Skills – Chamber Survey

LSIP Skills Survey

The data you provide is treated in confidence and helps to understand business needs and inform future skills provision across our region.

About You & Your Business

Name

First Last

Job Title

Business Name

Town / City

Postcode

Number of Employees

Q1 Region

What is your main industry/sector?

Section 1: Skills Needs & Gaps

Q2 How would you describe the skills needs for your business?

Select one

Fully met: I have sufficient skilled people for my business

Partially met: I have skills gaps or struggle to find the right employees or training provision

Not met: Better skills provision could significantly boost productivity

Succession planning: Aging workforce, struggling to pass on skills

Other

Q3. Thinking about the next 12 months, do you expect your business will need to:

Select one

Increase the range or level of skills in your workforce

Keep skills about the same

Reduce certain skills or roles

Not sure / Don’t know

Other

Q4. Are there any job roles or specific skills that you have had difficulty recruiting? For example, any skills gaps that you are having difficulty filling?

Q5 Which of the following skills or areas do you think your business needs to strengthen, or would find it useful to have support with developing?

Select all that apply

Q5.1. Digital and IT (e.g. software, data analysis, cybersecurity)

Q5.2. Literacy

Q5.3. Numeracy

Q5.4. Leadership & management

Q5.5. Customer service and communication

Q5.6. Sales and marketing

Q5.7. Financial and analytical

Q5.8. Creative or design

Q5.9. Environmental or sustainability

Q5.10. Basic employability skills (e.g. reliability, teamwork, problem solving)

Q5.11. No skills gaps at present

Q5.12 Other

Other

Q5.12. Other (please specify):

Q6. Even if you don’t need any help right now, do you know where your business could go for advice or support with staff training or workforce development?

Yes

Q7. Has your business used the services of any training or education providers?

Select one

Yes, in the last 12 months

Yes, but not in the last 12 months

Section 2: Engagement & Contribution

Q8. Does your business currently contribute to the regional skills agenda in any of the following ways?

Select all that apply

Q8.1. Careers talks

Q8.2. Work experience opportunities

Q8.3. Student placements

Q8.4. T-Level industry placement opportunities

Q8.5. Apprenticeships

Q8.6. Course design with college/provider (employer boards)

Q8.7. Sector networks

Q8.8. Don’t currently contribute

Q8. Other

Other

Q8.9. Other (Please specify)

Q9. What benefits do you think your business could gain from improving employee skills?

Select all that apply

Q9.1. Productivity

Q9.2. Quality

Q9.3. Sales/profitability

Q9.4. Recruitment/retention

Q9.5. Reputation/brand

Q9. Other

Other

Q9.6. Other (please specify)

Section 3: Recruitment Practices & Challenges

Q10. How long does it typically take to fill a vacancy in your organisation?

Select one

Less than 1 month

1-3 months

3-6 months

Longer than 6 months

Difficult to say / it varies

We don’t recruit / take on new staff

Q11. What do you think are the main challenges your business faces when trying to recruit staff?

Select all that apply

Q11.1. Lack of applicants with the right skills/qualifications/experience

Q11.2. Competition from other employers

Q11.3. Attracting applicants to the local area

Q11.4. Salary expectations

Q11.5. Limited time or resources to recruit and train effectively

Q11.6. Process/ finding the right recruitment channels

Q11.7. Economic uncertainty

Q11.8. We don’t recruit / take on new staff

Q11. Other

Other

Q11.9. Other (please specify)

Q12. Which of the following methods does your business use to attract or retain talent?

Select all that apply

Q12.1. Apprenticeships

Q12.2. Internships or student placements

Q12.3. Work experience opportunities

Q12.4. Flexible or remote working options

Q12.5. Staff development and upskilling

Q12.6. Promoting as a good place to work

Q12.7. Attending job fairs or industry events

Q12.8. We don’t recruit / take on new staff

Q12. Other

Other

Q12.9. Other (please specify)

Q13. Now thinking about the future… how confident do you feel about your business’s ability to recruit the skills it will need over the next three to five years?

Select one

Not confident

Somewhat confident

Very confident

We have no intention to recruit / take on new staff

Don’ know / not sure

Other

Q14. Are you currently recruiting, or expect to in the next 6 months?

Select one

Yes

Don’t know

Section 4: Future Skills & Planning

Q15. Looking ahead over the next three to five years, what new or emerging skills do you think your business will need more of?

Select all that apply

Q15.1. Digital/Data/automation

Q15.2. Sustainability and green business practices

Q15.3. Communication and collaboration (soft skills)

Q15.4. Technical or trade-specific skills

Q15.5. Don’ know / not sure

Q15. Other

Other

Q15.6. Other (please specify)

Q16. Do you have a strategy to identify and develop future skills within your workforce?

Select one

Yes

In development

Q17. Is your organisation likely to invest in reskilling or upskilling employees over the next 12 months?

Select one

Yes

Maybe

Q18. Thinking about any future skills or training development for your employees, which of the following types of training would your organisation consider using?

Select all that apply

Q18.1.Online

Q18.2. In-person

Q18.3. On-the-job

Q18.4. Peer-to-peer learning or mentoring

Q18.5. Mix of online and in-person training

Q18. Other

Other

Q18.6. Other (please specify)

Q19. When your organisation arranges training, where do you usually go to access it?

Select all that apply

Q19.1. Local college

Q19.2. Local university

Q19.3. College or university outside your area

Q19.4. Local training provider or professional organization

Q19.5. Training provider outside your area

Q19.6. Online provider

Q19. Other

Other

Q19.7. Other (please specify)