Understanding the attitudes of employers and employees to current training provision and identifying training needs on behalf of a Learning and Skills Council.

Examples of our Work - Education and Training Market Research

Background

The Learning and Skills Council exists to make England better skilled and more competitive by improving the skills of young people and adults. an LSC based in the South of England commissioned the Skills Strategy Research consortium (of which PCP is a member) to undertake research amongst both employers and employees in the area. The quantitative research was in turn contracted to PCP. The aim of the research was to establish levels of engagement with publicly funded training provision and establish a baseline measure of both employer and employee engagement in order to evaluate current levels of success in meeting training needs and agree an approach for future monitoring.

Objectives

Employer survey

• To determine current levels of employer engagement with training provided by the public sector

• To identify gaps in employer engagement

• To identify employer attitudes towards current training provision

• To identify needs in the context of current funding priorities

• To identify mechanisms which have encouraged employer engagement

Employee and Trainee survey

• To determine employees’ and trainees perspectives of learning and training needs

• To determine attitudes to training and training providers

• To identify mechanisms which have encouraged employee engagement

Methodology

Employer survey

The employers’ survey was conducted amongst 300 local businesses selected to be representative of the region in terms of location, industry sector, size of employer and level of training carried out amongst their employees. A telephone methodology was used for the most part, but online and postal questionnaires were offered to those who preferred one of these alternatives.

Employee survey

The views of 300 employees, selected to be representative of the key sectors, occupations and business sizes, were obtained. The questions investigated learning and training needs, and attitudes to training and training providers, from the perspective of employees.

As with the employers’ survey, responses were obtained mainly by telephone but online and postal questionnaires were offered as an alternative.

Outcome

The key outcome of the research was a shared and measurable definition of employer engagement, a baseline measure of engagement in the sub-region and an agreed approach for future monitoring. The detailed understanding of employers and employees levels of engagement with current publicly funded training provision allowed areas of strength and best practice to be identified and training needs from both employer and employee perspectives to be identified. The Learning Skills Council also gained a better understanding of the customer journey from the perspective of both employers and employees.