E-SKILLS UK 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 e-skills UK 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 2.1 Extent of vacancies, hard-to-fill vacancies and skill shortage vacancies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 2.1.1 Comparison for e-skills over time (comparing 2003 and 2005) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 2.2 Occupational profile of hard-to-fill vacancies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 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 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 3.1.1 Comparison for e-skills over time (comparing 2003 and 2005) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 3.2 Skills lacking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12 3.3 Other technical and practical skills lacking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 3.4 Measures to overcome skills gaps . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 4 Provision of off-the-job training 4.1 Incidence of off-the-job training and allocation across occupations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18 4.2 Type of off-the-job training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 4.3 Barriers to provision of off-the-job training . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20 5 Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21 6 Commentary from e-skills SSC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Appendix I: Glossary of Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23 Appendix II: Broad Sector and SSC definitions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Appendix III: Questionnaire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 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 SSCs are employer-led organisations which have been charged with developing skills and business performance levels in specific, discrete 2 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 to fill 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 The incidence of off-the-job training activity, which occupational groups are receiving training and, where FUTURE SKILLS WALES 2005 SECTOR SKILLS SURVEY applicable, the reasons why off-thejob training is not currently arranged 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. 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. The main fieldwork was preceded by a cognitive pilot and standard pilot, details of which are provided in a separate 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 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 e-skills UK is ±6% for a survey result of 50 per cent and ±6% 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, e-skills UK was defined by the following SIC codes: 22.33, 64.2, 72 and 74.86, and was described as: IT, telecoms and contact centres. In addition, e-skills UK was also defined as covering ICT occupations, and IT and telecoms professionals across all industries. This report uses a number of terms throughout.These are defined as follows: 1.4 Sample size for the Sector A total of 267 interviews were conducted with establishments in eskills UK. Further analysis has been obtained by employment in establishment as follows: Micro (1-9 employees), unweighted base size 215 Small / medium / large (10 + employees), base size 52 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 required skills, work experience, or qualifications required 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 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 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 general 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. 1.6 Employer Characteristics for e-skills 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 two-thirds were single site (67 per cent), whilst 20 per cent were multi site (not head office) establishments. 13 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. Nearly all establishments surveyed were private sector (98 per cent). Clearly in some sectors sample sizes are relatively small (reflecting the size of the sector universe).Where care 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). Chart 1.1 Site description Single site 67 One of multiple sites not head office 20 Head office 13 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 % of establishments Source: FSW 2005, question B4a. Base: all establishments (Unweighted: 267; Weighted: 1,625). Single response. 5 1.6.2 Ownership Two-thirds of establishments were Welsh5 owned (68 per cent), whilst over 1 in 4 were other UK owned (27 per cent).Very small minorities were other European Union owned (2 per cent) and American owned (1 per cent). Chart 1.2 Ownership of establishments Welsh Owned 68 Other UK owned 27 Other EU owned 2 American 1 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 % of establishments Source: FSW 2005, question B5. Base: all establishments (Unweighted: 267; Weighted: 1,625). Single response. Donít k now/no answer not shown (1%) 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 around half of establishments (52 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 (32 per cent). For 8 per cent of establishments turnover had decreased in the 12 months prior to the survey. Chart 1.3 Turnover in past 12 months Increased 52 Roughly the same 32 Decreased 8 Too early to tell, in business < 1yr 4 Don’t know 4 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 % of establishments Source: FSW 2005, question B6. Base: all establishments (Unweighted: 267; Weighted: 1,625). 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 2.1 Extent of vacancies, hard-tofill vacancies and skill shortage vacancies On an establishment level: 22 per cent of establishments in eskills UK reported vacancies compared with the all Wales average of 21 per cent. 11 per cent of all establishments in e-skills UK had vacancies that were proving difficult to fill at the time of interview (this equates to 49 per cent of all those with any vacancies) 8 per cent of all establishments had skill shortage vacancies (this equates to 37 per cent of all those with vacancies). These findings show that employers in e-skills UK were experiencing similar levels of vacancies and hard-to-fill vacancies as those in other sectors but Table 2.1 Extent of vacancies, hard-to-fill vacancies and skills shortage vacancies (2005 data) All Wales e-skills % of all establishments reporting vacancies 21 22 % of establishments with hard-to-fill vacancies 10 11 4 8 Number of vacancies 37,875 665 Number of hard-to-fill vacancies 13,242 392 5,405 246 Vacancies as % of employment 3.5 3.9 Hard-to-fill vacancies as a % of employment 1.2 2.3 Skill shortage vacancies as a % of employment 0.5 1.4 % of establishments with skills shortage vacancies Number of skill shortage vacancies Source: Future Skills Wales 2005. Base:All establishments (All Wales Unweighted: 6,719,Weighted: 70,515; e-skills UK Unweighted: 267,Weighted 1,625). 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 that skill shortage vacancies were a more acute problem than average for this sector (table 2.1). Analysis by size of establishment shows that smaller establishments were disproportionately affected by recruitment problems. For example, micro establishments (1 to 9 employees) accounted for 22 per cent On a vacancy level hard-to-fill vacancies accounted for over half of all vacancies in this SSC (59 per cent). Table 2.2 Summary of reported vacancies in e-skills UK by establishment counts by employee size band % share of total employment % share of all vacancies Total vacancies as % of employment % share of hardto-fill vacancies Total hard-to-fill vacancies as % of employment % share of skillshortage vacancies Survey-based estimates 1 to 9 22 68 12 70 7 95 10+ 78 32 2 30 1 5 100% 100% Size of establishment 100% 100% Shaded columns show row percentages. Source: FSW 2005, questions C1, C2b, C6 Table 2.3 Summary of extent of vacancies, hard-to-fill vacancies and skill shortage vacancies 2003 and 2005 data All Wales e-skills % of all % of all establishments establishments % of all % of all reporting reporting employment employment % with any vacancies % with hard-to-fill vacancies % with skill shortage vacancies 2003 2005 2003 2005 2003 2005 2003 2005 % % % % % % % % 25 21 4.9 3.5 23 22 10.7 3.9 15 10 2.0 1.2 9 11 2.1 2.3 9 4 1.1 0.5 7 8 2.0 1.4 Source: Future Skills Wales 2003 Generic Skills Survey and Future Skills Wales 2005. Base: Future Skills Wales 2003 Generic Skills Survey All establishments (All Wales Unweighted: 6,020 Weighted: 66,431, e-skills Unweighted: 147,Weighted 1,100). Future Skills Wales 2005 All establishments (All Wales Unweighted: 6,719,Weighted: 70,515 e-skills Unweighted: 267, Weighted 1,625). 9 of employment but 68 per cent of vacancies, 70 per cent of hard-to-fill vacancies and 95 per cent of skill shortage vacancies. 2.1.1 Comparison for e-skills UK over time (comparing 2003 and 2005) At an employer level, the proportions of establishments in e-skills with vacancies, hard-to-fill vacancies and skill shortage vacancies have remained stable since 2003. 2.2 Occupational profile of hardto-fill vacancies Further analysis of the characteristics of hard-to-fill vacancies was not possible in e-skills UK due to an unweighted base size lower than 50 in terms of the number of establishments reporting hard-to-fill vacancies. 2.3 Causes of hard-to-to fill vacancies Further analysis of the characteristics of hard-to-fill vacancies was not possible in e-skills UK due to an unweighted base size lower than 50 in terms of the number of establishments reporting hard-to-fill vacancies. 10 2.4 Responses to hard-to-fill vacancies Further analysis of the characteristics of hard-to-fill vacancies was not possible in e-skills UK due to an unweighted base size lower than 50 in terms of the number of establishments reporting hard-to-fill vacancies. 2.5 Nature of skill shortage 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 technical and practical skills that were lacking amongst applicants for skill shortage vacancies. Comments received from employers in e-skills UK are provided below for reference, together with the type of occupation in which the skill shortage was occurring. FUTURE SKILLS WALES 2005 SECTOR SKILLS SURVEY Table 2.4 Other technical and practical skills lacking amongst applicants for skill shortage vacancies (employers’ verbatim comments) Comment SOC Group Standard protocols and how things are done/ Science & Engineering Professionals a general lack of practical experience and knowledge We need advanced skills in CSS area and Science & Engineering Professionals accessibility and XML technology. There’s no good mix of skills it’s very Science & Engineering Professionals pigeonholed/they come to me saying I’m a programmer but they have no knowledge of things outside of that/it’s like someone saying they design cars but have no knowledge of tyres. Industrial control systems. Science & Engineering Professionals Computer programming, hardware and electronics experience in linux.Also knowledge of modern programme languages. Somebody who’s fully qualified with knowledge of PC assembly and network. Specific manufacturing skills Science & Engineering Professionals Stock handling and the security side of it. Sales Occupations Ability to operate machinery. Process, plant and machine Operatives IT, Science And Engineering Associate Professionals IT, Science And Engineering Associate Professionals Lack of assessor’s awards. Business & Public Service Associate Professionals Just the depth of knowledge that we need to Business & Public Service Associate sell our product. Professionals We sell specific supplier products so our Skilled Metal & Electrical trades engineers have to be qualified in the systems required. The computer market is changing all the time. Skilled Metal & Electrical trades To find people with up to date training and knowledge is difficult, keeping up with technology and updating new skills too. Trade related skills Skilled Metal & Electrical trades Source: Future Skills Wales 2005, Question C9. 11 SECTION 3: INTERNAL SKILL GAPS 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 employer, an employee is not fully proficient at their job. 22 per cent of establishments in e-skills UK reported a skill gap (or a lack of full proficiency) in any one occupational group.The all Wales figure reported in FSW 2005 was 18 per cent. In terms of the number of employees, the survey recorded a total of 999 employees with skill gaps at the time of interview, representing 6 per cent of total employment in e-skills UK.The corresponding all Wales figure was also 6 per cent. The occupational categories in e-skills UK that had the highest incidence of skill gaps (i.e. number of skill gaps as a proportion of total employment per SOC group) were: Associate Professionals (18 per cent) Sales/Customer Service (9 per cent) Managers/Senior Officials (8 per cent) 3.1.1 Comparison for e-skills UK over time (comparing 2003 and 2005) There had been no significant change in the proportion of establishments in e-skills reporting skill gaps in 2005 compared with 20037. 3.2 Skills lacking Establishments that had experienced skill gaps8 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, problem solving skills (50 per cent), communication skills (42 per cent) and team working skills (30 per cent). Table 3.1 Incidence and number of skill gaps in Wales 2005 and in e-skills UK Base:All establishments Wales 2005 e-skills UK 2005 70,515 1,625 18 22 Weighted base % of establishments reporting skill gaps Source: Future Skills Wales 2005, Question D7 (derived) The definition of skill gaps differed between 2003 and 2005. In 2003, the definition of a skill gap was where ‘there is a gap between the skills employees have now and those needed to meet current business objectives’. In contrast, in 2005 in line with other UK employer skills surveys, a skill gap was defined as where employees were not fully proficient in their job.Therefore, comparisons should be treated with caution. 7 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. 8 12 FUTURE SKILLS WALES 2005 SECTOR SKILLS SURVEY Table 3.2: Incidence of skill gaps and distribution across occupation groups (2005 data) Skill gaps as % of total employment Total number of employees with skill gaps Skill gaps as % of total employment e-skills UK Total number of employees with skill gaps All Wales 63,803 6 999 6 Managers/Senior Officials 4,798 3 207 8 Professional occupations 4,290 3 255 5 Associate Professionals 3,141 4 229 18 Administrative/Secretarial occupations 5,873 5 55 3 Skilled Trades 6,109 7 69 4 Personal Service occupations 5,591 6 9 1 Sales/Customer Service 15,431 10 175 9 Transport/Machine Operatives 11,146 8 0 0 ALL Elementary occupations 7,426 6 0 0 Source: Future Skills Wales 2005, question D7(derived). Base:All employees with skill gaps (All Wales Unweighted: 10,157,Weighted: 63,085; e-skills UK Unweighted: 156,Weighted 999). Table 3.3: Incidence of skill gaps (2003 and 2005 comparison) % of establishments reporting skill gaps in any occupation All Wales % reporting Skill gaps as % skill gaps of employment e-skills % reporting Skill gaps as % skill gaps of employment 2003 2005 2003 2005 2003 2005 2003 2005 19 18 17 6 18 22 6 6 Source: Future Skills Wales 2003 Generic Skills Survey; Future Skills Wales 2005 However, technical and practical skills were lacking for nearly six in ten employees with skill gaps that were followed up (57 per cent) and IT professional skills were lacking for nearly half (47 per cent). 13 Table 3.4 Skills lacking amongst employees with skill gaps (2005 data) Base: all establishments with skill gaps followed up Unweighted 1,469 **57 12,558 352 % % General IT user skills 40 31 IT professional skills 26 47 Other technical and practical skills 52 57 Communication skills 49 42 Customer handling skills 57 43 Team working skills 49 30 Problem solving skills 58 50 Management skills 40 48 Using numbers 25 15 Literacy skills 23 17 Welsh language skills 23 33 Work experience (unspecified) 3 2 Time management/keeping 2 3 Sales/marketing skills 3 4 Motivation/behaviour 2 0 Other 2 0 Don’t know/no answer 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) 3 4 Weighted When asked this question the respondent was offered a list of possible skills that might be lacking and was also given the option to report other skills that might be missing.This resulted in the following skills being mentioned by minorities of employers with skill gaps within their workforces: Accountancy/Book Keeping skills (9 per cent) Product knowledge (2 per cent) 14 All Wales e-skills UK Personal issues/Appearance/Personal Hygiene (2 per cent) Analysis by size of establishment (numbers of employees) was not possible in e-skills UK due to small base sizes. 3.3 Other technical and practical skills lacking 57 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. FUTURE SKILLS WALES 2005 SECTOR SKILLS SURVEY Table 3.5 Other technical and practical skills lacking amongst employees with skill gaps in e-skills UK (verbatim comments from employers) Comment SOC Group I would like to learn more technical aspects of the computer language/Database management. Talking to people, product knowledge, marketing, ideas. The area that they need to be aware of is in our own systems/The actual IT systems, they need to improve on that/Being aware of their own professionalism/It’s wanting to find out more, not just getting by on a minimum/ Being a bit more proactive. Repair of certain equipment/Keeping up to date with technology as it moves along/ Repair technology. Tax forms/The accounting side of things. Corporate Managers Greater knowledge of mobile phones and their operation. Knowledge on mobile phones/The repair of all aspects on mobile phones. Use of the equipment. Managers and Proprietors in Agriculture and Services Managers and Proprietors in Agriculture and Services Managers and Proprietors in Agriculture and Services Science and technology professionals Software programs/Design programs/Typical ways in which we work. General web technologies that are constantly evolving. Practical work on the mechanical side and further advancement on the technical skills. Industry certifications/IT infrastructure, operating systems/Network management and administration. Acquire skills in the IT profession as it keeps evolving consistently. No big problem/Up to date with technology. Corporate Managers Corporate Managers Corporate Managers Corporate Managers Science and technology professionals Science and technology professionals Science and technology professionals Science and technology professionals Science and technology professionals Taking his skills to the next level/Needs to bring his skill level up to degree level. Needs to learn to get up in the morning. Science and technology professionals IT and networking knowledge. Science and technology associate professionals Science and technology associate professionals Professional support. Business and public service professionals 15 Table 3.5: Other technical and practical skills lacking amongst employees with skill gaps in e-skills UK (verbatim comments from employers) [Cont.] Comment SOC Group Keeping up to date with new software and Science and technology associate hardware developments, they need to gain professionals their Assessor’s Award/IT practical skills; maintenance skills/networking and fault finding Specific to the product that we sell. Science and technology associate professionals Manufacturing/Specific. Science and technology associate professionals Dealing with new technologies Science and technology associate professionals It’s just basic accounting. Protective service occupations Nothing specific I’m just talking in general. Administrative occupations Running accounts/How to do spreadsheets/ Well no how to do spreadsheets from an accounts point of view/Things like VAT/ Standard accounting work. Lack of network cabling skills. Administrative occupations Skilled metal and electrical trades Needs to be able to trace problems/Taught Skilled metal and electrical trades just to switch on and off computers in colleges and don’t really trace problems just fix and go so don’t trace problems so that the problems don’t occur again The actual amount done in terms of their Leisure and other personal service work load is **** as their time keeping is very occupations poor. They have only been with us for 3 months/ Sales occupations It takes time to get your feet in to a sales position. Product knowledge, market place, talking to Sales occupations people. Knowledge of the technology Sales occupations Use of mobile phones/Confidence. Sales occupations Specific areas relating to our product. Customer service occupations He’s new so he’s in the learning process at Customer service occupations the moment. Source: Future Skills Wales 2005, question D9. 16 The number of establishments reporting other technical and practical skill gaps, however, was too small for robust analysis, but comments received from employers in e-skills UK are provided below for reference, together FUTURE SKILLS WALES 2005 SECTOR SKILLS SURVEY with the type of occupation in which the skill shortage was occurring. 26 per cent had expanded recruitment channels. 3.4 Measures to overcome skill gaps 4 per cent of establishments reported that no particular action had been taken (in line with the all Wales figure). 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. As a further point, minorities of employers in e-skills UK took different measures in response to skill gaps, namely: The most common responses to skill gaps were to make changes internally; 87 per cent provided further training/ development amongst the workforce, 62 per cent reallocated work within the company (higher than the average figure across Wales), 60 per cent changed working practices, and half (51 per cent) increased or expanded trainee programmes. Some establishments had looked externally for solutions.Thus, 31 per cent had increased recruitment, whilst Outsource the work/contractors (4 per cent) Require staff to hold/do qualification/NVQs (2 per cent) Shadowing/Mentoring (2 per cent) Disciplinary Action/Warning letters (2 per cent) Investors in People (2 per cent) Analysis by size of establishment (numbers of employees) was not possible in e-skills UK due to small base sizes. Table 3.6: Measures taken in response to skill gaps (2005 data) Base: all establishments with skill gaps amongst employees All Wales Unweighted e-skills UK 1,469 **57 12,558 352 % % Further training amongst workforce 84 87 Changed working practices 59 60 Reallocated work within company 51 62 Increased/ expanded trainee programme 50 51 Increased recruitment 34 31 Expanded recruitment channels 23 26 3 1 Weighted Other No particular measures taken 6 Source: Future Skills Wales 2005, question D11. Multiple response allowed. Mentions of 2% or more at an all Wales level. Don’t know/ no answer not shown. ** small base (less than 100) 4 17 SECTION 4: PROVISION OF OFF-THE-JOB TRAINING 4.1 Incidence of off-the-job training and allocation across occupations 52 per cent of employers had funded or arranged off-the-job training for their staff in the 12 months prior to the interview, slightly lower than the proportion 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 (53 per cent) and Professionals (39 per cent). Compared to the all Wales figures, higher than average proportions of establishments in e-skills UK provided off-the-job training for: Professionals Associate Professionals Sales/Customer Service occupations Analysis by the 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) Incidence of off-the-job training (question E1) All Wales e-skills UK Base: all establishments Unweighted 6,719 267 70,515 1,625 % % 58 52 4,339 144 40,803 842 % % Managers/senior officials 65 53 Professionals 25 39 Associate professionals 15 21 Administrative/secretarial 35 24 Skilled trades 19 9 Personal service staff 12 1 Sales/customer service 22 32 9 1 17 1 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 18 FUTURE SKILLS WALES 2005 SECTOR SKILLS SURVEY people than by micro establishments (78 per cent versus 48 per cent). Further analysis by the size of establishment in terms of occupation types receiving off-the-job training was not possible for e-skills UK due to small base sizes. 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. Less than 1 in 10 establishments were providing mainly statutory training (7 per cent), whilst nearly two-thirds (59 per cent) reported that their off-thejob training was mainly non-statutory.A third of establishments (32 per cent), however, reported that their off-the-job training was evenly split between the two types. 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 Incidence of off-the-job training. Micro Base: all establishments (1-9 employees) 10+ employees Unweighted Weighted % of establishments providing off the job training 215 **52 1435 190 % % 48 78 Source: Future Skills Wales 2005, question E1. ** small base (less than 100) Table 4.3:Types of off-the-job training (2005 data) Base:All establishments providing off-the-job training All Wales e-skills UK Unweighted 4,339 144 40,803 842 % % Statutory, that is, because it is a legal requirement for your staff to be trained in this area 23 7 Non statutory, that is, not legally required 33 59 Evenly split between the two 42 32 1 2 Weighted Don’t know Source: Future Skills Wales 2005, question E3. Multiple response allowed 19 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, and this was a multiple response question. 58 per cent of establishments within this group said that they preferred another method of training (e.g. on-thejob), in line with the proportion recorded at the all Wales level. However, the most common response (77 per cent) was ‘staff have sufficient skills to do their job’. 32 per cent cited the cost of training as a prohibitive factor and 26 per cent stated that they had no money available to fund off-the-job training Some establishments appeared to have recognised a need for off-the-job training but had not provided it because there was no suitable training available (23 per cent). Analysis by size of establishment (numbers of employees) was not possible in e-skills UK due to small base sizes. Time constraints and cost were also commonly cited reasons: 47 per cent of establishments that did not provide off-the-job training cited time constraints Table 4.4 Barriers to provision of off-the-job training (2005 data) Base:All establishments not providing off-the-job training All Wales Unweighted 2,288 120 28,850 766 % % Staff have sufficient skills to do their job 83 77 Cost of off-the-job training 24 32 Time constraints 38 47 No money available for training 23 26 There is no suitable training available 21 23 Lack of information on training available 26 21 Other training method preferred (e.g. on-the-job training) 60 58 Trained staff will be poached by other employers 20 14 Others 2 1 Don’t know 2 3 Weighted Source: Future Skills Wales 2005, question E4. Multiple response allowed. 20 e-skills UK FUTURE SKILLS WALES 2005 SECTOR SKILLS SURVEY SECTION 5: SUMMARY Tackling recruitment difficulties and skill shortages. Levels of vacancies and hard-to-fill vacancies in e-skills UK were in line with Wales overall. However, 8 per cent of establishments were experiencing skill shortage vacancies compared with 4 per cent at the all Wales level. Anecdotal data provided an 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 thought that applicants for Science and Engineering lacked practical experience and a good mix of skills. Addressing skill gaps and deficiencies in the workforce 22 per cent of e-skills UK establishments reported skill gaps, and these were most likely to occur amongst Associate Professionals, Sales/Customer Service occupations and Managers/Senior Officials. Skill gaps mainly related to other technical and practical skills and problem solving skills. The most common response to skill gaps amongst establishments was to provide further training/ development amongst the workforce, reallocate work within the company or change working practices. Improving employer investment in training and workforce development. The proportion of employers investing in off-the-job training was slightly lower than the average across establishments at an all Wales level (52 per cent in eskills UK versus 58 per cent across Wales). Whilst 77 per cent of employers in eskills UK that did not provide off-thejob training said that this was because staff had sufficient skills to do their jobs, the other key barriers related to them preferring another method of training and time constraints. Anecdotal data provided an indication of the types of other technical and practical skills lacking and in which occupation types these occurred. For example, employees in Science and technology in e-skills UK were thought to lack up-to-date IT skills in a profession that is constantly evolving. 21 SECTION 6: COMMENTARY FROM E-SKILLS SSC The report suggests the majority of employers have increased turnover in the past 12 months and future growth in the IT and Telecoms industries is likely.Against the background of Welsh IT and Telecoms firms reporting twice the proportion of skills shortage vacancies (no improvement since 2003) there is clear indication that expansion is underway and supply is not keeping pace with demand. The report highlights skills deficiencies in the IT and Telecoms industries but given the number of ICT professionals working outside the industry itself and particularly those working in IT intensive industries in Wales (such as Financial Services), any delay in rectifying the lack of proficiency in this section of the workforce will critically affect the ability of the Welsh economy to grow and increase productivity and competitiveness. 22 The finding that nearly one-quarter of employers who recognized the need for off-the-job training but had not provided it because there was no suitable training available has explicit implications for the education and training sector in Wales. Education and training providers need to explore the areas where provision is required by employers but not currently provided and also examine relevant levels of provision, delivery methods and provider capacity. 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; Encourage employers to participate in, and contribute to the costs of, post-16 education and training. 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. Establishment Labour force Any site where employees are based and therefore including head office sites, other local/regional sites and sites of single unit enterprises. 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. 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). Labour Force Survey Largest regular household survey in the UK.A nationally (UK) representative sample of approximately 120,000 23 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. 24 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 Broad Sector e-skills UK IT,Telecoms and Contact Centres 22.33 Production 64.2 Transport/Communication 72, 74.86 Banking/insurance/other financial services e-skills UK also cover ICT occupations across all industries. Additionally, e-skills UK covers IT and Telecoms professionals across all industries. 25 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 26 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 27 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 28 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 29 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 30 ( ) 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 6 September 2005 GfK NOP Social Research 31 Future Skills Wales 2005 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 7 September 2005 GfK NOP Social Research 32 FUTURE SKILLS WALES 2005 SECTOR SKILLS SURVEY Future Skills Wales 2005 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 8 September 2005 GfK NOP Social Research 33 Future Skills Wales 2005 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 9 September 2005 GfK NOP Social Research 34 FUTURE SKILLS WALES 2005 SECTOR SKILLS SURVEY Future Skills Wales 2005 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 September 2005 GfK NOP Social Research 35 Future Skills Wales 2005 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. 11 September 2005 GfK NOP Social Research 36 FUTURE SKILLS WALES 2005 SECTOR SKILLS SURVEY Future Skills Wales 2005 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) 12 September 2005 GfK NOP Social Research 37 Future Skills Wales 2005 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) 13 September 2005 GfK NOP Social Research 38 1 FUTURE SKILLS WALES 2005 SECTOR SKILLS SURVEY Future Skills Wales 2005 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) 14 September 2005 GfK NOP Social Research 39 Future Skills Wales 2005 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, 15 September 2005 GfK NOP Social Research 40 FUTURE SKILLS WALES 2005 SECTOR SKILLS SURVEY Future Skills Wales 2005 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 16 September 2005 GfK NOP Social Research 41 Future Skills Wales 2005 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 17 September 2005 GfK NOP Social Research 42 FUTURE SKILLS WALES 2005 SECTOR SKILLS SURVEY Future Skills Wales 2005 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?] 18 September 2005 GfK NOP Social Research 43 Future Skills Wales 2005 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 19 September 2005 GfK NOP Social Research 44 FUTURE SKILLS WALES 2005 SECTOR SKILLS SURVEY Future Skills Wales 2005 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 20 September 2005 GfK NOP Social Research 45 Future Skills Wales 2005 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 21 September 2005 GfK NOP Social Research 46 FUTURE SKILLS WALES 2005 SECTOR SKILLS SURVEY NOTES: 47