someone at another branch or office of
your organisation. Could I speak to the person at this site who would have the best overview of
the skills that your establishment needs its workers to have?
SINGLE CODE
Yes, correct
1
Go to A1
respondent speaking
Yes - transferred
2
Definite appointment
Soft appointment
Refusal
Refusal – company
policy
Refusal – taken part
in other survey
recently
Nobody at site to
answer questions
Not available in
deadline
Company too small/
<2 employment
Duplicate – already
called about this
survey
3
4
5
6
MAKE APPOINTMENT
CLOSE
7
8
9
10
11
1
September 2005
GfK NOP Social Research
24
FUTURE SKILLS WALES 2005 SECTOR SKILLS SURVEY
Future Skills Wales 2005
A. INTRODUCTION
A1. READ OUT: Good morning/afternoon my name is ............. I am calling from NOP, an independent
research agency. We are conducting a major research project amongst employers in Wales concerning
recruitment of staff and skills levels within workforces, so that we better understand the future skills
needs of Wales. All information collected will be treated in strict confidence by NOP, in accordance with
the Data Protection Act. (ADD IF NECESSARY: The research is being conducted on behalf of the Future
Skills Wales Partnership).
If code 1 at S2
READ OUT: All information collected in the survey will be treated in strict confidence by NOP, in
accordance with the Data Protection Act. (ADD IF NECESSARY: The research is being conducted on
behalf of the Future Skills Wales Partnership).
INTERVIEWER NOTE: Stress if necessary that:
• The survey is conducted on behalf of the Future Skills Wales Partnership which includes the Welsh
Assembly Government, ELWa (Education & Learning Wales), WDA/Welsh Development Agency,
Sector Skills Councils and a whole host of public and Private sector representative bodies (read out
the following list if necessary).
ACCAC (the Qualifications, Curriculum and Assessment Authority for Wales), Basic Skills Agency,
Careers Wales, Confederation of British Industry in Wales, Dysg (the Learning and Skills Development
Agency’s operation in Wales), Higher Education Wales (The national organisation representing the
higher education sector in Wales), HEFCW (Higher Education Funding Council for Wales), JobCentre
Plus, ESTYN (Her Majesty’s Inspectorate for Education and Training in Wales), Federation of Small
Businesses, Fforwm (the national organisation representing further education colleges in Wales), Local
Government Data Unit - Wales, National Training Federation for Wales, Secondary Heads Association,
Sector Skills Development Agency, Wales Council for Voluntary Action, Wales TUC, and Welsh Local
Government Association
• Establishments have been randomly chosen from Yellow Pages
• No information about individuals or organisations will be identified in the results unless they ask
someone to contact them
• Respondents will be given the choice to receive a copy of the report of the findings at the end of the
interview
• If respondent has any queries about the survey, they may contact Joanne Corke of the FSW
Partnership on 01443 663716 or Viv Young at NOP on 020 7890 9840.
ASK: The interview should take no more than 15 - 20 minutes of your time, depending on your answers.
Would it be convenient to conduct the interview now or should I call back?
2
September 2005
GfK NOP Social Research
25
Future Skills Wales 2005
IF RESPONDENT ATTEMPTS TO TRANSFER: We are interested in the activities at this particular site.
It is unlikely that anyone else will know about this as well as you do.
SINGLE CODE
Yes - continue
1
Continue
Definite appointment
3
MAKE APPOINTMENT
Soft appointment
4
Refusal
5
CLOSE
Refusal – company
6
policy
Refusal – taken part
7
in other survey
recently
Nobody at site to
8
answer questions
Not available in
9
deadline
Company too small/
10
<2 employment
Duplicate – already
11
called about this
survey
ASK ALL
3
September 2005
GfK NOP Social Research
26
FUTURE SKILLS WALES 2005 SECTOR SKILLS SURVEY
Future Skills Wales 2005
B3.
How many employees - full-time and part-time (by part-time we mean people working
between 8 and 31 hours a week)- do you have at this site? Please include yourself
and all those on the payroll (INCLUDING directors and out-workers such as sales
representatives but not self-employed or outside contractors/agency staff).
TYPE IN EXACT NUMBER AND CATI WILL AUTOMATICALLY CODE – KEEP
RAW DATA HERE.
IF RESPONDENT IS UNSURE, PROMPT FOR APPROXIMATE NUMBER OR BEST
ESTIMATE. IF STILL DON’T KNOW, ASK THE FOLLOWING (and code first which
applies):
Is it:
A3.
1
1
2-4
2
5-9
3
10 -24
4
25 -49
5
50 -99
6
100-199
7
200- 249
8
250- 299
9
300+
10
Don’t know
11
THANK & CLOSE
THANK & CLOSE
Would you like the interview to be conducted in English or Welsh? DO NOT READ
OUT
English
1
CONTINUE
Welsh
2
READ OUT: I will need to
arrange for our Welsh
interviewer to call you back.
When is the best time of day to
contact you?
Note day/ time
Say Welsh, but don’t want to make
an appointment so will do now
3
CONTINUE
4
September 2005
GfK NOP Social Research
27
Future Skills Wales 2005
READ OUT
For your information, the results from the survey will be held by the Future Skills Wales Partnership and
relevant Sector Skills Councils in the form of a database of results with individual company names
removed. All information will be used only for statistical purposes unless you ask for someone to contact
you.
B. ESTABLISHMENT DETAILS
Firstly, I would like to ask you some background information about this establishment or site. By
establishment or site, I mean this single location, even if it encompasses more than one building.
ASK ALL
B1.
Your establishment has been classified as … (READ OUT SIC DESCRIPTION
HELD ON DATABASE)
Is this correct?
Yes
No
2
1 GO TO B3
GO TO B2
ASK IF CODE 2 AT B1
B2.
What is the main product or service of this establishment? WRITE IN.
INTERVIEWER: PROBE AS NECESSARY
Eg. What is the main activity of this establishment?
What exactly is made or done at this establishment?
What material or machinery does that involve using?
TO BE CODED TO 4 DIGIT SIC 2003
(IF DK, THANK AND CLOSE)
B4A.
From the following, how would you describe your establishment? Is it . . . ? READ
OUT. SINGLE-CODE
a)
b)
c)
d)
Single site
Head office
Or, one of multiple sites, but
not head office
(Don’t know)
1
2
3
4
5
September 2005
GfK NOP Social Research
28
( )
FUTURE SKILLS WALES 2005 SECTOR SKILLS SURVEY
Future Skills Wales 2005
b) And is it ….. READ OUT. MULTI-CODING ALLOWED
a)
b)
c)
d)
e)
f)
A Private sector organisation
A Public sector organisation
A voluntary sector
organisation
A Charity organisation
Other (please specify)
(Don’t know)
1
2
3
4
5
6
( )
ASK IF ANY OF THE FOLLOWING SIC CODES AT QUESTION B1 (75.11, 75.12, 75.13, 75.14,
75.21, 75.3)
c) Do you consider yourself to be part of… READ OUT. SINGLE CODE.
INTERVIEWER: if local office of a central government department, treat as central government.
If local council or body overseeing local government or local education authority, treat as local
government
Central government
1
B5.
Or Local government
2
DO NOT READ OUT: Neither
DO
NOT
READ
OUT:
Other
(SPECIFY)
DO NOT READ OUT: Don’t know / not
sure
3
4
5
[If single site, code 1 at B4] Are you….? [If not single site, codes 2- 4 at B4) Thinking
of the wider organisation, is it . .?. READ OUT. SINGLE CODE
a)
b)
c)
d)
Welsh owned
Other UK owned
Other European Union owned
(Other)
2
3
4
1
e)
Don’t know
5
ASK ALL
B6.
Within the last year, has the financial turnover (FOR PRIVATE SECTOR-CODE 1
AT B4b)/ financial budget (FOR PUBLIC SECTOR- CODE 2, 3, 4 AT B4b) at this
site increased or decreased, or has it stayed roughly at the same level? SINGLE
CODE ONLY
Increased
Decreased
Roughly at the same level
Don’t know
Too early to tell - have been
in business less than a year
1
2
3
4
5
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C. Current vacancies and recruitment difficulties
C1. I would now like to ask you about vacancies at this establishment. How many
vacancies, if any, do you currently have at this establishment for full or part time staff?
PROBE FOR BEST ESTIMATE
[WRITE IN NUMBER…….. (ALLOW DK . If 0 or DK, GO TO D1]
ASK ALL WITH VACANCIES AT C1
C2 IF C1>1: Are any of these vacancies proving hard to fill? / IF C1=1: Is the vacancy
proving hard to fill?
Yes
1
Go to C2
No
2
Go to D1
Don’t know
3
Go to D1
If Yes at C2 AND C1>1 (IF YES AT C2 AND C1=1, GO TO C3)
C2b - How many of your <textfil – no of vacancies at C1> are proving hard to fill?
[WRITE IN NUMBER…….. (ALLOW DK . If 0 or DK, GO TO D1]
C3. In which specific occupation(s) do you currently have hard to fill vacancies at
this establishment? I will record details for up to 6 different occupations.
PROMPT FOR FULL DETAILS TO ALLOW 2 DIGIT SOC CODING (e.g. what is
the job title? What type of manager are they? ) RECORD DETAILS FOR UP TO
6 OCCUPATIONS
C4 How many hard to fill vacancies do you currently have for <OCCUPATION
AT C3>? PROBE FOR BEST ESTIMATE
C3 – occupation type
Occupation 1
<text>
Occupation 2
<text>
Occupation 3
<text>
Occupation 4
<text>
Occupation 5
<text>
Occupation 6
<text>
C4 – number of
hard to fill
vacancies
TOTAL HARD TO FILL VACANCIES
[INTERVIEWER NOTE : total number of hard to fill vacancies at C4 must not be greater than C2B]
There is no C5
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Calculate the number (K) of different occupations for which a hard-to-fill
vacancy exists at this establishment.
K=
Questions C6-C9 are asked in turn for each of the K occupations with a
hard-to-fill vacancy. If K>2, select two of the hard-to-fill vacancy types at
random and ask questions C6-C9 about these vacancy types.
INTRODUCTION: I’d now like to ask you some questions about your hard-to-fill vacancies /
vacancy.
C6 What are the main reasons that the <OCCUPATION-k> vacancy is/ vacancies are
proving hard-to-fill? (DO NOT READ OUT. CODE ALL MENTIONED)
C6
Lack of skills the organisation demands
1
Lack of qualifications the organisation demands
2
Lack of work experience the organisation demands
3
Low number of applicants with the required attitude, motivation or
personality
4
Not enough people interested in this type of work
5
Low number of applicants generally
6
Wages lower than other firms
7
Benefits trap/problem with benefits
8
Location of the firm/poor public transport
9
Unattractive/poor terms and conditions of employment
10
Lack of/poor career progression
11
Job entails shift work /long/unsocial/irregular hours
12
Too much competition from other employers
13
Other (WRITE IN)
15
No particular reason
16
Don’t know
17
There is no C7
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IF CODES 1, 2 OR 3 AT C6, ASK C8.
C8 Which of the following skills, if any, have you found difficult to obtain from applicants for
<OCCUPATION-k>? (READ OUT AND CODE ALL MENTIONED).
CATI TO ROTATE PRECODES, BUT ALWAYS KEEP CODES 1,2,11 IN SAME ORDER.
CODE 13 (OTHER) SHOULD ALWAYS APPEAR AT THE END OF THE LIST.
General IT user skills
1
IT professional skills
2
Other technical and practical skills
11
Communication skills
3
Customer handling skills
4
Team working skills
5
Problem solving skills
6
Management skills
7
Using numbers
8
Literacy skills
9
Welsh language skills
10
None
12
And what else? (WRITE IN)
13
(DO NOT READ OUT) Don’t know
14
If CODE 11 ‘Other Technical and practical skills’ at C8, ASK
C9
You said you have found it difficult to obtain other technical and practical skills from applicants for
<occupation>. Exactly what types of technical and practical skills are you finding difficult to obtain?
If necessary: we are interested in skills that are specific to your industry or this job
[PROBE FOR DETAIL]
Open question
There is no C10
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ASK ALL WITH HARD TO FILL VACANCIES C2=YES
C11. Which measures have you taken, or do you plan to take, at this establishment to fill
the hard-to-fill vacancies, OVER AND ABOVE what you would do normally? (DO NOT
READ OUT. CODE ALL MENTIONED)
Offered higher pay or more incentives than normal
1
Offered enhanced terms and conditions
2
Considered a wider range of applicants
3
Changed the job specification by giving some of the tasks to other staff
4
Changed the job specification by automating some of the tasks
5
Hired part-time staff
6
Hired contract staff
7
Built links with schools/colleges/universities
8
Used more extensive range of recruitment channels than normal
9
Spent more on recruitment or used more expensive methods
10
Recruited staff from overseas
11
Been prepared to provide more training to less qualified recruits
12
Retrain existing staff
13
Contracted work out
14
Other (WRITE IN)
15
No particular measures taken/planned
16
10
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D. Skill Gaps
I’d now like to turn to the skills within your existing workforce. Please do not think about any external
recruitment problems that you may face.
ASK ALL.
D1. Thinking about your current employees, would you say that there is a gap between
the types of skills that your current employees have now, and those that your company
needs to meet its business objectives?
If necessary: We are only interested in skills gaps that are holding back current business
objectives for your company/ organisation
Yes
1
Go to
(D2)
No
2
Go to
(D3)
D2. How significant is this skills gap, in terms of the effect on your establishment’s ability
to meet its business objectives? Would you say that the skills gap is having a ……
(READ OUT. CODE ONE ONLY)
Very significant/major effect
1
Significant effect
2
Minor effect
3
Or, no real effect
4
READ OUT
You said there were [ number of staff from B3] staff at this establishment, including yourself. I would like
you to break this number down into 9 specific occupation categories with no overlap. If staff have more
than one job, please only include them in their main function.
IF NECESSARY, INTERVIEWER READ OUT THE NINE CATEGORIES:
The nine categories are:
• Managers and Senior Managers
• Professional Occupations
• Associate Professional & Technical Occupations
• Administrative and Secretarial Occupations
• Skilled Trades Occupations
• Personal Service Occupations
• Sales and Customer Service Occupations
• Process, Plant and Machine Operatives
• Elementary Occupations
I will be able to give you examples to help you categorise your staff. Some of these categories may not
apply to your establishment, but are intended to cover ALL possible occupations.
IF NECESSARY: I will be able to fax or e mail you a sheet listing the different categories to help you
with this if necessary
TAKE FAX NUMBER/ E MAIL ADDRESS AND FAX / E MAIL SHEET TO RESPONDENT.
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D3. Do you employ any of your staff at this establishment as: (READ OUT EACH
BOLD HEADING ONLY). This will include:
CATI TO LIST 2 DIGIT SOC SUBGROUPS
IF NECESSARY, REMIND RESPONDENT: If staff have more than one job role,
please only include them in their main function.
ALLOW NULL = NONE OF THIS TYPE OF STAFF EMPLOYED
1. Yes
2. No
FOR ALL CODE 1 (YES) AT D3, ASK.
D4. Thinking about <textfil 1 digit SOC category from D3> how many in this group are
employed as… (INSERT EACH SUBGROUP OF MAIN GROUPS CODED AT D3]
IF MORE THAN 100 EMPLOYEES AT B3, ADD IF NECESSARY: This can be an approximate number
D4
D3
Number of
Yes No
employees
Managers & Senior Managers, ADD IF NECESSARY
The types of occupation that might fit in this category are:
[IF ‘MANUFACTURING’ (SIC ON SAMPLE – 01 to 45)
directors/ chief executives of major organisations, finance
and functional managers, farm managers
[IF ‘SERVICES’ (SIC ON SAMPLE: 50-74 & 93) directors/
chief executives of major organisations, functional
managers, quality managers, restaurant managers.]
[IF ‘PUBLIC SECTOR’ SIC ON SAMPLE 75-99 excl 93):
senior officials, social services managers, officers in
armed forces, housing managers),
Corporate Managers, ADD IF NECESSARY
[IF ‘MANUFACTURING’ (SIC ON SAMPLE – 01 to 45) for
example directors/ chief executives of major organisations,
functional managers, quality managers]
[IF ‘SERVICES’ (SIC ON SAMPLE: 50-74 & 93) for
example directors/ chief executives of major organisations,
functional managers, quality managers.]
[IF ‘PUBLIC SECTOR’ SIC ON SAMPLE 75-99 excl 93): for example
senior officials in national and local government, social services
managers, officers in armed forces),
Managers and Proprietors in Agriculture and Services, ADD IF
NECESSARY
[IF ‘MANUFACTURING’ (SIC ON SAMPLE – 01 to 45)
farm managers, conservation managers, recycling
managers]
[IF ‘SERVICES’ (SIC ON SAMPLE: 50-74 & 93)
conference
managers,
restaurant
managers,
shopkeepers.]
[IF ‘PUBLIC SECTOR’ SIC ON SAMPLE 75-99 excl 93 housing
managers, refuse disposal managers, leisure services managers)
1
2
(1 – 99999)
(1 – 99999)
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Professional occupations, ADD IF NECESSARY The
types of occupation that might fit in this category are:
[IF ‘MANUFACTURING’ (SIC ON SAMPLE – 01 to 45)
professional engineers, IT strategy professionals,
accountants, scientific researchers]
[IF ‘SERVICES’ (SIC ON SAMPLE: 50-74 & 93)
accountants, IT strategy professionals, architects.]
[IF ‘PUBLIC SECTOR’ SIC ON SAMPLE 75-99 excl 93):
doctors, teachers, social workers, librarians.]
Science & technology professionals, ADD IF NECESSARY
For example, professional engineers, IT strategy professionals,
chemists)
Health professionals ADD IF NECESSARY
For example, doctors, pharmacists, vets)
Teaching and Research professionals ADD IF NECESSARY
For example, education officers/ inspectors, teachers, lecturers, scientific
researchers)
Business & public service professionals ADD IF NECESSARY
For example, solicitors, accountants, social workers, clergy, librarians)
Associate professional and technical occupations, ADD IF
NECESSARY The types of occupation that might fit in this category are:
[IF ‘MANUFACTURING’ (SIC ON SAMPLE – 01 to 45) science and
engineering technicians, IT technicians.]
[IF ‘SERVICES’ (SIC ON SAMPLE: 50-74 & 93) insurance underwriters,
investment advisers, writers/journalists, sales reps, fitness instructors]
[IF ‘PUBLIC SECTOR’ SIC ON SAMPLE 75-99 excl 93) nurses, junior
ranks of armed services, community workers, housing officers, train
drivers.]
Science & technology associate professionals ADD IF NECESSARY
For example, science and engineering technicians, IT technicians
Health & social welfare associate professionals ADD IF NECESSARY
For example, nurses, community workers, paramedics, therapists
Protective service occupations ADD IF NECESSARY
For example, junior ranks of armed forces, police)
Culture, media & sport occupations ADD IF NECESSARY
For example, fitness instructors, writers/ journalists, graphic designers
Business & Public service associate professionals ADD IF NECESSARY
For example, insurance underwriters, sales reps, housing officers, train
drivers)
Administrative and Secretarial occupations, ADD IF
NECESSARY The types of occupation that might fit in this
category are: office assistants, local government
assistants, receptionists, PAs
Administrative occupations, ADD IF NECESSARY:
For example, wage clerks, local government assistants, civil service
executive officers,}
Secretarial and Related occupations, ADD IF NECESSARY
For example secretaries, receptionists & PAs, telephonists
2
(1 – 99999)
(1 – 99999)
(1 – 99999)
(1 – 99999)
1
2
(1 – 99999)
(1 – 99999)
(1 – 99999)
(1 – 99999)
(1 – 99999)
1
2
(1 – 99999)
(1 – 99999)
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Skilled trades occupations, ADD IF NECESSARY: The types of
1
occupation that might fit in this category are: electricians, gardeners,
motor mechanics, TV engineers, chefs
Skilled agricultural trades ADD IF NECESSARY
For example, farmers, gardeners
Skilled metal and electrical trades ADD IF NECESSARY
For example, electricians, TV engineers, machine setters, mechanics)
Skilled construction & building trades ADD IF NECESSARY
For example, roofers, decorators, plasterers)
Textiles, printing and other skilled trades ADD IF NECESSARY
For example, printers, chefs, florists)
Personal service occupations, ADD IF NECESSARY The types of
1
occupation that might fit in this category are: travel agents, hairdressers,
nursery nurses, teaching assistants.]
Caring personal service occupations ADD IF NECESSARY
For example, care assistants, nursery nurses, dental nurses)
Leisure and other personal service occupations ADD IF NECESSARY
For example, travel agents, hairdressers, undertakers, teaching
assistants)
Sales and customer service occupations, ADD IF NECESSARY The
1
types of occupation that might fit in this category are:, sales assistants,
telesales, call centre agents, customer care occupations
Sales occupations ADD IF NECESSARY
For example, sales assistants, telesales, rent collectors, market traders)
Customer Service occupations ADD IF NECESSARY
For example, call centre agents, customer care occupations
Process, plant and machine operatives, ADD IF NECESSARY The
types of occupation that might fit in this category are: machine operators, 1
assemblers, van drivers, construction, scaffolders
Process, plant and machine operatives ADD IF NECESSARY
For example, machine operatives, assemblers, machinists )
Transport & mobile machine drivers and operatives ADD IF
NECESSARY
For example, van, fork lift, bus, taxi drivers)
Elementary occupations, ADD IF NECESSARY The
types of occupation that might fit in this category are:
[IF ‘MANUFACTURING’ (SIC ON SAMPLE – 01 to 45)
labourers, packers, cleaners]
[IF ‘SERVICES’ (SIC ON SAMPLE: 50-74 & 93) bar staff,
/catering assistants, security guards, cleaners]
[IF ‘PUBLIC SECTOR’ SIC ON SAMPLE 75-99 excl 93)
cleaners, road sweepers, traffic wardens]
Elementary trades, plant and storage related occupations ADD IF
NECESSARY
1
2
(1 – 99999)
(1 – 99999)
(1 – 99999)
(1 – 99999)
2
(1 – 99999)
(1 – 99999)
2
(1 – 99999)
(1 – 99999)
2
(1 – 99999)
(1 – 99999)
2
(1 – 99999)
For example, farm workers, labourers, packers
Elementary administration and service occupations ADD IF
NECESSARY
For example, security guards, cleaners, catering assistants, traffic
wardens )
(1 – 99999)
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THERE IS NO D5 OR D6
READ OUT:
IN EACH CATEGORY OF STAFF, I’D LIKE TO KNOW HOW MANY YOU THINK ARE
FULLY PROFICIENT AT THEIR JOB. BY FULLY PROFICIENT I MEAN SOMEONE WHO
IS ABLE TO DO THEIR JOB TO THE REQUIRED LEVEL.
ASK ALL, ASKING FOR EACH OCCUPATION WITH 1+ EMPLOYEES AT D4.
CATI TO LIST ONLY THOSE 2 DIGIT SOC OCCUPATIONS CODED AT D4
D7. How many of your existing [INSERT NUMBER] staff employed as <OCCUPATION>
D4> would you regard as fully proficient at their job?
0-NUMBER
GIVEN AT D4
Managerial occupations
Corporate Managers
Managers and Proprietors in Agriculture and Services
Professional occupations
Science & technology professionals)
Health professionals)
Teaching and Research professionals
Business & public service professionals
Associate professional and technical occupations
Science & technology associate professionals
Health & social welfare associate professionals
Protective service occupations
Culture, media & sport occupations
Business & Public service associate professionals
Administrative & secretarial occupations
Administrative
Secretarial and Related occupations)
Skilled trades occupations
Skilled agricultural trades
Skilled metal and electrical trades
Skilled construction & building trades
Textiles, printing and other skilled trades
Personal service occupations
Caring personal service occupations
Leisure and other personal service occupations
Sales and customer service occupations,
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Sales occupations
Customer Service occupations
Process, plant and machine operatives
Process, plant and machine operatives
Transport & mobile machine drivers and operatives
Elementary occupations
Elementary trades, plant and storage related occupations)
Elementary administration and service occupations)
(CATI TO CALCUATE LACK OF FULL PROFICIENCY (P) FOR EACH CATEGORY. THIS IS DEFINED
P=D4 – D7)
If more than one occupation at D7 lacking full proficiency), CATI to randomly select TWO occupations for
follow up at D8 and D9
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ASK D8 – D10 FOR EACH OCCUPATION IN TURN WHERE P >0
D8 And still thinking about your <occupation at D7> staff that lack full proficiency, which, if
any of the following skills do you feel need improving? (READ OUT AND CODE ALL
MENTIONED)
CATI TO ROTATE PRECODES, BUT ALWAYS KEEP CODES 1,2,11 IN SAME ORDER.
CODE 13 (OTHER) SHOULD ALWAYS APPEAR AT THE END OF THE LIST.
General IT user skills
1
IT professional skills
2
Other technical and practical skills
11
Communication skills
3
Customer handling skills
4
Team working skills
5
Problem solving skills
6
Management skills
7
Using numbers
8
Literacy skills
9
Welsh language skills
10
None
12
And what else? (WRITE IN)
13
(DO NOT READ OUT) Don’t know
14
If CODE 11 ‘Other Technical and practical skills’ at D8, ASK
D9
You said that other technical and practical skills need improving. Exactly what types of technical
and practical skills need improvement amongst <occupation> staff? [PROBE FOR DETAIL]
If necessary: we are interested in skills that are specific to your industry or this job
Open question
There is no D10
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ASK WHERE P>0 FOR ANY OCCUPATION TYPE at D7
D11. Thinking more generally about all types of staff, which of the following measures, if
any, have you taken at this establishment to overcome a lack of full proficiency amongst
some of your staff? (READ OUT AND CODE ALL MENTIONED
Increased recruitment
1
Provided further training/development amongst the existing workforce
2
Changed working practices
3
Reallocated work within the company
4
Expanded recruitment channels
5
Increased/expanded trainee programmes
6
And what else? (WRITE IN)
10
(DO NOT READ OUT) No particular measures taken
11
(DO NOT READ OUT) Don’t Know
12
ASK ALL LACKING FULL PROFICIENCY IN >1 OCCUPATION AT D7
D12. You told me that the following occupations lacked full proficiency [CATI to list all occupations
types at D7 that lack full proficiency, i.e. P>0]. In which occupation types is a lack of full proficiency most
critical in terms of holding back business objectives? [If more than 2 occupations at D7 where P>0, read
out] I will list up to two occupation types.
[List up to 2 occupations where P>0]
[IF 1 OCCUPATION LACKING FULL PROFICIENCY AT D7
You told me that <occupation type at D7 that lacks full proficiency, i.e. P>0) lacks full proficiency. Is this
lack of full proficiency critical in terms of holding back business objectives?]
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E. Off-the-job training
I AM NOW GOING TO ASK YOU SOME QUESTIONS ABOUT OFF-THE-JOB TRAINING. BY OFFTHE-JOB TRAINING, I MEAN ALL TRAINING THAT WAS DELIVERED AWAY FROM THE
IMMEDIATE WORK POSITION. IT CAN BE GIVEN AT YOUR PREMISES OR ELSEWHERE. IT
INCLUDES ALL SORTS OF COURSES – FULL OR PART-TIME; CORRESPONDENCE, DISTANCE
OR E-LEARNING; HEALTH AND SAFETY TRAINING AND SO ON – AS LONG AS IT IS FUNDED OR
ARRANGED BY YOUR ORGANISATION FOR EMPLOYEES WORKING AT THIS SITE.
E1 ASK ALL.
Has your organisation funded or arranged any off-the-job training for any of your employees
over the past 12 months at this site?
Yes
1
Go to
(E2)
No
2
Go to
(E4)
Don’t know
3
Go to
Section F
ASK IF HAVE ARRANGED/FUNDED TRAINING CODE 1 AT E1
E2
And for which of the following categories of employees at this site has off-the-job
training been funded or arranged over the past year?
PROGRAMME CATI TO LIST ONLY 1 DIGIT SOC OCCUPATIONS FROM D6
MULTI-CODE
Code all that
apply
Managerial occupations
Professional occupations
Associate professional and technical occupations
Administrative & secretarial occupations
Sales and customer service occupations,
Skilled trades occupations
Personal service occupations
Process, plant and machine operatives
Elementary occupations
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E3. Is the off-the-job training you provide for staff at this establishment mainly …
ONE ONLY
Statutory, that is, because it is a legal requirement for your staff to be
trained in this area (add if necessary: for example Health and Safety
1
training)
Or Non statutory, that is, not legally required
READ OUT. CODE
2
Or, evenly split between the two?
3
(Don’t know)
4
E4 Why have you not arranged or funded any off-the-job training for your employees over
the past 12 months. Is it because of any of the following …… (READ OUT. CODE ALL
THAT APPLY)
Staff have sufficient skills to do their job
1
Cost of off-the-job training
2
Time constraints
3
No money available for training
4
There is no suitable training available
5
Lack of information on training available
6
Other training method preferred (e.g. on-the-job training)
7
Trained staff will be poached by other employers
8
Any other reason (WRITE IN)
9
There is no E5
F. Final Section
F1.
Do you currently have any skills or training issues on which you would like information or help in
identifying the most appropriate source of advice? I can pass on your details on to Business Eye or
ELWa and ask someone to call you. [If necessary: we will only pass on your name, address and
telephone number, NOT your answers to this survey]
Interviewer notes: BUSINESS EYE is a free, impartial information service for Wales created to find the
answer to your business questions. Whether you are an established company, a new idea, a sole trader
or an employer of hundreds, Business Eye can put you in contact with support from the public, private or
voluntary sectors.
ELWa helps businesses to improve results through making the most of their people.
1. Yes
2. No
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F2. The results will be reported in the autumn of 2005, and we can arrange for the Future Skills Wales
Partnership to send you a summary of results. Would you like to receive a copy? EMPHASISE: If you
do want a copy we will only pass on your name and address, and not your answers to this survey.
Yes
1
No
2
CHECK CORRECT
ADDRESS AND POSTCODE
ON SAMPLE
Continue
Thank and close
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NOTES:
45