# Uk Commission'S Employer Skills Survey 2011: England Results

Evidence Report 46 July 2012

# Uk Commission'S Employer Skills Survey 2011: England Results

 Ben Davies, Katie Gore, Jan Shury, David Vivian, Mark Winterbotham IFF Research Dr Susannah Constable Senior Manager UK Commission for Employment and Skills July 2012 

## Foreword Neil Mclean Uk Commissioner And Consultant, Dla Piper, And Chair Of The Leeds City Region Local Enterprise Partnership

Achieving economic growth is a significant challenge facing governments across the globe. Businesses, key to this achievement, themselves face the impacts of the global economic climate, technological advancements, funding challenges, and the squeeze on consumption as business and domestic customers continue to tighten their belts.  

The ability of businesses to adapt, respond and even thrive in such challenging times relies upon developing and harnessing the talents and skills of their people. There is a significant body of evidence pointing to the value of skills and training investment to individuals, businesses and the economy: for example, businesses that don't train are twice as likely to close down than those that do. Yet, the stock of skills in the UK is not keeping up with international competitors and some of our businesses do not adopt strategies which require, use and apply skills. 

As a Commissioner at the UK Commission for Employment and Skills, I recognise that understanding these issues within economic and labour market contexts can help us collectively to anticipate skill needs, identify the best means of addressing them, monitor trends, benchmark and shape the supply of, and demand for, skills from business and individuals. As the Chair of the Leeds City Region Local Enterprise Partnership, it is important we have a sophisticated understanding of skill deficiencies and skill investment in our local economy, benchmarked to other localities, to ensure we make the right decisions and focus on the right priorities. The UK Commission's Employer Skills Survey provides a vital piece in the evidence jigsaw, from the all-important perspective of employers. The Survey is the most comprehensive analysis to date of the skills businesses need; the pressures they face in effectively managing their businesses and accessing or developing those skills; their responses to such difficulties; whether and how much they train and why they don't. We are immensely pleased to conduct this research with UK employers and, for this report, are grateful to the more than 75,000 businesses in England who participated in the research. This report, focusing on England, provides valuable information on the English labour market and an illustration of the analysis which can be mined from the survey data, including: 

- 
A consistent time-series analysis going back to 2005; 
- 
Analysis which shows different underlying patterns of skill deficiency and training investment by sector, business size and occupation; 
- 
Variations sub-nationally, by region, Local Economic Partnership and local authority.   
 Analysis of the survey data can inform partners seeking to: 
 

- 
Set and agree economic and labour market priorities by identifying areas of skill deficiency and sub-optimal training investment patterns;  
- 
Understand and anticipate skill needs and priorities to shape individuals and improve learning supply and learning markets; 
- 
Understand and shape employer demand: by exploring how businesses are managed, the data can help inform how to work with business to improve these 
practices and raise ambition. 
 Businesses and individuals too can use the data to inform their approaches to developing their skills and consider opportunities for progression and improvement. I hope you find this report informative. Over the summer, we will update our web-tool with this latest data and are keen to encourage business, individuals and partners across England to analyse the data in greater depth, exploring the issues from their own perspectives and informing their own evidence bases with this robust, comparable and timeseries resource. 

We are also keen to get feedback on how we could make our research even more relevant. If you have any feedback or queries, or would like to know more about the Commission's other research, please e-mail info@ukces.org.uk, quoting the report title. 


## Acknowledgements

Many individuals and organisations have been involved in the design and execution of the of the UK Commission's Employer Skills Survey 2011. This report focuses on the findings from interviews undertaken in England. Particular thanks are given to the 75,000 businesses in England who responded to the questionnaire. As the lead contractor, we have been supported by the research agencies who conducted much of the fieldwork: BMG Research and Ipsos MORI. 

The project was sponsored by the four UK governments who came together to ensure the delivery of this first UK employer skills survey was possible. A steering group was established to guide the direction of the project. Members attending this group were: Mark Langdon, Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS); Dominic Rice, BIS; Kathy Murphy, BIS; Euan Dick, Scottish Government; Sarah Munro, Scottish Government; Joanne Corke, Welsh Government; Graeme Belshaw; Department for Employment and Learning Northern Ireland (DELNI); Linda Bradley, DELNI; Tim Devine, DELNI; Mauricio Armellini, Department for Work and Pensions (DWP); Jacqui Hansbro, DWP; Alasdair Yeo, DWP; Anthony Clarke, Department for Education (DFE); Muriel Bankhead, Alliance of Sector Skills Councils; Sally Walters, Alliance of Sector Skills Councils; Helen Lindsay, Alliance of Sector Skills Councils and Mark Spilsbury of the UK Commission for Employment and Skills. 

Specific thanks are also due to Mark Langdon and Dominic Rice at BIS for reviewing the England report, and staff at the UK Commission who supported the preparation of this report, including Carol Stanfield, Ken Manson, Patrick O'Toole-Young and Genna Kik and in particular to the project manager throughout the course of the survey, Dr Susannah Constable at the UK Commission. 

## Jan Shury Joint Managing Director, Iff Research Ltd.


## Table Of Graphs And Charts

Table 1.1  Survey response rates .................................................................................................. 3 Figure 2.1  Size distribution of establishments and employees ................................................ 5 Figure 2.2  Sectoral distribution of establishments and employment 
....................................... 6 
Table 2.1  Private/Public/Third sector ........................................................................................... 7 Figure 2.3  Establishments and employment by Private, Public and Third sector .................. 8 Figure 2.4  Establishments and employment by Region ............................................................ 9 
Figure 2.5  Single or Multi site organisation 
............................................................................... 10 
Table 2.2  Organisational structures ........................................................................................... 10 Figure 2.6  Product Market Strategy positions 
........................................................................... 12 
Table 2.3  Overall composite product market scores 
................................................................ 12 
Table 3.1  Incidence of recruitment from education in last 2-3 years 
...................................... 16 
Figure 3.1  Perceived work-readiness of education leavers in the last 2-3 years .................. 17 Table 3.2  Skills lacked by education leavers 
............................................................................. 19 
Figure 4.1  Incidence, volume and density of vacancies: time series overall ........................ 23 Table 4.1  Incidence, volume and density of vacancies: time series by size 
.......................... 25 
Table 4.2  Incidence, volume and density of vacancies: 2011 
.................................................. 26 
Table 4.3  Incidence and density of vacancies by occupation ................................................. 27 Figure 4.2  Incidence, volume and density of hard-to-fill vacancies: time series .................. 28 Table 4.4  Incidence, volume and density of hard-to-fill vacancies: 2011 
............................... 30 
Table 4.5  Incidence, volume and density of hard-to-fill vacancies: time series by 
occupation.  ................................................................................................................................. 32 
Figure 4.3 Causes of hard-to-fill vacancies ................................................................................ 33 
Figure 4.4  Skill-shortage vacancies route map 
......................................................................... 35 
Figure 4.5  Incidence, volume and density of skill-shortage vacancies 
.................................. 36 
Table 4.6  Incidence, volume and density of skill-shortage vacancies: 2011 ......................... 38 Table 4.7  Incidence, volume and density of skill-shortage vacancies: time series by 
occupation 
 ................................................................................................................................. 40 
Figure 4.6 Impact of hard-to-fill vacancies ................................................................................. 41 Figure 4.7  Incidence of vacancies, hard-to-fill vacancies and skill-shortage vacancies by 
Product Market Strategy classification 
....................................................................................... 43 
Figure 4.8  Proportion of all vacancies that were hard-to-fill and that were skill-shortage 
vacancies by Product Market Strategy classification ............................................................... 44 
Figure 5.1  Incidence, volume and density skills gaps.............................................................. 48 Table 5.1  Incidence, volume and density of skill gaps 
............................................................. 50 
Table 5.2  Incidence, volume and density of skills gaps: time series by occupation ............ 52 Figure 5.2 Causes of skill gaps 
.................................................................................................... 53 
Figure 5.3 Impact of skill gaps 
..................................................................................................... 55 
Table 5.3  Incidence, volume and density of skills gaps by Product Market Strategy classification  ................................................................................................................................. 56 
Figure 5.4 Establishments with skill deficiencies: by size ....................................................... 57 Figure 5.5 Establishments with skill deficiencies: by sector ................................................... 58 Figure 5.6 Establishments with skill deficiencies: by region ................................................... 59 Table 6.1  Incidence of training: time series 
............................................................................... 63 
Figure 6.1  Incidence of training activity by size 
........................................................................ 63 
Table 6.2  Incidence of training: time series by size.................................................................. 64 Figure 6.2  Incidence of training activity by sector 
.................................................................... 65 
Table 6.3  Incidence of training: time series by sector.............................................................. 66 Figure 6.3  Incidence of training by region 
................................................................................. 67 
Table 6.4  Incidence of training: time series by region ............................................................. 68 
Figure 6.4  Incidence of training and further development by establishment size ................ 69 Figure 6.5  Incidence of training and further development by establishment sector ............ 70 Figure 6.6  Incidence of training and further development by establishment region 
............ 71 
Table 6.5  Volume of training: time series .................................................................................. 72 Table 6.6  Volume of training: time series by size ..................................................................... 73 Table 6.7  Volume of training: time series by sector ................................................................. 74 Table 6.8  Volume of training: time series by region 
................................................................. 76 
Figure 6.7  Distribution of training by occupation ..................................................................... 77 Table 6.9  Training to nationally recognised qualifications: 2011 
............................................ 79 
Table 6.10  Training to nationally recognised qualifications: time series 
............................... 81 
Table 6.11    Training expenditure (in absolute terms) over the previous 12 months and the components of training expenditure: time series 
...................................................................... 83 
Table 6.12  Training expenditure (in absolute terms) per capita and per trainee: time series 
.. 
 
 ................................................................................................................................. 84 
Figure 6.8  Training investment over time in real terms (after correcting for inflation) 
......... 85 
Figure 6.9  Incidence of training by Product Market Strategy classification .......................... 87 
Table 6.13  Volume of training by Product Market Strategy classification ............................. 88 
Table 6.14  Training expenditure per capita and per trainee by Product Market Strategy classification  ................................................................................................................................. 89 Figure 7.1  Proportion of vacancies which are skill-shortage vacancies, 2005 - 2011, by size. 
 
 ................................................................................................................................. 96 
Table 2.A.1  Employer size over time .......................................................................................... 99 Table 2.A.2  Employer sector over time ...................................................................................... 99 Table 2.A.3  Employer region over time 
.................................................................................... 100 
Table 2.A.4  Type of organisation .............................................................................................. 100 Table 4.A.1  Incidence, volume and density of vacancies: time series by sector ................ 101 Table 4.A.2  Incidence, volume and density of vacancies: time series by region 
................ 104 
Table 4.A.3  Incidence, volume and density of vacancies: time series by occupation 
........ 106 
Table 4.A.4  Incidence, volume and density of hard-to-fill vacancies: time series by size . 108 Table 4.A.5  Incidence, volume and density of hard-to-fill vacancies: time series by sector ... 
 
 ............................................................................................................................... 109 
Table 4.A.6  Incidence, volume and density of hard-to-fill vacancies: time series by region 
... 
 
 ............................................................................................................................... 111 
Table 4.A.7  Causes of hard-to-fill vacancies (unprompted) .................................................. 113 
Table 4.A.8  Incidence, volume and density of skill-shortage vacancies: time series by size . 
 
 ............................................................................................................................... 114 
Table 4.A.9  Incidence, volume and density of skill-shortage vacancies: time series by 
sector 
 ............................................................................................................................... 115 
Table 4.A.10  Incidence, volume and density of skill-shortage vacancies: time series by 
region 
 ............................................................................................................................... 117 
Table 4.A.11  Impacts of hard-to-fill vacancies (unprompted) 
................................................ 119 
Table 5.A.1  Incidence, volume and density of skills gaps: time series by size 
................... 120 
Table 5.A.2  Incidence, volume and density of skills gaps: time series by sector 
............... 121 
Table 5.A.3  Incidence, volume and density of skills gaps: time series by region 
............... 123 
Table 5.A.4  Causes of skill gaps 
............................................................................................... 124 
Table 5.A.5  Impact of skill gaps 
................................................................................................ 125 
Table 6.A.1  Incidence of training: time series by sector 
........................................................ 126 
Table 6.A.2  Incidence of training: time series by region 
........................................................ 129 
Table B.1  Incidence and density of vacancies by LEA .......................................................... 131 Table B.2  Incidence and density of hard-to-fill vacancies by LEA 
........................................ 135 
Table B.3  Incidence and density of skill-shortage vacancies by LEA 
.................................. 139 
Table B.4  Incidence and density of skills gaps by LEA ......................................................... 143 Table B.5  Incidence of training by LEA 
.................................................................................... 147 
Table B.6  Incidence of training to qualifications by LEA 
....................................................... 151 
Table B.7  Incidence and density of vacancies by LEP 
........................................................... 155 
Table B.8  Incidence and density of hard-to-fill vacancies by LEP 
........................................ 157 
Table B.9  Incidence and density of skill-shortage vacancies by LEP .................................. 159 Table B.10  Incidence and density of skills gaps by LEP ....................................................... 161 Table B.11  Incidence of training by LEP 
.................................................................................. 163 
Table B.12  Incidence of training to qualifications by LEP ..................................................... 165 

## Glossary

This glossary gives a short guide to the key terms used in this report:  

A single location of an organisation with people working at it.  
Establishment (also referred to as workplace, business, employer, site) Vacancy density 
The number of vacancies as a proportion of all employment. 
Hard-to-fill vacancies 
Vacancies which are proving difficult to fill, as defined by the establishment (from question: "Are any of these vacancies proving hard to fill?"). 
Hard-to-fill vacancy density 
The number of hard-to-fill vacancies as a proportion of all vacancies. 
Skill-shortage vacancies (SSVs) 
Vacancies which are proving difficult to fill due to the establishment not being able to find applicants with the appropriate skills, qualifications or experience. 
Skill-shortage vacancy density 
The number of skill-shortage vacancies as a proportion of all vacancies 
Skills gaps 
A "skills gap" is where an employee is not fully proficient, i.e. is not able to do their job to the required level. See Appendix C. Skills gap density The number of staff reported as being not fully proficient as a proportion of all employment. 
Product Market Strategy (PMS)  
An establishment's PMS score is worked out from the combined answers of four questions: 
- 
How customised their output is; 
- 
How price dependent their offering is; 
- 
How innovative the establishment is; 
- 
Whether outputs are premium or basic quality. 
A high PMS score would indicate outputs are customised, not price-dependent, premium quality and the establishment often leads the way in product development. 
Sector 
For definitions of the different sector groupings used in this report please refer to Appendix E. 
Occupations 
For definitions of the occupational groups used in this report please refer to Appendix F. 


## Uk Commission'S Employer Skills Survey: England National Report Key Findings

| 2011                                                       | 2009    | 2007    | 2005    |
|------------------------------------------------------------|---------|---------|---------|
|                                                            |         |         |         |
| Vacancies and skill-shortage vacancies                     |         |         |         |
| % of establishments with any vacancies                     |         |         |         |
| 15%                                                        |         |         |         |
| 12%                                                        | 18%     | 17%     |         |
| % of establishments with any hard-to-fill vacancies        |         |         |         |
| 5%                                                         |         |         |         |
| 3%                                                         | 7%      | 7%      |         |
| % with SSVs                                                |         |         |         |
| 4%                                                         |         |         |         |
| 3%                                                         | 5%      | 5%      |         |
| % of all vacancies which are SSVs                          |         |         |         |
| 16%                                                        |         |         |         |
| 16%                                                        | 21%     | 25%     |         |
| Number of vacancies                                        |         |         |         |
| 533,400                                                    |         |         |         |
| 385,700                                                    | 619,700 | 573,900 |         |
| Number of hard-to-fill vacancies                           | 115,500 |         |         |
| 85,400                                                     |         |         |         |
|                                                            |         |         |         |
| 183,500                                                    |         |         |         |
|                                                            |         |         |         |
| 203,600                                                    |         |         |         |
| Number of skill-shortage vacancies                         |         |         |         |
| 85,500                                                     |         |         |         |
| 63,100                                                     | 130,000 | 143,100 |         |
| Skills gaps                                                |         |         |         |
|                                                            |         |         |         |
|                                                            |         |         |         |
| % of establishments with any staff not fully proficient    |         |         |         |
| 18%                                                        |         |         |         |
| 19%                                                        | 15%     | 16%     |         |
| Number of skills gaps                                      | 1.32m   |         |         |
| 1.70m                                                      | 1.36m   | 1.26m   |         |
| Number of staff not fully proficient as a % of employment  |         |         |         |
| 6%                                                         |         |         |         |
| 7%                                                         | 6%      | 6%      |         |
| Training                                                   |         |         |         |
|                                                            |         |         |         |
|                                                            |         |         |         |
| % of establishments training staff over the last 12 months |         |         |         |
| 66%                                                        |         |         |         |
| 68%                                                        | 67%     | 65%     |         |
| % of establishments providing off-the-job training in the  |         |         |         |
| last 12 months                                             |         |         |         |
| 47%                                                        |         |         |         |
| 51%                                                        | 46%     | 46%     |         |
| % of workforce trained                                     | 53%     |         |         |
| 56%                                                        | n/a     | n/a     |         |
| Total number of training days                              | 101.6m  |         |         |
| 108.6m                                                     | n/a     | n/a     |         |
| Total training expenditure                                 | £40.5bn |         |         |
| £39.2bn  £38.6bn                                           | £33.3bn |         |         |

n/a: question not asked or not asked in a comparable manner in previous years' surveys 

## Executive Summary

The UK Commission's Employer Skills Survey 2011 is the key UK data source on employer demand for and investment in skills. This report focuses on the findings from the more than 74,000 interviews in England, enabling time series comparisons with the earlier National Employer Skills Surveys (NESS), carried out in England from 2005 to 
20091
. The survey covers topics such as skill related recruitment difficulties, skills gaps, employer investment in training, product market strategy and the work-readiness of education leavers. Results are presented by size, sector, occupation, region and local area. 

## Work-Readiness Of Those Leaving Education

Nearly a third of establishments (30 per cent) had recruited at least one person straight from education in the two to three years prior to the survey. Most employers found these education leavers to be well prepared for work, with this proportion increasing with the recruit's age and / or education level (up to 83 per cent for university leavers). 

Interestingly, employers viewed 17-18 year old college leavers as better prepared than 
17-18 year old school leavers (74 per cent compared to 66 per cent), despite them having spent the same amount of time in education. This may be because college students are more likely to combine work and study, or may be taking more vocational courses compared to those in school. 

Where recruits were considered poorly prepared for work this was most often put down to a lack of experience (of the world of work or, more generally, life experience or maturity), or to personality (poor attitude, or a lack of motivation). This suggests that young people would benefit from increased work experience opportunities offered by employers.   

## Recruitment And Skill Shortages

At the time of interview (March-July 2011), 15 per cent of establishments had a vacancy and a total of 533,400 vacancies were reported. This is higher than the levels of vacancies seen in 2009 though not at the pre-recession levels recorded in 2007, and suggests that employers are starting to gain the confidence to bring in new staff.  
The labour market is largely able to meet the requirements of most establishments. Five per cent had a vacancy they considered to be 'hard-to-fill'. A total of 115,500 hard-to-fill vacancies were reported, equivalent to 22 per cent of all vacancies; this is the same proportion that were hard-to-fill in 2009 and below levels recorded in 2007, suggesting that the labour market is coping with the increase in vacancies. 

Four per cent of establishments reported having vacancies at the time of the survey that they had difficulties filling specifically due to a lack of skills, qualifications or experience in applicants for the role (i.e. a "skill-shortage vacancy"). A total of 85,500 skill-shortage vacancies were reported and 16 per cent of all vacancies were due to skill shortages. 

Again this is the same proportion as in 2009 and below 2007 levels suggesting the market is keeping pace with any increase in the demand for skills at a general level. However the survey reveals both: 

- concentrated pockets of skills deficiency, reporting greater than average levels of 
skill deficiency, that are unevenly distributed across the economy in 2011; 
- areas of the economy which experienced *increased* intensity of skill-shortage 
vacancies between 2009 and 2011 in contrast to the overall trend.  
Taking the first point of pockets of deficiency in 2011, it is amongst Skilled Trades occupations where employers experience the greatest difficulties in meeting their demand for skills from the available labour market (in this occupation, which includes jobs such as butchers, carpenters, chefs, electricians, farmers, mechanics and plumbers, a third of all vacancies were hard-to-fill as a result of a lack of skills). By sector, establishments in the Manufacturing and Community, Social and Personal Services sectors are most likely to report that their vacancies are hard-to-fill for skills related reasons (24 and 23 per cent, respectively, of vacancies are skill-shortage vacancies). The West Midlands and the North West are the areas affected most by a high density of skill-shortage vacancies; for both regions every one in five vacancy is a skill-shortage vacancy. Kirklees, Coventry and Northamptonshire are the Local Education Authorities with the highest density of skill-shortage vacancies. 

Turning to areas where the density of skill-shortage vacancies increased in 2011, in contrast to the overall trend, the patterns are very similar. By occupation, Skilled Trade occupations were the only occupational group in which employers reported slightly increased difficulties (from 31 per cent of all vacancies being skill-shortage in 2009 to 33 per cent in 2011, whilst other occupations remained at the same level or declined); by sector, businesses in Manufacturing, Community, Social and Personal Services and also Public Administration reported increased difficulties; by geography, the West Midlands, North West and also East Midlands reported increases on this measure.  
However, there is less consistency across the two measures by size of establishment. Size is a key determinant of the reporting of skill deficiency, with the largest establishments reporting higher incidence and the smallest reporting highest density. But the data for 2009 and 2011 reveals that mid sized establishments (employing between 25 and 199 staff) are the only ones to report an increase in the proportion of vacancies that are due to skill-shortage, raising questions about their ambitions for growth and ability to meet skills needs in the current labour market.  
Recruitment difficulties are also experienced by those at the 'lower end' of the product market strategy scale; they are most likely to have vacancies that are hard-to-fill. Rather than skills, here it is the nature of the job, in particular a lack of interest or shift work which is the main reason cited for the recruitment problems faced. While hard-to-fill vacancies may not be common, 93 per cent of establishments which have them report an impact on their business which can be significant.  The vast majority (81 per cent) of establishments with hard-to-fill vacancies reported that they were leading to an increased workload for their staff, risking knock-on effects on morale and retention. More direct impacts on performance were also commonly cited (46 per cent of those with any hard-to-fill vacancies say they struggle to meet customer service objectives, 40 per cent have had to delay developing new products or services and 40 per cent have increased operating costs), risking the competitiveness of the business. 

## Internal Skills Mismatch

This section considers the proficiency of existing staff, the causes and impact of any skills gaps experienced by employers. 

Although the majority of establishments have the skills they require, almost 1.3 million employees (six per cent of all employees) were deemed not fully proficient (have a skills gap) and 18 per cent of employers reported having at least one employee with a skills gap. This is a slight reduction on the figures seen in 2009, but there is again evidence that this reduction is not experienced in the mid sized establishments. Some occupations and industries are impacted by skills gaps more than others. Skills gaps were most commonly experienced among Sales and Customer services staff (a group which includes call centre agents, customer care occupations, retail cashiers and sales assistants) and Elementary Occupations (this group includes bar staff, cleaners, labourers, packers, security guards, shelf fillers and traffic wardens), both in absolute terms and as a proportion of all staff within each occupation. Skilled Trade occupations saw the largest fall in skills gaps between 2009 and 2011.  Among sectors the Hotels and Restaurants sector and Wholesale and Retail sector see the highest concentration of skills gaps (9 per cent and 7 per cent of the workforce). The most common cause of skills gaps are staff being new to the role and, related to this, training only being partially completed.  
Where skills gaps exist, their impact can be significant; as with hard-to-fill vacancies, the most common impact is on the workload of other existing staff (reported by 49 per cent of those with skills gaps). This was followed by increased operating costs (27 per cent), difficulties in meeting quality standards (26 per cent) and difficulties introducing new working practices (22 per cent).  

## Employer Investment In Training And Workforce Development

Two-thirds of workplaces (66 per cent) had provided on- or off-the-job training for some of their staff in the previous 12 months. Employers had funded or arranged training in this period for approximately 12 million staff (equivalent to 53 per cent of the total workforce in England at the time of the survey) and provided 101.6m days of training (equivalent to 4.4 days per employee per year and 8.3 days per person trained). This is slightly lower than the levels of training seen in 2009, when 68 per cent of establishments provided 108.8m days training for 56 per cent of their workforce. However, training volumes have held up more in mid sized establishments, suggesting that one measure they are taking to address their continuing or increasing skill deficiency is to train existing staff. 

Employer expenditure on training in the previous 12 months was £40.5bn, equivalent to £1,775 per employee and £3,300 per person trained. However, half this total expenditure is accounted for by the cost of paying staff while they are being trained, while just eight per cent is accounted for by fees to external providers. Smaller establishments spend more per trainee and a greater proportion of that spend is on "non tradeable" costs, such as management time in organising training, than in larger establishments. Once GDP deflators are taken into account, this represents a 1.9 per cent reduction in spend since 2009. The survey shows the workforce has unequal access to training. Despite concerns over the UK's management and leadership skills just 44 per cent of Managers received training, compared to 53 per cent of the workforce as a whole. And although staff working in Customer Service occupations and Elementary occupations are the most likely to have skills gaps, they are no more likely than average to have received training. In the West Midlands and the South West incidence of training fell sharply between 2011 and 2009, falling by 7 per cent and 6 percentage points respectively; training in both of these regions have now fallen back to 2005 levels Establishments who are more innovative and less price dependent, with products or services that are of a high quality and high level of customisation (i.e. those at the 'higher' end of the product market strategy scale) are more likely to provide training for their staff: 71 per cent of them did so. However at the opposite end of the product market strategy scale 53 per cent provide no training for staff (compared to 34 per cent overall), most commonly because they perceive they have no need for it. Therefore employees are missing out on training if based in organisations such as these. Of the employers that train, 46 per cent (equivalent to 30 per cent of all employers) had funded or arranged training which was intended to lead to a nationally recognised qualification (whether it did lead to the that qualification being obtained or not), which is slightly lower than in 2009.  

## Conclusions

The Employer Skills Survey series allows employers' recruitment, skills deficiencies and training levels to be tracked over time, and in turn can be related back to the economic climate to see how employers have been affected by the recession and ongoing uncertainty. 

Employer confidence plummeted with the recession, as evidenced by the proportion of establishments taking on new staff: a drop from 18 per cent in 2007 to just 12 per cent in 
2009. The 2011 survey shows signs that employer confidence is starting to return, with the proportion of establishments with vacancies up to 15 per cent, suggesting that employers are more willing and indeed more able to take on new staff than they were two years ago. This increase in vacancy levels has not led to an increase in the proportion of vacancies that are hard-to-fill, either due to skills shortages or other reasons, suggesting the market is able to cope with the increase in demand at an overall level. However, the survey has revealed both areas where businesses are more likely to report skill-shortage vacancies and areas where the likelihood has increased since 2009 and these tend to be in the same occupations, sectors and geographies. The experience of mid sized establishments between 2009 and 2011 raises specific questions concerning their ambitions for growth. 

The proportion of establishments reporting skills gaps increased between 2007 and 2009 from 15 to 19 per cent, and remains fairly stable in 2011 at 18 per cent. However the actual number of skills gaps, and proportion of the workforce who have skills gaps in 2011 has fallen back to the approximate levels seen in 2007 at 1.3 million staff or six per cent of the workforce. 

In 2011, the proportion of establishments providing any training for staff has dropped slightly from 68 per cent in 2009 to 66 per cent. The proportion of the workforce receiving training has also fallen, from 56 per cent in 2009 to 53 per cent in 2011, as has the number of days training provided in total and per trainee, and the financial investment made in training. 

The 2009 results suggested that whilst employers were cutting back on recruitment, they were counterbalancing this by continuing to invest in the training and development of their current staff. The 2011 results suggest that whilst this confidence to take on new staff is returning, employers' willingness and ability to invest in their staff has decreased as the knock-on effects of the economic downturn hit training budgets. With the UK back in recession at the time of writing, it is essential that employers of all sizes, sectors and geographies retain a focus on their people to ensure they are well placed to drive economic recovery and also benefit from any upturn that does occur in the coming months and years. 

Generally, the survey reveals variations on all skill deficiency and training measures by sector, size, geography and occupation. Variations by region mask greater variations by sub-region and trends over time at the all-England level mask different experiences for different sections of the economy. This report provides the detailed analysis that shows the information available at these levels. 

## 1 Introduction

The UK Commission's Employer Skills Survey 2011 is the key UK data source on employer demand for and investment in skills. It is the first UK-wide employer skills survey and is also one of the largest employer skills surveys undertaken in the world with over 87,500 achieved interviews among large and small businesses in every sector.  
The full UK report is published on the UKCES website2. This report focuses on the findings from the interviews in England in 2011 which enable time series comparisons with the earlier National Employer Skills Surveys (NESS), carried out in England from 
2005 to 20093
. A detailed look at the English results offers an exciting opportunity to look at the impact that the recent economic climate has had on employers since 2009 and the skills issues they face/decisions they've made.  
The statistics contained in this report have been constructed on a consistent basis to be comparable with the population of establishments in England surveyed in the previous NESS from 2005 to 2009. The population previously surveyed varies slightly across the different nation states that comprise the UK and, therefore, the results contained in the present report are **not directly comparable** with those contained in the UK reports or 
4
those of the other individual nations.

   

## 1.1 Methodological Overview

The UK Commission's Employer Skills Survey 2011 was a telephone-based survey. It was conducted in three parts: a core population survey of UK workplaces, and two 
(smaller) follow-up surveys of workplaces which had provided training for some of their employees in the 12 months preceding the survey, one looking at employers' investment in training ("Investment in Training Survey", note that until 2009 this was known as the 
"Cost of Training Survey"), the other at whether employers that had trained their staff would have liked to have provided more workforce development ("Skills Equilibrium Survey").5
  
Below we briefly summarise the key features of the methodology adopted across the surveys. Further details can be found in Appendix D and the separate technical report. 

## 1.1.1 Sampling

The sample analysed in this report comprises establishments (i.e. individual sites of an organisation) that have two or more people working at them (this includes both employees and working proprietors). It encompasses establishments across the full geographical spread of England, in all sectors of the economy (across the commercial, public and charitable spheres). It should be noted that the presence of establishments from multi-site organisations in the survey means that in some instances interviews will have been completed with more than one site of an organisation. 

A stratified random approach was taken to sampling the core survey, using population statistics from ONS's Inter-Departmental Business Register (IDBR), and setting quotas for establishment size crossed by sector within each region. A stratified random approach was also taken for the Investment in Training survey, with targets set based on country, size, sector and the type of training establishments reported arranging for employees during the core survey. 

All of the employers interviewed for the follow-up surveys had previously been interviewed as part of the core survey (and had given their permission to be contacted for further research). 

## 1.1.2 Questionnaire

The core survey questionnaire was designed in several stages, with the co-operation of the four constituent nations of the UK. There were considerable pressures on the questionnaire both in terms of balancing the need for consistency across the UK with the need for continuity with legacy questionnaires; and also in terms of the drive to cover a wide range of issues without over-burdening employers and creating a lengthy questionnaire. The questionnaire was extensively piloted in May 2010 and again in February 2011, an exercise which included 10 follow-up cognitive interviews.  
It should be noted that the questionnaire was developed alongside the questionnaire for the Employer Perspectives Survey series, and a number of question areas covered in the NESS09 moved across to this Employer Perspectives Survey (awareness and usage of government training initiatives and Apprenticeships being the two main ones). The most recent data on these areas can be found in the Employer Perspectives Survey 2010 
report on the UKCES website6
.  
The questionnaire used for the 2011 Investment in Training follow-up exercise was the same as that used in England in 2009.  

## 1.1.3 Fieldwork

Fieldwork for the core survey was undertaken between March and July 2011, involving interviews averaging around 24 minutes in length. 

Fieldwork for the follow-up survey of training expenditure was undertaken in May to August 2011, and involved more than 11,000 interviews (approaching 8,000 in England) 
with employers who had taken part in the first survey. Table 1.1, Columns 1 and 2, illustrate the difference in sample size when the smallest establishments are excluded, the establishments on which the data in this report is based  

Interviews in 
comparable 
Response rate 
 
Total interviews 
population 
Core survey 
75,053 
74,156 
39% 
Investment in Training follow up 
7,929 
7,872 
76% 

## 1.1.4 Data Weighting

Findings from the core survey for this report have been weighted and grossed up to reflect the total population of establishments in England with two or more people working there. The weighting was designed and undertaken within the nine regions in England, on an interlocking size and sector basis. Separate weights have been generated which allow findings to be presented (i) based on the number of workplaces reporting a particular experience, and (ii) based on the number of employees and/or job roles affected by different challenges. The approach taken matched that used in the NESS series from 
2005 to 2009. 

Findings from the Investment in Training Survey have been weighted and grossed up to reflect the population of training employers as defined by the weighted core survey findings. Again the weighting strategy used reflected that used in the NESS series from 
2005 to 2009. 

## 1.2 Reporting Conventions

The survey was carried out at an establishment level; the terms "establishment", 
"employer", "workplace" and "business unit" are used for this interchangeably throughout this report to avoid excessive repetition and to aid reading.  
The scale and scope of data collected by the UK Commission's Employer Skills Survey 2011 means that it is a valuable research resource supporting detailed and complex statistical analysis of the inter-relationships between employer characteristics, and their practices and experiences. The findings presented in this report have been produced through a more descriptive exploration of the data. The large base sizes on which most of the findings are based mean that we can have a good degree of confidence in the patterns that we describe; the document should not be read as a statistical report, however. A table showing confidence intervals is shown in Appendix G to give some indicative guidance as to what can be considered a "significant" difference at sub-group level. Throughout the report unweighted base figures are shown on tables and charts to give an indication of the statistical reliability of the figures. These figures are always based on the number of *establishments* answering a question, as this is the information required to determine statistical reliability. Therefore, where percentages are based on 
"all vacancies", the base figure quoted is the number of establishments with vacancies.  
As a general convention throughout the report, figures with a base size of fewer than 25 establishments are not reported (with a double asterisk, "**", displayed instead), and figures with a base size of 25 to 49 are italicised with a note of caution. In tables, "zero" is denoted as a dash "-" and an asterisk "*" if the figure is larger than zero but smaller than 0.5.  

## 2 Nature Of Establishments In England

In order to give some context to the findings that are presented in this report, and to facilitate understanding of the differences in employers' experiences and practices, this section describes some of the key characteristics of the employer population in England. These include their size and sector distribution; and the geographical spread of establishments across the nation. ONS figures show there were around 1.5 million "in-scope" establishments in England in March 2010, with around 22.7 million people working in them7
. 

Further time-series data relating to this chapter can be found in Appendix A.  

## 2.1 Size

IDBR data shows us that the majority of establishments (52 per cent) were small, employing fewer than five people. Sites employing 100 or more staff represent only two per cent of all establishments but account for two-fifths (43 per cent) of overall employment (see Figure 2.1). 

| 2 to 4         | 5 to 24   | 25 to 99   | 100+    |
|----------------|-----------|------------|---------|
| Number of      |           |            |         |
| establishments |           |            |         |
| 0.77m          | 0.54m     | 0.12m      | 0.03m   |
| in England:    |           |            |         |
| Employment in  |           |            |         |
| England:       |           |            |         |
| 2.01m          | 5.32m     | 5.69m      | 9.68m   |

Source: IDBR March 2010
 
                                                 
Whilst the overall number of establishments has declined by around 30,000 since the last NESS in 2009 (a decline of two per cent), the distribution by size has remained consistent over the period covered by this report. 

## 2.2 Sector

Sectoral analysis in this report is based on a 14 sector split, based on the establishment's 
.  
Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code8
IDBR statistics show that Wholesale and Retail and Business Services (this sector includes, among other things, real estate activities, consultancy, advertising and employment agencies) are the largest sectors, both in terms of the number of establishments and the number of people working in the sector. These two sectors combined account for 42 per cent of establishments, and a third (33 per cent) of the workforce in England are employed in these sectors. The sector profile of establishments in England has remained fairly stable over time. 

                                                 
The Health and Social Work, Public Administration and Education sectors have a higher proportion of large establishments and employ a disproportionately high percentage of workers in England. For example, Public Administration has only one per cent of all establishments, but six per cent of employment. The Manufacturing sector also comprises a higher than average proportion of larger enterprises that employ a relatively large proportion of the workforce in England; thus, Manufacturing has six per cent of the enterprises in England, but nine per cent of the workforce. 

Most establishments in England (87 per cent) described themselves in the survey as operating in a commercial sphere, with small minorities operating in the public sector (five per cent) and in the third sector (eight per cent). The proportion of establishments classifying themselves as "third sector" has grown substantially since 2005 (see Table 2.1).  

 
2005 
2007 
2009 
2011 
Unweighted base 
74,835 
79,018 
79,152 
74,156 
Column % 
% 
% 
% 
% 
Private Sector 
89 
88 
88 
87 
Public Sector 
6 
5 
5 
5 
Third Sector 
4 
6 
6 
8 

Base: All establishments in England Source: Skills surveys: 2011 - UKCESS 2011; 2009 - NESS09; 2007 - NESS07; 2005 - 
NESS05. 

Most sectors are dominated by commercially-focused organisations whose aim is to generate profit. However, all sectors also include a proportion of establishments whose motivation is more social and/or which operate under funding from local or central government. In a small number of sectors, the majority of establishments operate outside of a commercial imperative: Public Administration, Education and Health and Social Work, but even in these sectors there are some establishments with a commercial or notfor-profit focus. 

As Figure 2.3 shows: establishments in the private sector tend to be relatively small, accounting for 87 per cent of total establishments, but only 75 per cent of employment; on the other hand, establishments in the public sector tend to be larger than those in the private sector, the proportion of the workforce that they employ (17 per cent) is far greater than the proportion of establishments they account for (five per cent).  
 
 
Source: UK ESS 2011
 

## 2.3 Region

England can be divided up into nine regions9
. London and the South East hold between them a third of all establishments in England, and a similar proportion of the country's workforce. The North East is the smallest region with just four per cent of each (see Figure 2.4). The regional spread of establishments has remained consistent since 2005. 


                                                

## 2.4 The Structure Of Establishments

The size of an establishment is important in that it determines both the skills and employment challenges employers face and the ways in which they react to these challenges. However, establishments can be part of wider organisations, and this can bring a different dimension to their experience and practice. The size of an establishment does not necessarily tell a complete story about, for example, its access to skills or other resources when establishment is part of a larger, multi-establishment (and potentially multi-firm) organisation. A third of all establishments (36 per cent) report that they are part of a larger organisation, a figure that has remained consistent over time. The likelihood of an establishment being part of a larger organisation varies with size, with over three quarters (77 per cent) of establishments with more than 250 employees reporting they are part of a larger organisation. 



There are particular policy interests in small and medium-sized businesses. The Department for Business, Innovation and Skills, defines these as *organisations* with fewer than 250 employees, referred to as small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). 

The UK Commission's Employer Skills Survey 2011 is an establishment based survey, and this is the basis on which it presents its findings. However, it does measure the total size of the workforce across multi-site organisations, and is therefore able to identify which of them are SMEs and which are not. The majority of establishments with fewer than 25 employees are (part of) SMEs, as are most establishments with 25 to 99 employees (57 per cent). A lower proportion of establishments with 100-199 employees 
(47 per cent) and those with 200-499 employees (10 per cent) are, or are part of, organisations employing fewer than 250 people (see Table 2.2). 

|                                     |        |
|-------------------------------------|--------|
| Establishment size                  |        |
|                                     |        |
|                                     |        |
| Total                               | 1 to 4 |
|                                     |        |
| Unweighted base                     | 74,156 |
|                                     |        |
| Column %                            | %      |
|                                     |        |
| Single site                         | 64     |
|                                     |        |
| Multisite                           | 36     |
|                                     |        |
|                                     |        |
| SMEs                                | 78     |
|                                     |        |
| Base: All establishments in England |        |

Note: SMEs are defined here as single-site establishments employing fewer than 250 staff, or sites forming part of larger organisations employing fewer than 250 staff in total. 

 
The survey confirms that decisions about recruitment and training are most commonly taken at site level (and this is the natural level to discuss these issues in subsequent sections of the report). The majority of establishments in England are single site organisations (64 per cent) and therefore have full responsibility and autonomy when it comes to decisions about recruitment and training; a further five per cent are the Head Offices of multi-site organisations, and as such we can assume that they too have full autonomy in these areas. This leaves three-in-ten employers which are sites within larger organisations, most of whom, nevertheless, have substantial or even complete autonomy of these issues (just four per cent of establishments have no input into recruitment and training decisions). 

## 2.5 Business Strategies

In order to enable further exploration of business strategy, the UK Commission's Employer Skills Survey 2011 included a series of questions designed to locate establishments' product market strategies (PMS).  Private sector employers were asked to rate their establishments, compared to others in their industry, in terms of: 

- 
the extent to which success of products/services was dependent on price; 
- 
the extent to which they perceive their establishment to lead the way in their sector in terms of developing new products, services or techniques; 
- 
whether they compete in a market for standard/basic or premium quality products or services;  
- 
and whether they offered a standard range of goods or services, or customised 
products/services 
with 
substantial 
differences 
according 
to 
customer 
requirements. 
 Figure 2.6 shows overall responses to each of these individual position statements. 



Responses to these individual product market positions were then aggregated to derive a composite product market score10
 on a scale from "very low" to "very high" as illustrated in Table 2.3.  

| Product market    | % of UK private       | % of UK private    |
|-------------------|-----------------------|--------------------|
| description       | sector establishments | sector employment  |
| Aggregate product |                       |                    |
| market score      |                       |                    |
|                   |                       |                    |
| <7                | "Very low"            | 4                  |
| 8 to 10           | "Low"                 | 15                 |
| 11 to 13          | "Medium"              | 34                 |
| 14 to 16          | "High"                | 28                 |
| 17+               | "Very high"           | 10                 |

Base: All establishments in England in the private sector (61,232 unweighted) 
It should be noted that due to differences in the questionnaire, PMS has been calculated in a slightly different way to previous years' surveys. Therefore it is not possible to make accurate time series comparisons by product market strategy score. 

                                                 
Having set out the key characteristics of establishments in England, the remainder of this report now presents findings from the survey. 

## 3 Work-Readiness Of Education Leavers Chapter Summary

- 
In the last two to three years 30 per cent of establishments have recruited an education leaver; large establishments and those in the Education, Hotels and 
Restaurants and Community, Social and Personal Services sectors were most likely to have done so. 
- 
Establishments that had recruited education leavers generally found them well prepared for work; this perceived level of work-readiness increases with the amount 
of time recruits have spent in education with those recruited from university best prepared. 17-18 year-old recruits from FE Colleges were more likely to be seen as 
well prepared than the same age group recruited from schools, this could be because college courses may be more vocational in nature, or that college students may be more likely to combine work and learning. 
- 
Among those who felt education leavers were poorly prepared, a lack of working world/life experience or maturity was the most commonly cited reason. 

## 3.1 Introduction

Before considering recruitment activity and skills levels more broadly (in Chapters Four and Five), this chapter looks at the recruitment and skill levels of education leavers. More specifically, it looks at the proportion of employers that have recruited anybody into their first job on leaving education in the past two to three years, before then exploring employers' perceptions of these recruits in terms of their readiness for work and their skills. Employers in England were asked about four groups of leavers: 16 year-olds from school, 
17-18 year-old school leavers, 17-18 year-old college leavers, and those entering employment straight from Higher Education (HE). 

It should be noted that there are a number of differences in the way the 2011 survey covered this topic compared to the NESS series, meaning that direct comparisons between the different years' data are not possible and so are not presented here. The NESS series based the questions on those recruited in the last 12 months, whereas the 
2011 survey asks about the last two to three years. Additionally, the categories of education leaver differ slightly; the 2011 survey differentiates between 17-18 year-olds leaving school and 17-18 year-olds leaving Further Education (FE) College, this was combined into one category: "17 or 18 year-old school or college leavers" in the NESS 
series. The NESS series also specifies HE leavers "under the age of 24", whereas the 
2011 survey asks about HE leavers of any age. 

## 3.2 Incidence Of Recruitment Of School, College And He Leavers

Looking at the 2011 data, in the last two to three years, three-in-ten establishments in England (30 per cent) had recruited at least one education leaver to their first job on leaving education. More specifically, between nine and 12 per cent of establishments had taken on education leavers from each of the four groups (see Table 3.1). The larger the establishment, the more likely they were to have taken on each type of recruit from education. In part, this is simply a product of larger establishments being more likely to recruit *per se* (current recruitment activity is discussed in Chapter Four), and is a trend that holds for all levels of education leaver. 

There were some differences in recruitment of education leavers by sector. 

Establishments in Education were more likely to have taken on education leavers (46 per cent), and they were more than twice as likely as the average to have taken on leavers from university or Higher Education (28 per cent); Hotels and Restaurants (37 per cent) 
and Community, Social and Personal Service Activities (35 per cent) were other sectors where recruitment from education was particularly prevalent. Establishments in the industries of Agriculture (18 per cent), Mining and Quarrying (16 per cent) and Electricity, Gas and Water (21 per cent) were the least likely to have taken on any education leavers, especially from university or Higher Education. Recruitment levels were fairly consistent across regions, with the exception of London. 

Establishments in London are equally likely to have recruited education leavers in the last two to three years, but these leavers are much less likely to be from school (six per cent, compared to a nine per cent average) and much more likely to be from university or Higher Education (20 per cent, compared to a 12 per cent average). 

Table 3.1 shows these figures in full. 

 

 
 
Any 
16 year-olds recruited to 
first job from school 
17-18 year-olds recruited to 
first job from school 
17-18 year-olds recruited to 
first job from FE College 
 
Unwtd 
base 
% 
% 
% 
% 
% 
Total 
74,156 
30 
9 
11 
11 
12 
Size 


1 to 4 
15,457 
17 
5 
5 
5 
5 
5 to 24 
41,136 
40 
13 
15 
14 
16 
25 to 99 
13,550 
58 
19 
28 
25 
30 
100 to 199 
2,201 
69 
19 
34 
31 
47 
200 to 499 
1,359 
77 
29 
43 
40 
55 
500+ 
453 
84 
36 
53 
49 
68 
Sector 


Agriculture 
703 
18 
6 
4 
6 
3 
Mining and Quarrying 
124 
16 
6 
8 
3 
7 
Manufacturing 
6,667 
28 
9 
11 
9 
8 
Electricity, Gas and Water 
1,160 
21 
7 
7 
8 
6 
Construction 
5,485 
24 
11 
8 
8 
4 
Wholesale and Retail 
13,060 
31 
13 
15 
13 
11 
Hotels and Restaurants 
7,202 
37 
14 
19 
17 
15 
Transport and Communications 
6,861 
25 
6 
7 
7 
11 
Financial Services 
1,452 
26 
4 
9 
8 
16 
Business Services 
12,656 
29 
5 
8 
8 
17 
Public Administration 
1,214 
23 
4 
8 
8 
15 
Education 
4,582 
46 
8 
15 
17 
28 
Health and Social Work 
6,872 
33 
6 
12 
13 
15 
Community, Social and Personal Services activities 
6,118 
35 
15 
13 
13 
11 
Region 


East of England 
8,372 
29 
10 
13 
11 
10 
East Midlands 
7,253 
30 
11 
13 
11 
10 
London 
9,925 
33 
6 
10 
9 
20 
North East 
5,529 
32 
12 
13 
12 
11 
North West 
8,735 
31 
11 
13 
11 
11 
South East 
10,592 
31 
9 
13 
11 
12 
South West 
8,377 
28 
11 
9 
11 
10 
West Midlands 
7,851 
26 
9 
9 
10 
10 
Yorkshire and The Humber 
7,522 
28 
10 
10 
11 
10 
Base: All establishments in England 

## 3.3 Perceived Work-Readiness Of Education Leavers

In order to gauge the perceived work-readiness of recruits that had been taken on in the last two to three years straight from education, employers who had taken any on were asked whether they considered these recruits to be very well prepared, well prepared, poorly prepared or very poorly prepared for work. 

Employers were more likely to feel that recruits from education were well prepared for work than poorly prepared, and the perceived level of work-readiness increases with the amount of time recruits have spent in education (see Figure 3.1). As the groups in question are not the same as those asked about in the previous years' surveys no direct comparisons can be made year-on-year, however this pattern of those who have spent longer in education being perceived as better prepared matches trends previously seen in the NESS series.  
There are a number of possible reasons why recruits from Higher Education may be seen as better prepared for work than younger recruits: it could be because of the additional time graduates have spent in education or because employers may invest more resources in graduate recruitment and therefore be likely to find more suitable individuals. It may also simply be because graduates are older and therefore more mature generally. There are also various factors that could explain why 17-18 year-old FE recruits are seen as being more work-ready than contemporaries recruited from schools. These include college students being more likely to be studying vocational courses, and college students also being more likely to combine work and learning and therefore to have amassed more work-relevant experience.  

## 3.4 Skills And Attributes Lacking Among Education Leavers

Those employers in England who reported that the education leavers they had recruited were poorly-prepared for work were asked to indicate what skills or attributes they were lacking. The key findings are as follows (see Table 3.2): 

- 
a lack of working world or life experience or maturity was most commonly cited 
among all groups as the reason they were not well prepared; this was most common in younger recruits (23 per cent of all establishments recruiting any 16 year-olds from 
school); interestingly, this was more likely to be cited in relation to 17-18 year-old 
school leavers than for FE college leavers of the same age (18 per cent compared with 13 per cent); 
- 
poor attitude, personality or a lack of motivation was commonly reported by 
employers recruiting 16 to 18 year-olds (and was an issue for approaching one-in-five 
of these employers taking on 16 year-old school leavers); this lessens as the recruits 
get older, particularly among graduates, where just five per cent taking on graduates 
felt they had a poor attitude, personality or a lack of motivation; 
- 
around one-in-ten establishments taking on any 16-18 year old school and college 
leavers felt they lacked specific skills or competencies, such as technical or jobspecific skills, though this falls to five per cent in relation to recruits from Higher Education;  
- 
among each of the groups, only a small proportion of employers cited a lack of literacy / numeracy skills (i.e. basic skills). 
This mirrors the patterns seen in previous skills surveys in England. 

17-18 year-
16 year-old 
17-18 yearold FE 
University or 
school 
old school 
Column % 
College 
HE leavers 
leavers 
leavers 
leavers 
 
% 
% 
% 
% 
Base (unweighted) 
9,784 
12,386 
11,442 
13,762 
Lack of working world / life experience 
23 
18 
13 
8 
Poor attitude / personality or lack of motivation 
18 
14 
11 
5 
Lack required skills or competencies 
10 
9 
8 
5 
Lack of common sense 
6 
4 
3 
2 
Literacy/numeracy skills 
5 
3 
2 
1 
Poor education 
3 
2 
2 
1 

Base: Establishments in England who have recruited education leavers from each type in the last 
2-3 years 

## 3.5 Focus On Product Market Strategy And Recruitment Of Education Leavers

This section focuses in on how private sector establishments with differing product market strategy (PMS) approaches have different experiences of recruiting education leavers. As described in Chapter Two, PMS ratings were derived from the sum of answers to four questions in the survey. A 'high' score indicates an establishment's approach involves products and services that are highly customised, innovative, high quality and that their position in the market is not dependent on the price of their goods or services; a 'low' score indicates the opposite, that is, products and services that are mass produced, low quality, compete on price and are not necessarily very innovative.11
 
The Product Market Strategy score of establishments in England made a difference to how likely they were to recruit education leavers, with employers scoring a higher PMS rating more likely to take on education leavers from further and higher education. This may reflect higher levels of current vacancies (and therefore recruitment activity) amongst this group as will be reported in the next chapter, The incidence of recruitment of education leavers increases for 17-18 year-old school leavers from eight per cent of establishments with a 'very low" PMS rating to 13 per cent with a "very high" rating; for 
17-18 year-old FE College leavers from seven per cent with a "very low" PMS rating to 13 
per cent with a "very high" rating; and for University leavers from seven per cent among those with a  "very low" rating to 16 per cent of those with a "very high" rating. This pattern is not seen so strongly for 16 year-old school leavers, with the incidence increasing from eight per cent among those with a "very low" rating to 11 per cent of those whose rating was "very high". 

There was very little difference between establishments in different PMS groups in terms of how well prepared they found the education leavers to be: across all four types the trend was for those in the 'higher' groups to be more likely to say they were well prepared than establishments in the 'lower' PMS groups, but this was only a very small difference. Among those who found them to be poorly prepared, there was no difference between groups on the reasons for this. 

## 3.6 Conclusion

For those establishments (30 per cent) which have recruited an education leaver directly from education in the last two to three years , the majority have found them well or very well prepared for work. There are large variations in the likelihood of recruiting education leavers across sectors. 

Establishments in Education recruit the most, particularly graduates, whereas Hotels and Restaurants employers take on a lot of 17-18 year-old school and college leavers. The Agriculture, Mining and Quarrying and Electricity, Gas and Water sectors were least likely to have recruited education leavers. Employers' views of preparedness increase both with age and time spent in education. However 17-18 year-old college leavers and 17-18 year-old school leavers are viewed differently, with the former found to be better prepared. There could be a variety of reasons for this, including the type of courses studied or selection effects. A particularly plausible explanation is that college students may be more likely to combine work and learning than their counterparts at school, and therefore have more work experience, which appeals to employers.    
This chapter has shown that experience is important for employers taking on new recruits. For the minority of employers who recruit education leavers but find them to be poorly prepared, the major reason is lack of experience. This raises questions about how to improve the opportunities for pupils to gain experience in a workplace to help prepare them for their first job. Following this, concerns about attitudes and motivation are also important, whereas concerns around education or literacy and numeracy skills are only cited by very small minorities. 


## 4 Employers, Recruitment And Skill Shortages Chapter Summary

- 
Overall 15 per cent of establishments in England had a current vacancy at the time of the 2011 fieldwork, up from 12 per cent in NESS09 suggesting that employers are possibly regaining the confidence to bring in new staff. 
- 
The number of establishments experiencing hard-to-fill vacancies increased from 
three per cent in 2009 to five per cent in 2011; however the proportion of vacancies 
that are hard-to-fill remained the same suggesting this increase is primarily down to the overall increase in vacancies. 
- 
Similarly the number of establishments reporting skill-shortage vacancies (that is, vacancies that are hard-to-fill due to a lack of skills, qualifications or experience among the applicants) had increased in line with the increase in vacancies, from three to four per cent, but again, the proportion of vacancies which were skill-shortage 
vacancies remained the same, except in a few areas of the economy. 
- 
Hard-to-fill and skill-shortage vacancies are more prevalent among larger 
establishments, however where they are present in smaller establishments they tend to have more of an impact. Where smaller establishments do not have sufficient staff 
to absorb the extra workload they have knock-on effects in terms of being able to 
consolidate or expand their service offering. 

## 4.1 Introduction

This chapter looks at the demand for and availability of new staff. Specifically it will explore current vacancies across England at the time of research; the ability of the market to meet employer demand for new staff and the level of hard-to-fill vacancies; 
causes of recruitment difficulties focusing particularly on those vacancies that are hard-tofill specifically as a result of a lack of skills, qualifications or experience (skill-shortage vacancies); and the impact of hard-to-fill vacancies on establishments experiencing them. The final part of this chapter focuses on the different product market strategies of private sector establishments, and how this relates to their activity and experience in the recruitment market.  

## 4.2 What Is The Level Of Demand For New Staff?

Overall, one in seven establishments (15 per cent) in England had a current vacancy at the time of the UK Commission's Employer Skills Survey fieldwork. This marks an increase in the number of vacancies over the past two years (12 per cent at the time of the NESS 2009 survey). This trend is apparent across all size of establishments, but most marked among larger establishments (specifically those with 200 or more employees). 

In total there were over 533,400 vacancies across England at the time of the survey equating to 2.3 vacancies per employee (Figure 4.1). This is an increase from the levels seen in 2009, when the country was in recession and employers were behaving more cautiously in the recruitment market than was seen in the 2005 and 2007 surveys. The 2011 figure is not quite up to the levels seen in 2007, but suggests that employers are perhaps starting to have the confidence to bring in new staff. 

The increase in the proportion of establishments reporting vacancies is greater in larger establishments, with the exception of the very largest establishments (employing more than 500 staff). Generally, the larger the establishment the bigger the increase since 
2009 has been, so that over half of all establishments with over 100 staff had a current vacancy at the time of the survey. As seen in previous years, although the proportion of establishments with a vacancy increased with size of establishment, the vacancy density 
(the number of vacancies per employee) was higher among smaller establishments (see Table 4.1).    
There was also some variation in incidence and density of vacancies according to sector. The Education (22 per cent), Public Administration (21 per cent) and Health and Social Work (20 per cent) sectors were most likely to have had at least one vacancy at the time of the survey, however all three of these sectors had actually seen a fall in the proportion of establishments with vacancies since 2009, against the overall trend. These sectors are dominated by public sector organisations, so this is likely to be indicative of the public sector recruitment freeze in place at the time of fieldwork. Business Services (this sector includes, among other things, real estate activities, consultancy, advertising and employment agencies) had seen the largest increase in the incidence (six percentage points from 10 to 16 per cent) and number of vacancies (66 per cent), as had Manufacturing (incidence up from nine to 15 per cent, and number of vacancies up by 60 per cent). Establishments in the South East and London were more likely to have had at least one vacancy at the time of the survey (both 17 per cent) while vacancy density was highest among businesses in the East of England and the South East (3.0 and 2.9 respectively). 

The increase in vacancies has been seen across all regions to varying degrees, from a four percentage point increase in incidence in the South East (from 13 to 17 per cent) to Yorkshire and Humber, where the incidence has remained stable at 12 per cent but the raw number of vacancies that covers has increased. Table 4.2 shows the picture in 2011 by sector and region; time series tables can be seen in Appendix A. 


 
 
2005 
2007 
2009 
2011 
Column % 
 
% 
% 
% 
% 
2-4 
Base: 
22,278 
24,084 
22,535 
15,457 
% of establishments with a vacancy 
 
10 
11 
7 
8 
Number of vacancies 
 
112,600 
119,100 
76,000 
96,100 
Vacancies as a proportion of employees 
 
5.9 
5.9 
3.7 
4.7 
5-24  
Base: 
34,392 
36,778 
35,418 
41,136 
% of establishments with a vacancy 
 
21 
21 
14 
17 
Number of vacancies 
 
175,800 
188,300 
118,300 
163,100 
Vacancies as a proportion of employees 
 
3.5 
3.6 
2.2 
3.0 
25-99  
Base: 
14,162 
13,830 
16,270 
13,550 
% of establishments with a vacancy 
 
37 
39 
27 
33 
Number of vacancies 
 
133,000 
147,500 
88,600 
136,800 
Vacancies as a proportion of employees 
 
2.4 
2.6 
1.5 
2.4 
100-199  
Base: 
2,198 
2,424 
2,676 
2,201 
% of establishments with a vacancy 
 
53 
58 
41 
52 
Number of vacancies 
 
50,200 
60,700 
33,300 
47,100 
Vacancies as a proportion of employees  
 
2.0 
2.3 
1.3 
1.8 
200-499 
Base: 
1,365 
1,407 
1,701 
1,359 
% of establishments with a vacancy 
 
61 
61 
44 
57 
Number of vacancies 
 
59,900 
58,700 
41,200 
58,600 
Vacancies as a proportion of employees 
 
1.8 
1.7 
1.2 
1.7 
500+ 
Base: 
440 
495 
552 
453 
% of establishments with a vacancy 
 
67 
65 
49 
58 
Number of vacancies 
 
42,500 
45,300 
28,300 
31,700 
Vacancies as a proportion of employees 
 
1.3 
1.3 
0.8 
0.9 

Base: All establishments in England in each sizeband.  "Vacancies as a proportion of employees" is shown as a proportion of all employment. Number of vacancies rounded to nearest 100 
  

|                                      | % of           |
|--------------------------------------|----------------|
| Number of                            | Vacancy        |
|                                      | establishments |
| vacancies                            | density        |
| with a vacancy                       |                |
|                                      |                |
| Unwtd                                |                |
| base                                 |                |
| %                                    |                |
|                                      |                |
| Rounded to                           |                |
| nearest 100                          |                |
|                                      |                |
| %                                    |                |
|                                      |                |
| Total                                |                |
|                                      |                |
| 74,156                               |                |
| 15                                   | 533,400        |
| Sector                               |                |
|                                      |                |
|                                      |                |
| Agriculture                          |                |
| 703                                  |                |
| 7                                    | 2,900          |
| Mining and Quarrying                 |                |
| 124                                  |                |
| 17                                   | 700            |
| Manufacturing                        |                |
| 6,667                                |                |
| 15                                   | 39,000         |
| Electricity, Gas and Water           |                |
| 1,160                                |                |
| 13                                   | 3,700          |
| Construction                         |                |
| 5,485                                |                |
| 7                                    | 19,700         |
| Wholesale and Retail                 |                |
| 13,060                               |                |
| 12                                   | 62,600         |
| Hotels and Restaurants               |                |
| 7,202                                |                |
| 17                                   | 54,900         |
| Transport and Communications         |                |
| 6,861                                |                |
| 13                                   | 56,500         |
| Financial Services                   |                |
| 1,452                                |                |
| 17                                   | 20,400         |
| Business Services                    |                |
| 12,656                               |                |
| 16                                   | 118,700        |
| Public Administration                |                |
| 1,214                                |                |
| 21                                   | 30,900         |
| Education                            |                |
| 4,582                                |                |
| 22                                   | 17,200         |
| Health and Social Work               |                |
| 6,872                                |                |
| 20                                   | 51,000         |
| Community, Social and Personal       |                |
| Services activities                  |                |
| 6,118                                |                |
| 19                                   | 55,200         |
| Region                               |                |
|                                      |                |
|                                      |                |
| East of England                      |                |
| 8,372                                |                |
| 15                                   | 70,600         |
| East Midlands                        |                |
| 7,253                                |                |
| 14                                   | 41,800         |
| London                               |                |
| 9,925                                |                |
| 17                                   | 99,800         |
| North East                           |                |
| 5,529                                |                |
| 13                                   | 21,000         |
| North West                           |                |
| 8,735                                |                |
| 14                                   | 60,400         |
| South East                           |                |
| 10,592                               |                |
| 17                                   | 106,000        |
| South West                           |                |
| 8,377                                |                |
| 13                                   | 47,400         |
| West Midlands                        |                |
| 7,851                                |                |
| 12                                   | 45,000         |
| Yorkshire & Humber                   |                |
| 7,522                                |                |
| 12                                   | 41,400         |
| Base: All establishments in England. |                |

Percentages in Column 3 are based on all employment, percentages therefore represent the number of vacancies as a proportion of all employment. 

Number of vacancies rounded to nearest 100 
Looking more closely at a local level, the variation of incidence of vacancies varied widely by Local Education Authority (LEA). This ranged from the City of London and Greenwich LEAs, where almost a quarter (24 per cent) of establishments reporting having a vacancy at the time of the survey, to Knowsley and North Lincolnshire where that figure was just six per cent. Knowsley also had the lowest vacancy density, with 0.35 vacancies for every 100 current employees in the area. This compares to Kingston-upon-Hull, where there were 6.4 vacancies per hundred employees. Table B.1 in Appendix B shows results for the 151 LEAs in full. 

 with the highest incidence of vacancies was The Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP)12
Oxfordshire, where 22 per cent of establishments had a vacancy at the time of the survey; the lowest incidence was in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly (nine per cent). The LEP with the highest vacancy density (that is, vacancies per hundred current employees in the area) by some way was Hertfordshire, with five vacancies for every hundred current employees in the workforce; the lowest was Black Country with 1.5. Table B.7 in Appendix B shows the vacancy figures for the 39 LEPs at time of reporting (July 2012) in full. 

In line with previous surveys, the proportion of establishments with at least one vacancy 
13
. The level of vacancies was highest for varied slightly across all occupational types Associate Professional roles: this was the occupation with the highest vacancy density 
(5.9 per cent) and the highest number of vacancies in absolute terms accounting for onein-twelve (17 per cent) of all vacancies across England. 

The level of vacancies was lowest for managers:  this occupation accounted for one-infifty vacancies in England and had a vacancy density of 0.4 per cent (see Table 4.3). 

|                                    | % of establishments    |         |
|------------------------------------|------------------------|---------|
| with vacancies who                 | Number of              | Vacancy |
|                                    |                        |         |
| have a vacancy in this             | vacancies              | density |
| occupation                         |                        |         |
| Base for                           |                        |         |
| density                            |                        |         |
|                                    |                        |         |
| %                                  |                        |         |
|                                    |                        |         |
|                                    |                        |         |
| Unwtd base: 14,749                 |                        |         |
|                                    |                        |         |
| Rounded to                         |                        |         |
| nearest 100                        |                        |         |
|                                    |                        |         |
| Managers                           | 6                      | 17,700  |
| 834                                |                        |         |
| 0.4                                |                        |         |
| Professionals                      | 13                     | 71,400  |
| 2,589                              |                        |         |
| 2.9                                |                        |         |
| Associate Professionals            | 19                     | 90,500  |
| 2,807                              |                        |         |
| 5.9                                |                        |         |
| Administrative and Clerical        | 16                     | 50,100  |
| 2,243                              |                        |         |
| 1.7                                |                        |         |
| Skilled Trades                     | 14                     | 43,700  |
| 1,884                              |                        |         |
| 2.9                                |                        |         |
| Caring, Leisure and Other services | 14                     | 75,000  |
| 2,233                              |                        |         |
| 3.8                                |                        |         |
| Sales and Customer Service         | 13                     | 69,700  |
| 1,964                              |                        |         |
| 2.3                                |                        |         |
| Machine Operatives                 | 6                      | 27,900  |
| 941                                |                        |         |
| 1.6                                |                        |         |
| Elementary occupations             | 15                     | 74,300  |
| 2,422                              |                        |         |
| 2.2                                |                        |         |
| TOTAL                              |                        | 533,400 |
|                                    |                        |         |
| 2.3                                |                        |         |

Base: Column 1: all establishments with vacancies; Column 2: all establishments; Column 3: all establishments with vacancies in each occupation. 

Column 4 percentages are based on all employment, rather than all establishments; figures therefore show the number of vacancies as a proportion of all employment. 

Number of vacancies rounded to nearest 100 

## 4.3 The Ability Of The Market To Meet Employer Demand For New Staff

One-in-twenty (five per cent) of English establishments reported having at least one hardto-fill vacancy at the time of research, equating to a total of 115,500 hard-to-fill vacancies across England (see Figure 4.2). This is higher than seen in 2009, however the proportion of all vacancies that are hard-to-fill (density) has remained constant: whilst in 
2005 and 2007 around one-third of all vacancies were hard to fill (35 per cent and 30 per cent respectively), the proportion of hard-to-fill vacancies at the time of the 2011 survey had remained consistent with the level reported for the 2009 survey (both 22 per cent). This suggests the increased incidence of hard-to-fill vacancies can be accounted for by the increased incidence of vacancies as a whole. However, this does mask variations where density has increased towards, if not reaching, levels reported in 2007, as discussed below. 

Percentages are based on all vacancies, rather than all establishments with vacancies; proportions therefore show the percentage of vacancies which are hard-to-fill. 

The increase in the incidence of hard-to-fill vacancies is seen across all sizes of establishment. As seen with vacancies per se, the proportion of establishments reporting a hard-to-fill vacancy also increased with size of establishment. However, the proportion of *vacancies* considered hard-to-fill *decreased* with size of establishment. This means that although smaller establishments were least likely to have a hard-to-fill vacancy in the first instance, a higher proportion of vacancies in smaller establishments were hard-to-fill. 

This continues a trend seen across previous surveys. Establishments in the Mining and Quarrying and the Community, Social, and Personal Service (this sector includes, among other things, libraries, museums, sporting facilities and personal services such as hairdressing and cleaning) sectors were most likely to have at least one hard-to-fill vacancy (eight per cent and seven per cent respectively). 

This represents a marked increase among establishments in both sectors since the 2009 survey where three per cent of businesses in both sectors reported having at least one hard-to-fill vacancy.  
While only three per cent of establishments in the Construction and Agriculture sectors reported having at least one hard-to-fill vacancy, vacancies in these sectors were most commonly hard-to-fill. Approaching half (44 per cent) of all vacancies in the Construction sector were hard-to-fill and around one third (34 per cent) of all vacancies in the Agriculture sector. Having dipped at the previous survey (to 28 per cent), the proportion of all vacancies in the Construction sector that are hard-to-fill is broadly similar to that seen in 2005 and 2007. Manufacturing, the Community, Social, and Personal Service and Public Administration sectors have also seen increases in the proportion of vacancies that are hard-to-fill, though not reaching 2007 levels. 

The proportion of establishments reporting any hard-to-fill vacancies was relatively even by region (ranging from four per cent to six per cent). However, one third (34 per cent) of all vacancies in Yorkshire and the Humber were hard-to-fill, suggesting a shortage of suitable applicants in this particular area. The proportion of hard-to-fill vacancies as a proportion of all vacancies was lowest in London (18 per cent). Table 4.4 shows the picture in 2011; time series tables can be seen in the appendices to this report. 


|                                | % of             |
|--------------------------------|------------------|
| % of vacancies                 |                  |
| establishments                 |                  |
|                                |                  |
| Number of                      |                  |
| hard-to-fill                   | that are hard to |
| with a hard-to-                |                  |
| vacancies                      | fill             |
| fill vacancy                   |                  |
| Unwtd                          |                  |
|                                |                  |
| Unwtd                          |                  |
| base                           |                  |
| %                              |                  |
|                                |                  |
| base                           |                  |
| %                              |                  |
|                                |                  |
| Rounded to                     |                  |
| nearest 100                    |                  |
|                                |                  |
| Total                          |                  |
|                                |                  |
| 74,156                         |                  |
| 5                              | 115,500          |
| 14,749                         |                  |
| 22                             |                  |
| Size                           |                  |
|                                |                  |
|                                |                  |
|                                |                  |
|                                |                  |
| 2-4                            |                  |
| 15,457                         |                  |
| 3                              | 33,600           |
| 1,219                          |                  |
| 35                             |                  |
| 5-24                           |                  |
| 41,136                         |                  |
| 5                              | 36,200           |
| 6,907                          |                  |
| 22                             |                  |
| 25-99                          |                  |
| 13,550                         |                  |
| 9                              | 27,700           |
| 4,462                          |                  |
| 20                             |                  |
| 100-199                        |                  |
| 2,201                          |                  |
| 14                             | 7,800            |
| 1,142                          |                  |
| 16                             |                  |
| 200-499                        |                  |
| 1,359                          |                  |
| 14                             | 6,600            |
| 744                            |                  |
| 11                             |                  |
| 500+                           |                  |
| 453                            |                  |
| 15                             | 3,600            |
| 275                            |                  |
| 11                             |                  |
| Sector                         |                  |
|                                |                  |
|                                |                  |
|                                |                  |
|                                |                  |
| Agriculture                    |                  |
| 703                            |                  |
| 3                              |                  |
| 1,000                          |                  |
| 67                             |                  |
| 34                             |                  |
| Mining and Quarrying           |                  |
| 124                            |                  |
| 8                              |                  |
| 100                            |                  |
| 27                             |                  |
| 20                             |                  |
| Manufacturing                  |                  |
| 6,667                          |                  |
| 6                              |                  |
| 10,800                         |                  |
| 1,232                          |                  |
| 28                             |                  |
| Electricity, Gas and Water     |                  |
| 1,160                          |                  |
| 4                              |                  |
| 600                            |                  |
| 169                            |                  |
| 15                             |                  |
| Construction                   |                  |
| 5,485                          |                  |
| 3                              |                  |
| 8,700                          |                  |
| 481                            |                  |
| 44                             |                  |
| Wholesale and Retail           |                  |
| 13,060                         |                  |
| 3                              |                  |
| 11,400                         |                  |
| 2,206                          |                  |
| 18                             |                  |
| Hotels and Restaurants         |                  |
| 7,202                          |                  |
| 6                              |                  |
| 12,300                         |                  |
| 1,777                          |                  |
| 22                             |                  |
| Transport and Communications   |                  |
| 6,861                          |                  |
| 5                              |                  |
| 9,700                          |                  |
| 1,219                          |                  |
| 17                             |                  |
| Financial Services             |                  |
| 1,452                          |                  |
| 4                              |                  |
| 3,000                          |                  |
| 279                            |                  |
| 15                             |                  |
| Business Services              |                  |
| 12,656                         |                  |
| 5                              |                  |
| 24,900                         |                  |
| 2,638                          |                  |
| 21                             |                  |
| Public Administration          |                  |
| 1,214                          |                  |
| 5                              |                  |
| 5,700                          |                  |
| 313                            |                  |
| 19                             |                  |
| Education                      |                  |
| 4,582                          |                  |
| 6                              |                  |
| 2,800                          |                  |
| 1,264                          |                  |
| 16                             |                  |
| Health and Social Work         |                  |
| 6,872                          |                  |
| 5                              |                  |
| 8,300                          |                  |
| 1,724                          |                  |
| 16                             |                  |
| Community, Social and Personal |                  |
| Services activities            |                  |
| 6,118                          |                  |
| 7                              | 16,000           |
| 1,353                          |                  |
| 29                             |                  |
| Region                         |                  |
|                                |                  |
|                                |                  |
|                                |                  |
|                                |                  |
| East of England                |                  |
| 8,372                          |                  |
| 6                              | 13,300           |
| 1,782                          |                  |
| 19                             |                  |
| East Midlands                  |                  |
| 7,253                          |                  |
| 4                              | 8,000            |
| 1,361                          |                  |
| 19                             |                  |
| London                         |                  |
| 9,925                          |                  |
| 5                              | 17,700           |
| 2,437                          |                  |
| 18                             |                  |
| North East                     |                  |
| 5,529                          |                  |
| 4                              | 4,000            |
| 806                            |                  |
| 19                             |                  |
| North West                     |                  |
| 8,735                          |                  |
| 4                              | 14,000           |
| 1,755                          |                  |
| 23                             |                  |
| South East                     |                  |
| 10,592                         |                  |
| 6                              | 21,600           |
| 2,678                          |                  |
| 20                             |                  |
| South West                     |                  |
| 8,377                          |                  |
| 4                              | 10,900           |
| 1,525                          |                  |
| 23                             |                  |
| West Midlands                  |                  |
| 7,851                          |                  |
| 4                              | 12,100           |
| 1,156                          |                  |
| 27                             |                  |
| Yorkshire & Humber             |                  |
| 7,522                          |                  |
| 4                              | 13,900           |
| 1,249                          |                  |
| 34                             |                  |

Columns 1 and 2: all establishments; Column 3: all establishments with vacancies Percentages in Column 3 are based on all vacancies, rather than all establishments with vacancies; figures therefore show the percentage of vacancies which are hard-to-fill. 

Number of hard-to-fill vacancies rounded to nearest 100. Mining and Quarrying density base size 
<50 - treat figures with caution Looking at a more local level, incidence of hard-to-fill vacancies varied between LEAs, from 15 per cent of establishments in Halton to just one per cent of establishments in Doncaster and Herefordshire. However looking at this in terms of the overall proportion of vacancies which are hard-to-fill shows us that there is a particularly high level of hard-tofill vacancies in Coventry and in Kirklees, where half of all vacancies were reported as proving hard-to-fill (50 per cent). Kingston-upon-Hull, which was the LEA with the highest number of vacancies per current employee in the workforce, was the LEA which had the lowest proportion of vacancies reported as being hard-to-fill, at three per cent. Table B.2 
in Appendix B shows the LEA figures in full. By LEP, it is the Enterprise M3 LEP (covering Hampshire and Surrey) that had the highest incidence of hard-to-fill vacancies, with eight per cent of all establishments reporting they had a vacancy that was proving hard to fill. Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly was the LEP least likely to report having a hard-to-fill vacancy (two per cent), however this is a product of establishments in this LEP being least likely to have a vacancy to start with: the overall proportion of vacancies that they do have which are proving hard-to-fill was one of the lowest of all LEPs at 16 per cent. Northamptonshire is the LEP where vacancies are most likely to prove to be hard-to-fill (46 per cent of vacancies are), whereas in Humber and Hertfordshire just 10 per cent are. Full hard-to-fill vacancy figures for LEPs can be found in Table B.8 in Appendix B. 

As seen in previous years, the market struggles most in terms of recruiting Skilled Trades occupations (Table 4.5). Two-fifths (41 per cent) of all vacancies for this occupation are hard-to-fill (equating to almost 18,000 Skilled Trade positions).  
The proportion of hard-to-fill vacancies is lowest in the Administrative and Clerical occupations14
 (14 per cent of all vacancies for this occupation type) and lowest in absolute terms among Managers (which account for three per cent of all hard-to-fill vacancies in England). 


 
 
2005 
2007 
2009 
2011 
Column % 
 
% 
% 
% 
% 
Occupation 


Managers  
Base: 
74,835 
79,018 
79,152 
74,156 
Number of hard-to-fill vacancies 
 
7,900 
9,900 
4,500 
4,000 
 Base: 
1,379 
1,732 
1,221 
834 
% of vacancies that are hard to fill 
 
29 
28 
23 
23 
Professionals  
Base: 
74,835 
79,018 
79,152 
74,156 
Number of hard-to-fill vacancies 
 
18,500 
25,200 
10,000 
18,100 
 Base: 
1,923 
2,338 
1,614 
2,589 
% of vacancies that are hard to fill 
 
36 
35 
27 
25 
Associate Professionals 
Base: 
74,835 
79,018 
79,152 
74,156 
Number of hard-to-fill vacancies 
 
32,000 
27,800 
16,600 
20,100 
 
Base: 
2,806 
3,210 
2,567 
2,807 
% of vacancies that are hard to fill 
 
38 
28 
26 
22 
Admin / Clerical  
Base: 
74,835 
79,018 
79,152 
74,156 
Number of hard-to-fill vacancies 
 
14,100 
13,200 
6,100 
7,200 
 Base: 
2,999 
3,153 
2,113 
2,243 
% of vacancies that are hard to fill 
 
20 
18 
13 
14 
Skilled Trades  
Base: 
74,835 
79,018 
79,152 
74,156 
Number of hard-to-fill vacancies 
 
30,800 
28,700 
10,900 
17,900 
 Base: 
2,140 
2,461 
1,337 
1,884 
% of vacancies that are hard to fill 
 
61 
49 
38 
41 
Caring, Leisure and Other  
Base: 
74,835 
79,018 
79,152 
74,156 
Number of hard-to-fill vacancies 
 
25,400 
21,800 
13,200 
17,600 
 Base: 
2,489 
2,105 
1,970 
2,233 
% of vacancies that are hard to fill 
 
39 
35 
24 
23 
Sales / Customer services 
Base: 
74,835 
79,018 
79,152 
74,156 
Number of hard-to-fill vacancies 
 
25,500 
19,200 
8,000 
12,300 
 Base: 
2,640 
2,831 
1,774 
1,964 
% of vacancies that are hard to fill 
 
31 
23 
17 
18 
Machine Operatives  
Base: 
74,835 
79,018 
79,152 
74,156 
Number of hard-to-fill vacancies 
 
19,400 
13,900 
4,000 
5,100 
 Base: 
1,585 
1,512 
798 
941 
% of vacancies that are hard to fill 
 
40 
34 
20 
18 
Elementary  
Base: 
74,835 
79,018 
79,152 
74,156 
Number of hard-to-fill vacancies 
 
28,400 
21,800 
11,700 
12,000 
 Base: 
2,977 
2,846 
2,250 
2,422 
% of vacancies that are hard to fill 
 
32 
26 
19 
16 

Base for number of hard-to-fill vacancies: All establishments in England Base for % of vacancies that are hard to fill: All establishments with a vacancy in that occupation Number of hard-to-fill vacancies rounded to nearest 100 

## 4.4 Causes Of Hard-To-Fill Vacancies

Understanding the causes of hard-to-fill vacancies is clearly a prerequisite to introducing effective measures aimed at easing recruitment difficulties and improving the effectiveness of the labour market. Most importantly, it can identify where there are issues finding applicants with the requisite skills to fill the role. Two fifths (39 per cent) of hard-to-fill vacancies are caused by a low number of applicants with the skills required for the role. A quarter (25 per cent) are caused by a lack of interest in the vacancy and one in five (20 per cent) are due to applicants not possessing the level of work experience required by the company (Figure 4.3). 

Lack of work experience the company demands
16%
or personality
Low number of applicants generally
15%
Lack of qualifications the company demands
14%
Poor terms and conditions (e.g. pay) offered for post
14%
Job entails shift work/unsociable hours
8%
Remote location/poor public transport
8%
Too much competition from other employers
7%
Low number of suitable applicants inc. Age of applicants
2%
Poor career progression / lack of prospects
2%
Not full-time/permanent work
1%
Poor recruitment channels/mechanisms (inc. lack/cost of 
1%
advertising)
Seasonal work
1%
Benefits trap
1%
Lack of funding for the position
1%

Base: All establishments with hard-to-fill vacancies (unwtd): 4,386
Results are based on hard-to-fill vacancies rather than establishments with hard-to-fill vacancies; 
the figures therefore show the proportion of hard-to-fill vacancies caused by each factor reported by employers. Note: Summed percentages exceed 100 per cent because of multiple responses The perceived causes of hard-to-fill vacancies vary according to sector. Notable differences include:  

- 
Three fifths (61 per cent) of hard-to-fill vacancies in the Construction sector are 
caused by a lack of interest in the type of job and over half (56 per cent) by a lack of applicants more generally.  
- 
While too much competition from other employers was seen to account for only seven 
per cent of hard-to-fill vacancies at the national level, one quarter (26 per cent) of 
hard-to-fill vacancies in the Financial Services sector were perceived to be caused by 
this reason.  
- 
Shift work and unsociable working patterns were more likely to cause hard-to-fill 
vacancies in the Hotels and Restaurants sector (23 per cent) compared to eight per cent across all sectors. 
- 
Both lack of qualifications demanded by the company and poor terms and conditions were more likely to cause hard-to-fill vacancies in the Community, Social and 
Personal Services sector (34 per cent and 32 per cent compared to 14 per cent for 
each overall). 
By region, a lack of qualifications demanded by the company and poor terms and conditions were also more likely to contribute to the number of hard-to-fill vacancies in the North West (35 per cent and 37 per cent respectively) compared to 14 per cent for each across England as a whole. In Yorkshire and the Humber a general lack of interest in the job role on offer (44 per cent) and low numbers of applicants generally (40 per cent) were more likely to impact on hard-to-fill vacancies compared to 25 per cent and 15 per cent nationally. 

## 4.5 Skill-Shortage Vacancies

As discussed above, recruitment difficulties are commonly caused by issues relating to the applicants, be it quality or quantity. Hard-to-fill vacancies caused specifically by a lack of skills, qualifications or **experience** among applicants are known as "skill-shortage 
. Where there is an issue with the attitude, personality or motivation of vacancies"15
applicants, these are not skill-shortage vacancies. Figure 4.4 shows a "map" of how skillshortage vacancies are defined. 


## 4.5.1 The Incidence, Volume, Density And Distribution Of Skill-Shortage Vacancies

For the vast majority of establishments, demand for skills is met through successful recruitment (or through their current workforce, as will be explored in the next chapter). 

Four per cent of establishments reported having vacancies at the time of the survey that they were having difficulties filling due to a lack of skills, qualifications or experience in applicants for the role (a "skill-shortage vacancy"). This is slightly higher than the level measured in 2009 (three per cent) and in absolute terms equates to 85,500 vacancies resulting from skill-shortages, again higher than in 2009 (Figure 4.5). However the proportion of all vacancies in England that are caused by skill shortages is 16 per cent, the same level as seen in 2009 (and indeed lower than the level recorded prior to 2009). This suggests that, as with the figures for all hard-to-fill vacancies, the increase seen in the incidence and volume of skill-shortage vacancies can be attributed to the increase in vacancies overall (i.e. as the number of vacancies has risen, the number of skill-shortage vacancies has risen by the same proportion); it is not that the issue of skills shortages in the labour market has become any more concentrated in the past few years, on the whole, but there are areas of the economy which are seeing increased concentrations, as discussed below. 

 
The increase in incidence of skill-shortage vacancies was seen across all sizes of establishment. 

As seen before with hard-to-fill vacancies, although smaller establishments were less likely to report any skill-shortage vacancy per se, where these vacancies did exist, a higher proportion of these vacancies in smaller establishments were specifically skill-shortage vacancies. Skill-shortage vacancies in establishments with fewer than 25 employees accounted for over half (56 per cent) of all skill-shortage vacancies in England at the time of the research (over 47,600 positions). However, mid sized establishments (employing between 25 and 199 staff) were the only ones reporting an increase in the proportion of vacancies which were skill-shortage vacancies since 2009, suggesting that they are not benefitting from the general easing in the labour market experienced by establishments of other sizes (see Table 4.A.8 in Appendix A). 

Similarly, Public Administration. Communities, Social and Personal Services Activities and Manufacturing were the only sectors to report an increase in the proportion of vacancies which were skill-shortage vacancies since the previous survey, again, suggesting specific pockets of difficulty. Of all the sectors, Public Administration had seen the largest increase in the incidence of skill-shortage vacancies, from two to four per cent of establishments, and also in the proportion of their vacancies that were hard-to-fill due to skill-shortages (from seven to 13 per cent). In aggregate in 2011, the Agriculture and Manufacturing sectors however have the most difficulty finding suitably skilled recruits, with 25 per cent and 24 per cent respectively of their vacancies being skill-shortage vacancies.  
The South East has seen the largest increase in incidence since 2009, rising from two to five per cent of establishments; this is in line with the findings discussed in section 4.3 of this report, where the South East also saw the largest increase in incidence of vacancies per se. The areas affected most by a high density of skill-shortage vacancies are the West Midlands and the North West where for both regions, every one in five (19 per cent) vacancy is a skill-shortage vacancy. These two regions also reported the greatest increases in the proportion of vacancies which were skill shortage vacancies, increasing from 15 per cent and 14 per cent in 2009, respectively. 

Table 4.6 summarises the situation in 2011; time series tables can be found in the appendices to this report. 


|                              | % of            |
|------------------------------|-----------------|
| Number of                    | % of vacancies  |
| establishments               |                 |
| skill-                       | that are skill- |
|                              | with a skill-   |
| shortage                     | shortage        |
| shortage                     |                 |
| vacancies                    | vacancies       |
| vacancy                      |                 |
| Unwtd                        |                 |
|                              |                 |
| Unwtd                        |                 |
| base                         |                 |
| %                            |                 |
|                              |                 |
| Rounded to                   |                 |
| nearest 100                  |                 |
|                              |                 |
| base                         |                 |
|                              |                 |
| %                            |                 |
|                              |                 |
| Total                        |                 |
|                              |                 |
| 74,156                       |                 |
| 4                            | 85,500          |
| 14,749                       |                 |
|                              |                 |
| 16                           |                 |
| Size                         |                 |
|                              |                 |
|                              |                 |
| 2-4                          |                 |
| 15,457                       |                 |
| 2                            | 20,700          |
| 1,219                        |                 |
|                              |                 |
| 21                           |                 |
| 5-24                         |                 |
| 41,136                       |                 |
| 4                            | 27,000          |
| 6,907                        |                 |
|                              |                 |
| 17                           |                 |
| 25-99                        |                 |
| 13,550                       |                 |
| 7                            | 22,300          |
| 4,462                        |                 |
|                              |                 |
| 16                           |                 |
| 100-199                      |                 |
| 2,201                        |                 |
| 11                           | 6,700           |
| 1,142                        |                 |
|                              |                 |
| 14                           |                 |
| 200-499                      |                 |
| 1,359                        |                 |
| 12                           | 5,800           |
| 744                          |                 |
|                              |                 |
| 10                           |                 |
| 500+                         |                 |
| 453                          |                 |
| 13                           | 3,000           |
| 275                          |                 |
|                              |                 |
| 10                           |                 |
| Sector                       |                 |
|                              |                 |
|                              |                 |
| Agriculture                  |                 |
| 703                          |                 |
| 2                            |                 |
| 700                          |                 |
| 67                           |                 |
|                              |                 |
| 25                           |                 |
| Mining and Quarrying         |                 |
| 124                          |                 |
| 7                            |                 |
| 100                          |                 |
| 27                           |                 |
|                              |                 |
| 18                           |                 |
| Manufacturing                |                 |
| 6,667                        |                 |
| 5                            |                 |
| 9,300                        |                 |
| 1,232                        |                 |
|                              |                 |
| 24                           |                 |
| Electricity, Gas and Water   |                 |
| 1,160                        |                 |
| 3                            |                 |
| 400                          |                 |
| 169                          |                 |
|                              |                 |
| 12                           |                 |
| Construction                 |                 |
| 5,485                        |                 |
| 2                            |                 |
| 3,500                        |                 |
| 481                          |                 |
|                              |                 |
| 18                           |                 |
| Wholesale and Retail         |                 |
| 13,060                       |                 |
| 2                            |                 |
| 8,400                        |                 |
| 2,206                        |                 |
|                              |                 |
| 13                           |                 |
| Hotels and Restaurants       |                 |
| 7,202                        |                 |
| 4                            |                 |
| 7,800                        |                 |
| 1,777                        |                 |
|                              |                 |
| 14                           |                 |
| Transport and Communications |                 |
| 6,861                        |                 |
| 4                            |                 |
| 8,100                        |                 |
| 1,219                        |                 |
|                              |                 |
| 14                           |                 |
| Financial Services           |                 |
| 1,452                        |                 |
| 3                            |                 |
| 2,600                        |                 |
| 279                          |                 |
|                              |                 |
| 13                           |                 |
| Business Services            |                 |
| 12,656                       |                 |
| 4                            |                 |
| 20,600                       |                 |
| 2,638                        |                 |
|                              |                 |
| 17                           |                 |
| Public Administration        |                 |
| 1,214                        |                 |
| 4                            |                 |
| 4,000                        |                 |
| 313                          |                 |
|                              |                 |
| 13                           |                 |
| Education                    |                 |
| 4,582                        |                 |
| 4                            |                 |
| 2,200                        |                 |
| 1,264                        |                 |
|                              |                 |
| 13                           |                 |
| Health and Social Work       |                 |
| 6,872                        |                 |
| 3                            |                 |
| 5,100                        |                 |
| 1,724                        |                 |
|                              |                 |
| 10                           |                 |
| Community, Social and        |                 |
| Personal Services activities |                 |
| 6,118                        |                 |
| 5                            | 12,600          |
| 1,353                        |                 |
|                              |                 |
| 23                           |                 |
| Region                       |                 |
|                              |                 |
|                              |                 |
| East of England              |                 |
| 8,372                        |                 |
| 5                            | 10,200          |
| 1,782                        |                 |
|                              |                 |
| 14                           |                 |
| East Midlands                |                 |
| 7,253                        |                 |
| 3                            | 6,400           |
| 1,361                        |                 |
|                              |                 |
| 15                           |                 |
| London                       |                 |
| 9,925                        |                 |
| 5                            | 15,200          |
| 2,437                        |                 |
|                              |                 |
| 15                           |                 |
| North East                   |                 |
| 5,529                        |                 |
| 3                            | 2,900           |
| 806                          |                 |
|                              |                 |
| 14                           |                 |
| North West                   |                 |
| 8,735                        |                 |
| 3                            | 11,300          |
| 1,755                        |                 |
|                              |                 |
| 19                           |                 |
| South East                   |                 |
| 10,592                       |                 |
| 5                            | 16,900          |
| 2,678                        |                 |
|                              |                 |
| 16                           |                 |
| South West                   |                 |
| 8,377                        |                 |
| 3                            | 7,100           |
| 1,525                        |                 |
|                              |                 |
| 15                           |                 |
| West Midlands                |                 |
| 7,851                        |                 |
| 3                            | 8,300           |
| 1,156                        |                 |
|                              |                 |
| 19                           |                 |
| Yorkshire & Humber           |                 |
| 7,522                        |                 |
| 3                            | 7,200           |
| 1,249                        |                 |
|                              |                 |
| 17                           |                 |

Number of skill-shortage vacancies rounded to the nearest 100 
Looking more closely at a local level, the proportion of establishments experiencing skillshortage vacancies varies from eight per cent (in Barking and Dagenham, Hammersmith and Fulham, Kensington and Chelsea, Richmond-upon-Thames and Windsor and Maidenhead), to just fewer than one per cent (in Knowsley, likely to be due to the low incidence of vacancies in that LEA). As with hard-to-fill vacancies, the two LEAs with the highest proportion of their vacancies proving hard to fill due to skill-shortages are Kirklees 
(where 48 per cent of vacancies are skill-shortage vacancies) and Coventry (43 per cent), and Northamptonshire also has 43 per cent of vacancies as skill-shortage vacancies. Full data for LEAs can be found in Table B.3 in Appendix B. 

As was seen with hard-to-fill vacancies, it is the Enterprise M3 LEP (covering Hampshire and Surrey) that has the highest proportion of establishments reporting having skillshortage vacancies, and Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly with the least. When establishments in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly do have vacancies, they are among the least likely to find them hard to fill due to skill-shortages: just seven per cent of vacancies in this LEP are skill-shortage vacancies. This figure is the same for Herefordshire LEP. At the other end of the scale establishments in Northamptonshire LEP are most likely to report their vacancies are hard to fill due to skill-shortages: 43 per cent of vacancies in this LEP are skill-shortage vacancies. Full figures on skill-shortage vacancies for LEPs can be found in Table B.9 of Appendix B. 

The greatest volume of skill-shortage vacancies were reported in Associate Professional, Professional and Skilled Trades occupations. Together these accounted for over half (56 
per cent) of all skill-shortage vacancies in England at the time of the survey.  
In line with previous surveys, it is within the Skilled Trades occupations where the density of skill-shortage vacancies is highest. One-third (33 per cent) of all vacancies for these occupations are skill-shortage vacancies, similar to the proportion seen in 2009 (Table 
4.7). 


 
 
2005 
2007 
2009 
2011 
Column % 
 
% 
% 
% 
% 
Occupation 


Managers  
Base: 
74,835 
79,018 
79,152 
74,156 
Number of SSVs 
 
6,400 
7,300 
3,700 
3,400 
 
Base: 
1,379 
1,732 
1,221 
834 
% of vacancies that are SSVs 
 
23 
21 
19 
19 
Professionals  
Base: 
74,835 
79,018 
79,152 
74,156 
Number of SSVs 
 
14,400 
19,700 
8,300 
15,600 
 
Base: 
1,923 
2,338 
1,614 
2,589 
% of vacancies that are SSVs 
 
28 
28 
23 
22 
Associate Professionals  
Base: 
74,835 
79,018 
79,152 
74,156 
Number of SSVs 
 
26,100 
22,600 
12,700 
17,500 
 
Base: 
2,806 
3,210 
2,567 
2,807 
% of vacancies that are SSVs 
 
31 
22 
20 
19 
Admin / Clerical  
Base: 
74,835 
79,018 
79,152 
74,156 
Number of SSVs 
 
10,200 
8,900 
4,600 
5,100 
 
Base: 
2,999 
3,153 
2,113 
2,243 
% of vacancies that are SSVs 
 
15 
12 
10 
10 
Skilled Trades  
Base: 
74,835 
79,018 
79,152 
74,156 
Number of SSVs 
 
24,300 
21,900 
8,900 
14,600 
 
Base: 
2,140 
2,461 
1,337 
1,884 
% of vacancies that are SSVs 
 
48 
37 
31 
33 
Caring, Leisure and Other services  
Base: 
74,835 
79,018 
79,152 
74,156 
Number of SSVs 
 
16,000 
13,300 
9,100 
12,300 
 
Base: 
2,489 
2,105 
1,970 
2,233 
% of vacancies that are SSVs 
 
25 
21 
17 
16 
Sales / Customer services  
Base: 
74,835 
79,018 
79,152 
74,156 
Number of SSVs 
 
16,200 
12,500 
5,500 
5,500 
 
Base: 
2,640 
2,831 
1,774 
1,964 
% of vacancies that are SSVs 
 
20 
15 
12 
8 
Machine Operatives  
Base: 
74,835 
79,018 
79,152 
74,156 
Number of SSVs 
 
13,800 
9,800 
2,900 
3,700 
 
Base: 
1,585 
1,512 
798 
941 
% of vacancies that are SSVs 
 
29 
24 
14 
13 
Elementary  
Base: 
74,835 
79,018 
79,152 
74,156 
Number of SSVs 
 
15,000 
12,200 
6,900 
6,800 
 
Base: 
2,977 
2,846 
2,250 
2,422 
% of vacancies that are SSVs 
 
17 
15 
11 
9 

Base for number of skill-shortage vacancies: All establishments in England Base for % of vacancies that are caused by skill shortages: All establishments with a vacancy in that occupation Number of skill-shortage vacancies rounded to nearest 100 

## 4.6 Impact Of Hard-To-Fill Vacancies

Having established the perceived causes of hard-to-fill vacancies, in particular where this cause relates to skill shortages in the labour market, this section focuses on the impact of all hard-to-fill vacancies on employers. Just seven per cent of establishments with hardto-fill vacancies said they had no impact on the establishment, leaving 93 per cent that have seen an impact. In the vast majority (81 per cent) of cases, hard-to-fill vacancies increase the workload and demand on existing staff. Almost half (46 per cent) of establishments with hard-to-fill vacancies reported that they caused difficulties meeting customer service objectives and similar proportions experienced increased operating costs (40 per cent), delayed the development of new products or services (40 per cent), or lost business or orders to competitors (39 per cent). This pattern is similar to that seen in previous years' surveys. 

There is some degree of variation in how hard-to-fill vacancies affect establishments according to size. While the largest establishments (500+ employees) were impacted most in terms of increased workload for existing staff (93 per cent), difficulties meeting customer service objectives (59 per cent) and increased operating costs (52 per cent), establishments with fewer than five employees tended to be impacted in terms of consolidating and expanding their service offering. 

Specifically the smallest establishments were more likely than average to report delays in developing new products or services (47 per cent), losing business or orders to competitors (49 per cent) and withdrawing from offering certain products or services (34 per cent) as a result of having hard-to-fill vacancies.  

## 4.7 Focus On Recruitment And Product Market Strategy

This section of the chapter focuses in on how private sector establishments with differing product market strategy (PMS) approaches have different experiences of the recruitment market. As described in Chapter Two, PMS ratings were derived from the sum of answers to four questions in the survey. A 'high' score indicates an establishment's approach involves products and services that are highly customised, innovative, high quality and that their position in the market is not dependent on the price of their goods or services; a 'low' score indicates the opposite, that is, products and services that are mass 
 
produced, low quality, compete on price and are not necessarily very innovative.16
Establishments with a higher score on the PMS scale are more active in the recruitment market than those with a lower score, with 18 per cent of establishments with a 'high' or 
'very high' rating reporting that they had a vacancy at the time of the survey, compared to half that number (nine per cent) of those with a 'very low' PMS rating. As might be expected, this lead in turn to a higher incidence of hard-to-fill vacancies and skill-shortage vacancies in these establishments with product market strategy scores at the 'high' end of the scale. Figure 4.7 shows the proportion of establishments in each group that reported having vacancies, hard-to-fill vacancies and skill-shortage vacancies. However whilst those with 'high' scores on the scale are most active in the recruitment market, of establishments that are active it is those with 'lower' scores that have the most difficulty with recruitment with almost a third (32 per cent) of all vacancies in establishments with 'very low' scores proving to be hard-to-fill. This is primarily due to the nature of the jobs on offer in this group: a quarter (24 per cent) of all hard-to-fill vacancies in the 'very low' scoring group were caused by the fact the job entailed shift-working and unsociable hours, and almost half (47 per cent) of all hard-to-fill vacancies in establishments with a 'low' PMS score were caused by 'not enough people being interested in this kind of work'. Establishments with 'higher' scores were less likely to have hard-to-fill vacancies per se, but those they did have were more likely to be caused by skill shortages than those at the lower end of the scale: 21 per cent of all vacancies at establishments with a 'very high' PMS rating were caused by lack of skills, which equates to 84 per cent of all their hard-to-fill vacancies; amongst the 'very low' group the figure for all vacancies was similar at 20 per cent but this equated to just 63 per cent of all their hard-to-fill vacancies. Figure 4.8 shows the proportion of vacancies in each group that were hard-to-fill vacancies, and the proportion in each that were skill-shortage vacancies. 


## 4.8 Conclusion

There has been an increase in the number of establishments in England reporting at least one vacancy since 2009, which is encouraging for the economy as it suggests that employers' confidence is returning. This increase has however not been uniform across sectors: the Public Administration, Education and Health and Social Work sectors (typically dominated by public sector organisations) have seen a fall in the incidence of vacancies since 2009, albeit these are still the three sectors where establishments are most likely to have a vacancy at the time of interview. Business Services (this sector includes, among other things, real estate activities, consultancy, advertising and employment agencies) and Manufacturing saw the biggest increases, which is encouraging for the recovery of the private sector as these sectors (particularly Business Services) employ a relatively large proportion of the workforce.  
Despite this increase, demand for staff is generally being met: the proportion of all vacancies in England that are hard-to-fill is consistent with that reported for the 2009 
survey at 22 per cent. The proportion of all vacancies that are skill-shortage vacancies is consistent with that seen in 2009 suggesting the labour market is keeping pace with the increase in vacancies. However, this average masks variation in trends and in concentrations of skill deficiency by size, sector, occupation and geography. Additionally, where hard-to-fill and skill-shortage vacancies do exist they have the potential to have a considerable impact on establishments. In total, 93 per cent of employers with a hard-tofill vacancy said it was having an impact on their establishment. The main impact felt was on the workload of existing staff, which has the potential to cause knock-on effects on morale and retention. Smaller establishments in particular also said they were affected in terms of consolidating or expanding their current business offering.    
Establishments in the Yorkshire and Humber region stand out as having the most difficulties in the recruitment market. One third of all vacancies in this region were reported as being hard-to-fill (34 per cent); and it also has one of the highest proportions of vacancies that are hard to fill due to skill shortages. Additionally, the West Midlands and North West have particular issues with skill-shortage vacancies, where one in every five vacancies in these regions being hard to fill due to skill shortages. Detailed geographical analysis allow us to see that two of the three LEAs with the highest density of skill-shortage vacancies fall within these regions.  
Employers continue to have trouble filling their vacancies for Skilled Trade occupations, with 41 per cent of all vacancies in this occupational group proving hard to fill, and one third of vacancies hard to fill due to skill shortages among applicants. Skilled Trades tend to be specialist occupations, so generic skills programmes to try to rectify this will have less of an effect than they would on, for example, Administrative and Clerical roles which require more general, transferrable skills.  
Mid sized establishments report an increase in the proportion of vacancies which are skill-shortage between 2009 and 2011, in contrast to larger and smaller establishments. Similar patterns are observed in the West Midlands and North West; amongst Skilled Trade occupations and in Manufacturing, Community, Personal and Social Services and Public Administration sectors. Generally, there is a similarity between those areas of the economy experiencing higher than average skill-shortage vacancy density and increases in this measure since 2009. 

An establishment's Product Market Strategy score is related to their activity in the recruitment market, with those scoring 'higher' on the PMS scale more active in the market. As establishments with high scores often need their staff to be more highly skilled than those with 'lower' scores, the proportion of their vacancies that are hard-to-fill due to skill shortages tends to be higher (although the 'very low' scoring group have particular problems here too). However it is at the 'lower' scoring end that most recruitment issues arise: almost a third of vacancies in the 'very low' scoring group are hard-to-fill, and this is most commonly due to the nature of the job on offer being unappealing to applicants. This raises issues of job quality which potentially acts as a brake in the efficient running of these businesses and in the potential for them to progress within their markets. 

 

## 5 Internal Skills Mismatch Chapter Summary

- 
Most establishments report all their workforce to be fully proficient at doing their job, 
but approaching a fifth (18 per cent) report that at least one of their staff is not fully proficient, that is, they have a "skills gap". Around 1.3 million workers, or six per cent of the total workforce in England, is reported to have a skills gap.  
- 
This represents a decrease from the figures seen in 2009, when 1.7 million staff, or 
seven per cent of the workforce, was deemed to have a skills gap.  
o 
This fall was seen across all sizebands and sectors, though was particularly marked 
in the Construction sector, which saw a fall from 18 to 13 per cent of establishments 
experiencing skills gaps. 
- 
Skills gaps tend to be most prevalent among Sales and Customer Services staff, and staff in Elementary occupations. 
- 
Skills gaps are most commonly caused by transient factors, such as staff being new to the role and training only being partially completed.  
- 
Where skills gaps exist they can have a significant impact on the establishment. The 
most common impact was an increase in workload for other staff, but others report increased operating costs and difficulties in meeting quality standards. 
- 
Looking at skills gaps alongside skill-shortage vacancies gives an overall measure of 
those experiencing skill deficiencies. Overall 20 per cent of establishments were suffering from a skill deficiency. 

## 5.1 Introduction

Skills gaps occur when the skills of staff are not adequate to perform their job role, and can have an impact on the efficient functioning of establishments. This chapter will explore their incidence, volume, profile and causes, before reviewing the impact of skills gaps and the actions employers take in an attempt to combat them. It will also look at any changes in the incidence of skills gaps over time, and finally look at skills gaps alongside skill-shortage vacancies to see the overall impact of skill deficiencies in the system. 

Further time-series data relating to internal skills gaps can be found in Appendix A. 

## 5.2 The Incidence, Volume, Density And Distribution Of Skills Gaps

For the majority of establishments (82 per cent) in England, the entire workforce is regarded as being fully proficient at their job roles, but almost a fifth (18 per cent) report having at least one member of staff that is not fully proficient (a 'skills gap'). In total around 1.3 million workers were considered to have skills gaps, equivalent to six per cent of the total workforce in England. The incidence and volume of skills gaps saw an increase in 2009, but the 2011 figures show the number of staff with gaps has decreased back to the levels seen in 2007 (see Figure 5.1). 

Percentages across the top are based on all employment rather than all establishments; proportions therefore show the percentage of employees with a skills gap While the proportion of establishments reporting at least one skills gap increased with size, the proportion of staff described as having a skills gap was broadly consistent in terms of establishment size (see Table 5.1). The fall in the proportion of staff considered to have a skills gap compared with 2009 was seen across all size bands. However, whilst mid and larger sized establishments reported greater rises in the incidence of skill gaps between 2007 and 2009, mid sized establishments (employing between 25 and 199 staff) have not experienced the reductions in incidence reported in larger sized establishments in 2011 (Table 5.A.1 in Appendix A), suggesting a continuing squeeze. Hotels and Restaurants (23 per cent), Education (21 per cent) and Health and Social Work (21 per cent) were the sectors with the highest incidence of skills gaps. Hotels and Restaurants was the sector with the highest proportion of staff described as having a skills-gap (nine per cent). The fall in the number of skills gaps compared with 2009 was seen across all sectors. In the previous chapter the Construction sector was identified as having a particular issue with hard-to-fill vacancies, however their level of skills gaps has seen the largest fall compared with 2009 with a five percentage point fall in the proportion of establishments experiencing gaps (from 18 to 13 per cent) and a two percentage point fall in the proportion of the workforce with a skills gap (from seven to five per cent). 

With the exception of the East Midlands and London (where 15 per cent of businesses reported any skill gaps) there was little variation in the proportion of establishments reporting any skills gap by region. Similarly, the proportion of the workforce described as not proficient was relatively stable by region (at the five to six per cent level).  
Table 5.1 shows a summary of the picture in 2011; time series analysis is in Table A.5.2 
in Appendix A.. 


| % of                           |                |
|--------------------------------|----------------|
| % of                           |                |
| Number of                      | workforce      |
|                                | establishments |
| skill gaps                     | that have      |
| with a skills gap              |                |
| skill gaps                     |                |
|                                |                |
| Unwtd                          |                |
| base                           |                |
| %                              |                |
|                                |                |
| Rounded to                     |                |
| nearest 100                    |                |
|                                |                |
| %                              |                |
|                                |                |
| Total                          |                |
|                                |                |
| 74,156                         |                |
| 18                             | 1,318,900      |
| Size                           |                |
|                                |                |
|                                |                |
| 2-4                            |                |
| 15,547                         |                |
| 8                              | 73,300         |
| 5-24                           |                |
| 41,136                         |                |
| 24                             | 304,000        |
| 25-99                          |                |
| 13,550                         |                |
| 38                             | 330,000        |
| 100-199                        |                |
| 2,201                          |                |
| 46                             | 152,000        |
| 200-499                        |                |
| 1,359                          |                |
| 46                             | 201,600        |
| 500+                           |                |
| 453                            |                |
| 49                             | 258,000        |
| Sector                         |                |
|                                |                |
|                                |                |
| Agriculture                    |                |
| 703                            |                |
| 9                              |                |
| 5,300                          | 4              |
| Mining and Quarrying           |                |
| 124                            |                |
| 9                              |                |
| 600                            | 2              |
| Manufacturing                  |                |
| 6,667                          |                |
| 20                             |                |
| 140,000                        | 6              |
| Electricity, Gas and Water     |                |
| 1,160                          |                |
| 17                             |                |
| 14,900                         | 6              |
| Construction                   |                |
| 5,485                          |                |
| 13                             |                |
| 43,300                         | 5              |
| Wholesale and Retail           |                |
| 13,060                         |                |
| 20                             |                |
| 245,500                        | 7              |
| Hotels and Restaurants         |                |
| 7,202                          |                |
| 23                             |                |
| 145,400                        | 9              |
| Transport and Communications   |                |
| 6,861                          |                |
| 14                             |                |
| 100,100                        | 5              |
| Financial Services             |                |
| 1,452                          |                |
| 17                             |                |
| 39,000                         | 5              |
| Business Services              |                |
| 12,656                         |                |
| 16                             |                |
| 208,800                        | 5              |
| Public Administration          |                |
| 1,214                          |                |
| 18                             |                |
| 82,000                         | 6              |
| Education                      |                |
| 4,582                          |                |
| 21                             |                |
| 59,200                         | 4              |
| Health and Social Work         |                |
| 6,872                          |                |
| 21                             |                |
| 141,100                        | 5              |
| Community, Social and Personal |                |
| Services activities            |                |
| 6,118                          |                |
| 17                             | 93,900         |
| Region                         |                |
|                                |                |
|                                |                |
| East of England                |                |
| 8,372                          |                |
| 18                             | 141,400        |
| East Midlands                  |                |
| 7,253                          |                |
| 15                             | 112,400        |
| London                         |                |
| 9,925                          |                |
| 15                             | 231,700        |
| North East                     |                |
| 5,529                          |                |
| 18                             | 61,900         |
| North West                     |                |
| 8,735                          |                |
| 19                             | 178,800        |
| South East                     |                |
| 10,592                         |                |
| 19                             | 216,400        |
| South West                     |                |
| 8,377                          |                |
| 19                             | 134,600        |
| West Midlands                  |                |
| 7,851                          |                |
| 18                             | 133,100        |
| Yorkshire & Humber             |                |
| 7,522                          |                |
| 18                             | 108,600        |

Base: All establishments in England  
Percentages in column 3 are based on all employment rather than all establishments; proportions therefore show the percentage of employees with a skills gap  
Number of skills gaps rounded to nearest 100 
Greater variation was reported at the LEA level. Southampton was the LEA where establishments were most likely to report having at least one member of staff with a skills gap (26 per cent did so), closely followed by Bedford and North East Lincolnshire (both 
25 per cent). Bexley was the LEA where it was least likely, where nine per cent of establishments reported having a skills gap. In terms of the total proportion of staff working in each LEA who lacked proficiency, Croydon has the largest: almost a fifth (18 per cent) of employees there are judged by their employer to have a skills gap; conversely employees in Barnsley were most likely to be fully proficient to carry out their job role (just two per cent of employees there were reported to have a skills gap). Table B.4 in Appendix B shows the figures for skills gaps for each LEA in full. 

There was less variation in incidence by LEP.  Humber, Oxfordshire and The Solent were the LEPs where establishments were most likely to report that any of their staff had skills gaps (20 per cent), compared to 13 per cent in Buckinghamshire and Thames Valley and 14 per cent in Leicester and Leicestershire. As well as being the LEP where vacancies were most likely to be affected by skill shortages, Northamptonshire had the highest level of current staff with skills gaps (nine per cent), suggesting the skills deficiencies in this area are not isolated to the jobseekers but also affects the employed staff. Cumbria, Sheffield City Region and Black Country all had the lowest levels of staff with skills gaps, at four per cent. Full figures for skills gaps for the LEPs can be found in Table B.10 in Appendix B. 

As shown in Table 5.2, in terms of occupation, skill gaps tend to be most apparent among Sales and Customer services staff17
. One-in-eleven (nine per cent) of all of the workforce in this occupation are perceived to be not fully proficient and this occupation accounts for the largest number of staff with skills gaps in England (259,800). The proportion of those working in Elementary Occupations that lack proficiency is also comparatively high at eight per cent; encouragingly both these and Sales and Customer Services skills gaps have shown a slight decrease since 2009 (one percentage point for each). The proportion of the workforce with gaps for Skilled Trades occupations has seen the largest fall since 2009.  

 
 
2005 
2007 
2009 
2011 
Column % 
 
% 
% 
% 
% 
Occupation 
Base: 
74,835 
79,018 
79,152 
74,156 
Managers  


Number of skills gaps 
 
143,700 
163,000 
232,800 
148,900 
% of workforce with skills gaps 
 
4 
4 
6 
4 
Professionals  


Number of skills gaps 
 
84,500 
123,400 
146,800 
119,500 
% of workforce with skills gaps 
 
4 
5 
6 
5 
Associate Professionals  


Number of skills gaps 
 
82,200 
101,900 
117,100 
75,100 
% of workforce with skills gaps 
 
5 
6 
7 
5 
Admin / Clerical  


Number of skills gaps 
 
146,300 
186,200 
219,100 
154,200 
% of workforce with skills gaps 
 
5 
6 
7 
5 
Skilled Trades  


Number of skills gaps 
 
97,200 
103,200 
135,000 
82,100 
% of workforce with skills gaps 
 
6 
7 
8 
5 
Caring, Leisure and Other services  
 
 
Number of skills gaps 
 
111,900 
95,700 
148,300 
114,600 
% of workforce with skills gaps 
 
7 
6 
8 
6 
Sales / Customer services  


Number of skills gaps 
 
242,300 
256,800 
310,900 
259,800 
% of workforce with skills gaps 
 
9 
9 
10 
9 
Machine Operatives  


Number of skills gaps 
 
107,000 
95,900 
110,800 
109,300 
% of workforce with skills gaps 
 
6 
6 
7 
6 
Elementary  


Number of skills gaps 
 
249,700 
235,000 
281,600 
255,400 
% of workforce with skills gaps 
 
8 
8 
9 
8 
Base: All establishments 

"Percentage of workforce with skills gaps" is based on all employment rather than all establishments; proportions therefore show the percentage of employees in this occupation with a skills gap  
Number of skills gaps rounded to nearest 100 

## 5.3 Causes Of Skill Gaps

The main causes of staff not being fully proficient are presented in Figure 5.2. Results are based on skills gaps rather than establishments with gaps; the figure shows what proportions of skills gaps are caused by the various factors reported by employers. Establishments could give more than one cause for skills gaps within each occupation.  
Staff being new to the role (either because they have recently started the job or have recently been promoted to a higher level role) and, related to this, training only being partially completed are by far the most common causes of skills gaps, with 46 per cent and 45 per cent of all skills gaps respectively being attributed, at least in part, to these reasons. Sectors especially likely to be affected by skill gaps as a result of staff being new to the role were Hotels and Restaurants (57 per cent) and Financial Services (54 per cent). 

These two sectors were also slightly more likely to report training only being partially completed as a cause of skill gaps (55 per cent and 50 per cent respectively).     

Been on training but their performance has not 
improved sufficiently
Introduction of new working practices
23%
Not received the appropriate training
22%
Unable to recruit staff with the required skills
18%
Introduction of new technology
17%
Development of new products and services
16%
Problems retaining staff
9%

Base: All establishments with skills gaps: 18,043 (unwtd)
 
Percentages are based on all skills gaps followed up rather than all establishments with skills gaps, figures therefore show the proportion of skills gaps caused by each stated reason. 

Two other factors relating to training - training proving ineffective and staff not receiving the appropriate training - are also quite common causes (explaining at least in part 28 
per cent and 22 per cent of skills gaps respectively). A requirement for (further) training is also implicit in those skills gaps arising from the introduction of new working practices (23 per cent), the introduction of new technology (17 per cent) and the development of new products or services (16 per cent). 

Staff lacking motivation is the other key cause of skill gaps, which is perceived to explain around one third (31 per cent) of all skill gaps. 

Recruitment-related factors are less likely to be cited, though nonetheless approaching one-in-five skills gaps (18 per cent) result from an inability to recruit appropriately skilled individuals, and one in eleven gaps (nine per cent) arise from retention difficulties. In both cases the underlying implication is that experienced staff have left and employers have had to fill these positions with people who do not have the required skill set. 

## 5.4 Impact Of Skill Gaps

Three in five establishments with skill gaps (61 per cent) said they had seen an impact on business performance. Like hard-to-fill vacancies, establishments with skills gaps most commonly report that the impact of these skill gaps is to increase the workload for other staff (49 per cent). Around one quarter (27 per cent) believe that their skill gaps lead to increased operating costs and a similar proportion (26 per cent) find they encounter difficulties in meeting quality standards (see Figure 5.3). Fewer, although still sizeable numbers of employers find that skills gaps prohibit their business developing or growing specifically in terms of: introducing new working practices (22 per cent); losing business to competitors (20 per cent); or developing new services or products (15 per cent). This pattern of responses is similar to that seen in previous years' surveys. 


## 5.5 Focus On Skills Gaps And Product Market Strategy

This section focuses in on how private sector establishments with differing product market strategy (PMS) approaches experience skills gaps differently. As described in Chapter Two, PMS ratings were derived from the sum of answers to four questions in the survey; a 'high' score indicates an establishment's approach involves products and services that are highly customised, innovative, high quality and that their position in the market is not dependent on the price of their goods or services; a 'low' score indicates the opposite, that is, products and services that are mass produced, low quality, compete on price and are not necessarily very innovative18
. 

Although the relationship is not entirely linear, establishments with product market strategy scores at the 'high' end of the scale are more likely to report that they have skills gaps among their staff than those with scores at the 'lower' end of the scale. Conversely however, gaps as a proportion of employment is fairly constant between groups until the employers with a 'very high' PMS rating (see Table 5.3).  

                                                

|                          | Very low    | Low     | Medium    | High    | Very high    |
|--------------------------|-------------|---------|-----------|---------|--------------|
| Base                     |             |         |           |         |              |
|                          |             |         |           |         |              |
| 1,928                    | 8,233       | 20,334  | 18,018    | 6,506   |              |
| Column %                 |             |         |           |         |              |
| %                        | %           | %       | %         | %       |              |
| % of establishments with |             |         |           |         |              |
| a skills gap             |             |         |           |         |              |
| 14                       | 16          | 18      | 20        | 18      |              |
| Number of skill gaps     | 22,100      | 102,800 | 340,500   | 375,500 | 107,300      |
| % of workforce with      |             |         |           |         |              |
| gaps                     |             |         |           |         |              |
| 6                        | 6           | 6       | 6         | 5       |              |

Base: All establishments in each PMS classification 'Percentage of workforce with gaps' is shown as a proportion of all employment Number of gaps rounded to nearest 100 
This difference could be due to the level of training in these 'very high' scoring organisations; an area that will be explored in the next chapter of this report. Indeed establishments with skills gaps with a 'very high' PMS score are more likely to attribute their skills gaps to training not being complete (48 per cent of skills gaps in establishments with a 'high' or 'very high' PMS score were attributed to this cause, compared to 27 per cent of gaps in establishments with a 'very low' PMS score), whereas those with 'lower' scores were more likely to attribute gaps to staff lacking motivation (32 per cent of gaps in the 'very low' group were attributed to this cause compared to 25 per cent of those in the 'very high' group). 

## 5.6 Combined Skill Deficiencies

The previous chapter examined skill-shortage vacancies and this one has explored skills gaps. The identification of these two measures as separate phenomena may not reflect how employers experience them, however. It is useful to combine the two separate indicators into a single measure: the proportion of establishments who report that they face a skill deficiency, i.e. a skills gap, skill-shortage vacancy or both. When expressed in this way, 20 per cent of establishments were suffering from a skill deficiency, but just one per cent reported both. This reflects the different occupational and sectoral patterns of skill-shortage vacancies and skill gaps reported thus far,  
As might be expected the proportion of establishments reporting that they face any or both types of skill deficiency issue rises with size of establishment (Figure 5.4). Very few of the smallest establishments (employing less than 5 staff) report both, perhaps unsurprisingly, but two per cent of establishments employing 5-9 staff do, which might cause particular difficulties in those small establishments in being able to respond to the deficiencies. Hotels and Restaurants, Education, Health and Social Work and Manufacturing sectors are the most affected by skills deficiencies. Agriculture is the least likely sector to be affected. 


| Gaps only              | Both   | SSVs only   |
|------------------------|--------|-------------|
| None                   |        |             |
| Base:                  |        |             |
| (unweighted)           |        |             |
| 9%                     |        |             |
| 89%                    |        |             |
| Agriculture            |        |             |
| 2%                     |        |             |
| 703                    |        |             |
| 7%                     | 85%    |             |
| 8%                     |        |             |
| Mining and Quarrying   |        |             |
| 124                    |        |             |
| 18%                    | 2%     | 3%          |
| Manufacturing          |        |             |
| 6,667                  |        |             |
| Electricity, Gas and   |        |             |
| 15%                    | 1%     | 2%          |
| 82%                    |        |             |
| 1,160                  |        |             |
| Water                  |        |             |
| 1%                     | 1%     |             |
| 12%                    | 86%    |             |
| Construction           |        |             |
| 5,485                  |        |             |
| 1%                     | 79%    |             |
| 19%                    | 1%     |             |
| Wholesale and Retail   |        |             |
| 13,060                 |        |             |
| 2%                     |        |             |
| 21%                    | 2%     | 74%         |
| Hotels and Restaurants |        |             |
| 7,202                  |        |             |
| Transport and          |        |             |
| 12%                    | 1%     | 3%          |
| 6,861                  |        |             |
| Communications         |        |             |
| 16%                    | 1%     | 2%          |
| Finance Services       |        |             |
| 1,452                  |        |             |
| 14%                    | 2%     | 3%          |
| Business Services      |        |             |
| 12,656                 |        |             |
| 2%                     | 3%     | 79%         |
| 17%                    |        |             |
| Public Administration  |        |             |
| 1,214                  |        |             |
| 19%                    | 2%     | 2%          |
| 76%                    |        |             |
| Education              |        |             |
| 4,582                  |        |             |
| 20%                    | 1%     | 77%         |
| Health and Social Work |        |             |
| 6,872                  |        |             |
| 2%                     |        |             |
| Community, Social and  |        |             |
| 15%                    | 2%     | 4%          |
| 6,118                  |        |             |
| Personal Services      | …      |             |

Base: All establishments
 
There is little variation by region (Figure 5.6), ranging from 22 per cent in the South East, to 17 per cent in the East Midlands and the South East and East of England stand out as regions with three per cent of business reporting both. 

## 5.7 Conclusion

The majority of establishments (82 per cent) are content that their entire workforce is regarded as being fully proficient at their job roles, a slight increase on the figure seen in 2009.  Conversely this means that the proportion of establishments with skills gaps has fallen very slightly since 2009, and the proportion of the workforce deemed to have a skills gap has also fallen by one percentage point, taking it back to 2007 levels after an increase in 2009. Despite this fall, some sectors continue to be more affected than others, for example, in Hotels and Restaurants (where nine per cent of staff have a skills gap) and Wholesale and Retail (seven per cent). The largest fall in the proportion of establishments and staff affected by skills gaps is in the Construction sector, where the proportion of staff with gaps has decreased from seven to five per cent and the proportion of establishments experiencing gaps has fallen from 18 to 13 per cent. Similarly, establishments employing between 25 and 199 staff have not experienced the reductions in incidence of skill gaps reported in larger sized establishments between 2009 and 2011 and there is evidence of a continued squeeze on these businesses, which echoes their experience of skill-shortage vacancies. 

Skills gaps continue to be particularly concentrated in Sales and Customer Services and Elementary occupations, although encouragingly the proportion of staff deemed not fully proficient in each of these occupations has fallen slightly (by one percentage point). 

Whilst (as seen in Chapter Four) establishments found it hardest to recruit people with the required skills to Skilled Trades occupations, encouragingly it was this occupational group that saw the largest fall between 2009 and 2011 in the proportion of staff deemed not fully proficient (from eight to five per cent). It is useful to combine the figures for skills gaps with those for skill-shortage vacancies, to get an overall picture of skills deficiencies in the workplace. When combined with data for skill-shortage vacancies one fifth of establishments in England suffer from a skills deficiency, but just one per cent report both.  
The survey shows the similarity in the causes and effects of recruitment and retention difficulties and skills gaps. Training is often a solution to these problems and a lack of training, or a time-lag in seeing the impact of training, can be a cause of these problems. 

The next chapter explores employer investment in training and in the skills of their staff. 


## 6 Workforce Development Chapter Summary

- 
Two thirds of establishments (66 per cent) had funded or arranged on- or off-the-job 
training for at least one of their employees over the 12 months preceding the survey. This represents a slight decrease in incidence since 2009 when 68 per cent of establishments offered training to staff. 
- 
A further 23 per cent had given staff other, more informal development such as supervision, shadowing those in higher positions or allowing them to go beyond their current job role. 
- 
In the 12 months preceding the survey employers in England had provided training to 
approximately 12 million staff, 53 per cent of the current workforce, and provided 101.6 million training days. This is slightly fewer staff and days than in 2009. 
- 
Just under a third of all establishments had funded or arranged training designed to 
lead to a nationally recognised qualification (30 per cent). 
- 
Total investment in training (which includes salaries to staff being trained) in the past 
12 months was £40.5bn, which represents a fall compared to 2009 in real terms once 
inflation is taken into account. The amount spent per trainee and per employee is 
similar to in 2009 once inflation is accounted for, suggesting that the lower total spend 
is a result of fewer employees training rather than less being spent per trainee. 

## 6.1 Introduction

This chapter reports on the quantity of training and development activity undertaken by employers in England. More specifically the chapter discusses the proportion of establishments that engage in training or informal workforce development activities and how this varies by establishment size, sector, geography and occupation. It also examines the quantity of training provided in terms of training days and the proportion of workers trained. Finally the chapter looks at the financial investment that employers are making in training.  
Throughout the chapter, unless otherwise stated, an employer is described as providing training if in the previous 12 months they had funded or arranged one or both of the following for any of their employees based at their site: 

- 
off-the-job training or development: training away from the individual's immediate work position, whether on their premises or elsewhere; 
- 
on-the-job or informal training or development: activities which take place at the 
individual's immediate work position which would be recognised as training by recipients. 
Training as defined in this way is intended to capture all activity which employers and employees would recognise as training. However, broader activity can take place which leads to skill development but which may not be classified as training. For this reason the UK Commission's Employer Skills Survey 2011 also asked employers whether they had engaged in any broader development activities, specifically: supervision to ensure that employees are guided through their job role over time; opportunities for staff to spend time learning through watching others perform their job roles; and allowing staff to perform tasks that go beyond their strict job role and providing feedback on how well they had done. As we see later in this chapter, a significant number of employers did not provide off- or on-the-job training but did engage in some of these broader development activities. However, unless otherwise stated it is on- and off-the-job training activity which is described in this chapter. Additional time-series tables relating to workforce development can be found in Appendix A.  

## 6.2 The Extent Of Training And Workforce Development Activity

Two-thirds of establishments had funded or arranged on-the-job or off-the-job training for at least one of their employees in the 12 months preceding the survey (66 per cent). 

Slightly more had provided on-the-job training (53 per cent of all workplaces) than had provided off-the-job training (47 per cent); a third of establishments (34 per cent) had provided both types of training. The incidence of training over time has been fairly consistent at around two-thirds; the trend for a slight increase year on year has however been broken in 2011 with the figure falling from 68 per cent in 2009 to 66 per cent (see Table 6.1). In particular, the incidence of establishments doing both on- and off-the-job training has decreased from 38 to 34 per cent, suggesting that some establishments that are still training have cut back on the extent of training activity since the recession. 


|                                     | 2005    | 2007    | 2009    |   2011  |
|-------------------------------------|---------|---------|---------|---------|
| Base                                |         |         |         |         |
| 74,835                              | 79,018  | 79,152  | 74,156  |         |
| Column %                            |         |         |         |         |
| %                                   | %       | %       | %       |         |
| Total doing any training            | 65      | 67      | 68      |     66  |
| Off-the-job only                    | 13      | 13      | 13      |     13  |
| On-the-job only                     | 19      | 21      | 17      |     19  |
| Both off- and on-the-job            |         |         |         |         |
| training                            |         |         |         |         |
| 33                                  | 33      | 38      | 34      |         |
| Do not train                        | 35      | 33      | 32      |     34  |
| Base: All establishments in England |         |         |         |         |

The likelihood that training is provided in a workplace is closely related to the number of staff working at the establishment. Just over half (52 per cent) of workplaces with fewer than five staff provided any training in the previous 12 months, rising to over threequarters (78 per cent) of those where 5-24 staff are employed, and to more than nine-inten where 25 or more people are employed. Results by size of establishment are presented in Figure 6.1. 

| 15,457         |   41,136 |
|----------------|----------|
| 1,359          |      453 |
| Base: All      |          |
| establishments |          |
| (unwtd)        |          |

The fall in the incidence of training since 2009 is seen most prominently in the smallest establishments (52 per cent from 55 per cent in 2009) suggesting that the impact of the recession on training has hit smallest establishments the hardest (Table 6.2). 

 
 
2005 
2007 
2009 
2011 
Column % 
 
% 
% 
% 
% 
2-4 
Base: 
22,278 
24,084 
22,535 
15,457 
Total doing any training 
 
50 
54 
55 
52 
Off-the-job only 
 
14 
14 
14 
14 
On-the-job only 
 
18 
20 
16 
18 
Both off- and on-the-job training 
 
19 
20 
24 
20 
Do not train 
 
50 
46 
45 
48 
5-24  
Base: 
34,392 
36,778 
35,418 
41,136 
Total doing any training 
 
78 
80 
79 
78 
Off-the-job only 
 
14 
14 
12 
13 
On-the-job only 
 
22 
24 
19 
22 
Both off- and on-the-job training 
 
42 
42 
48 
44 
Do not train 
 
22 
20 
21 
22 
25-99  
Base: 
14,162 
13,830 
16,270 
13,550 
Total doing any training 
 
93 
92 
93 
92 
Off-the-job only 
 
10 
10 
8 
9 
On-the-job only 
 
14 
17 
13 
17 
Both off- and on-the-job training 
 
68 
65 
73 
67 
Do not train 
 
7 
8 
7 
8 
100-199  
Base: 
2,198 
2,424 
2,676 
2,201 
Total doing any training 
 
94 
94 
96 
96 
Off-the-job only 
 
7 
7 
4 
5 
On-the-job only 
 
10 
15 
9 
13 
Both off- and on-the-job training 
 
76 
72 
83 
79 
Do not train 
 
6 
6 
4 
4 
200-499 
Base: 
1,365 
1,407 
1,701 
1,359 
Total doing any training 
 
94 
94 
96 
97 
Off-the-job only 
 
7 
8 
3 
4 
On-the-job only 
 
11 
13 
9 
12 
Both off- and on-the-job training 
 
77 
73 
83 
82 
Do not train 
 
6 
6 
4 
3 
500+ 
Base: 
440 
495 
552 
453 
Total doing any training 
 
91 
95 
98 
96 
Off-the-job only 
 
7 
8 
3 
2 
On-the-job only 
 
6 
14 
6 
9 
Both off- and on-the-job training 
 
78 
74 
90 
84 
Do not train 
 
9 
5 
2 
4 

Base: All establishments in England in each size band The incidence of training varies widely by sector, as shown in Figure 6.2. Differences by sector are in part driven by size: sectors with low incidences of training such as Agriculture (51 per cent train) and Construction (56 per cent train) are dominated by small establishments, and sectors with high levels of training (Health and Social Work (89 per cent), Education (88 per cent) and Public Administration (85 per cent)) by large establishments.  

Some sectors have seen larger reductions in training levels than others: incidence of training in the Construction sector fell by 10 percentage points between 2009 and 2011 having previously been on an upward trajectory; Financial Services was on a slight downward trend from 2005 to 2009 but the incidence fell even faster from 2009 to 2011, by eight percentage points. Other sectors, such as Manufacturing, Wholesale and Retail, Transport and Communications, Business Services, Health and Social Work and Community, Social and Personal Services (this sector includes, among other things, libraries, museums, sporting facilities and personal services such as hairdressing and cleaning) sectors have not seen any fall in their training suggesting that employers in these sectors have been able maintain their training levels despite the economic downturn (Table 6.3). 

 
 
2005 
2007 
2009 
2011 
Column % 
 
% 
% 
% 
% 
Agriculture  
Base: 
2,544 
2,943 
2,350 
703 
Any training 
 
46 
49 
55 
51 
Mining & Quarrying  
Base: 
108 
144 
120 
124 
Any training 
 
78 
73 
80 
70 
Manufacturing  
Base: 
9,665 
10,161 
9,374 
6,667 
Any training 
 
59 
61 
60 
61 
Electricity, Gas and Water  
Base: 
160 
202 
231 
1,160 
Any training 
 
80 
81 
82 
71 
Construction  
Base: 
4,363 
4,808 
5,283 
5,485 
Any training 
 
57 
59 
66 
56 
Wholesale and Retail  
Base: 
16,078 
16,861 
15,502 
13,060 
Any training 
 
57 
61 
60 
61 
Hotels and Restaurants  
Base: 
5,493 
5,397 
5,609 
7,202 
Any training 
 
60 
66 
66 
61 
Transport and Comms 
Base: 
4,241 
4,599 
4,501 
6,861 
Any training 
 
61 
63 
61 
60 
Financial Services  
Base: 
1,746 
2,213 
2,456 
1,452 
Any training 
 
84 
82 
80 
72 
Business Services  
Base: 
11,381 
12,474 
13,375 
12,656 
Any training 
 
69 
69 
68 
70 
Public Administration  
Base: 
638 
651 
1,031 
1,214 
Any training 
 
91 
92 
87 
85 
Education  
Base: 
4,979 
4,704 
5,096 
4,582 
Any training 
 
94 
92 
92 
88 
Health and Social Work  
Base: 
7,436 
6,777 
7,178 
6,872 
Any training 
 
86 
88 
88 
89 
Community, Social and 
Personal Services activities  Base: 
6,003 
7,084 
7,046 
6,118 
Any training 
 
63 
66 
68 
68 

Base: All establishments in England in each sector 
 
There was relatively little variation in training activity by region, with the overall proportion of establishments training ranging from 61 per cent in the West Midlands to 68 per cent in the North West and the South East (Figure 6.3). 

Incidence of training had fallen from 2009 most sharply in the West Midlands (a fall of seven percentage points), and the South West (a fall of six percentage points); both of these regions were experiencing a steady increase in levels of training prior to the 2011 
survey but this fall means that incidence of training in these regions is back where it was in 2005 (Table 6.4). 


 
 
2005 
2007 
2009 
2011 
Column % 
 
% 
% 
% 
% 
East of England 
Base: 
8,332 
8,454 
8,552 
8,372 
Any training 
 
65 
66 
66 
67 
East Midlands  
Base: 
5,884 
7,612 
7,337 
7,253 
Any training 
 
66 
68 
67 
63 
London  
Base: 
12,100 
12,077 
12,000 
9,925 
Any training 
 
62 
67 
66 
64 
North East  
Base: 
4,115 
5,608 
5,677 
5,529 
Any training 
 
71 
70 
69 
67 
North West 
Base: 
8,796 
8,838 
9,921 
8,735 
Any training 
 
64 
68 
67 
68 
South East 
Base: 
13,647 
12,219 
11,040 
10,592 
Any training 
 
70 
69 
70 
68 
South West  
Base: 
8,095 
8,454 
8,698 
8,377 
Any training 
 
65 
68 
71 
65 
West Midlands 
Base: 
7,404 
8,047 
8,186 
7,851 
Any training 
 
60 
65 
68 
61 
Yorkshire & Humber 
Base: 
6,462 
7,709 
7,741 
7,522 
Any training 
 
64 
66 
65 
67 

Base: All establishments in each region By LEA, establishments in York were most likely to be providing training to their staff (80 per cent did so), closely followed by Portsmouth (78 per cent) and Liverpool, Medway and Trafford (each 76 per cent). Least likely were establishments in Havering, where just over half (51 per cent) did so. Table B.5 in Appendix B shows training figures for each LEA in full. By LEP the variation was not so stark; establishments in Greater Cambridge and Greater Peterborough, Oxfordshire and Thames Valley LEPs were most likely to be providing training for staff (71 per cent), whereas those in Black Country and Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire were least likely (59 per cent). Training figures for each LEP can be found in Table B.11 of Appendix B. 

## 6.3 Incidence Of Training And Workforce Development Activity

Broader activity can take place in establishments which leads to skill development but which may not be classified as training. For this reason the UK Commission's Employer Skills Survey 2011 also asked employers whether they had engaged in any broader development activities, specifically:  

- 
supervision to ensure that employees are guided through their job role over time;  
- 
opportunities for staff to spend time learning through watching others perform their job 
roles;   
- 
allowing staff to perform tasks that go beyond their strict job role and providing feedback on how well they had done.  
This section explores the proportion of workplaces that have funded or arranged training or further development for their staff over the previous 12 months, drawing comparisons with historical data when possible. 

In addition to the two-thirds of establishments in England who train staff, a further 23 per cent have provided more informal development activity for their staff. The total proportion of establishments in England that provide any form of staff development is 88 per cent; however just 12 per cent of establishments offer no development at all for staff. Larger establishments are most likely to offer any form of development (Figure 6.4). 

| 74,156   | 15,457   | 41,136   | 13,550   | 4,013   |
|----------|----------|----------|----------|---------|

The incidence of staff development varies by sector, as Figure 6.5 shows. The Agriculture and Construction industries were least likely to offer staff any form of development, with approaching a quarter and a fifth of establishments respectively offering no development for staff. Health and Social Work, Education and Public Administration were most likely to offer staff development; these establishments were also the most likely to train. 

There was little variation by region in the proportion either training or providing broader development activity, in each region between 10 and 14 per cent of establishments offered no training or development for staff (Figure 6.6).  

## 6.4 The Proportion Of The Workforce Receiving Training, And The Pattern Of Training By Occupation

Having briefly considered broader development activities, the remainder of this section deals with on- and off-the job training.  
In the previous 12 months employers in England had provided training to approximately 12 million staff. Notwithstanding possible double counting (staff being trained by two or more different employers in a 12 month period), this is equivalent to 53 per cent of the total workforce. This represents a fall of three percentage points from 2009 levels (there is no comparable data for this measure prior to 2009). Similarly the total number of training days has experienced a fall since 2009, from 108.8m days to 101.6m. This however is largely down to fewer employees being trained: the days per trainee figure has only dropped slightly, from 8.5 days to 8.3 (Table 6.5). 

 
 
2009 
2011 
Column % 
 
% 
% 
Base: 
 
79,152 
74,156 
% of workforce trained 
 
56 
53 
Total training days 
 
108.8m 
101.6m 
Days per annum per employee 
 
4.7 
4.4 
Days per annum per trainee 
 
8.5 
8.3 

Base: All establishments in England Number of training days rounded to nearest 100,000  
As Table 6.6 shows, the decrease in the incidence of training and in the total number of days training provided has been most keenly felt in the smallest and the largest establishments. Among those with two to four staff the percentage of the workforce trained has fallen from 43 per cent to 40 per cent, and among those with 100 or more staff19
 it has fallen from 60 per cent of the workforce to 55 per cent. In the largest firms the number of training days received has fallen sharply. That training has held up more in mid sized establishments may reflect that these establishments did not experience the reduction in gaps reported in other size establishments to the same degree (though we cannot draw direct comparisons as the size groups are not defined in the same way in this analysis).  

 
 
2009 
2011 
Column % 
 
% 
% 
2-4 
Base: 
22,535 
15,457 
% of workforce trained 
 
43 
40 
Total training days 
 
10.2m 
9.1m 
Days per annum per employee 
 
5.0 
4.4 
Days per annum per trainee 
 
11.4 
10.9 
5-24  
Base: 
35,418 
41,136 
% of workforce trained 
 
52 
52 
Total training days 
 
29.5m 
28.6m 
Days per annum per employee 
 
5.5 
5.3 
Days per annum per trainee 
 
10.4 
10.1 
25-99  
Base: 
16,270 
13,550 
% of workforce trained 
 
57 
56 
Total training days 
 
27.2m 
28.6m 
Days per annum per employee 
 
4.7 
5.0 
Days per annum per trainee 
 
8.4 
8.8 
100+  
Base: 
4,929 
4,013 
% of workforce trained 
 
60 
55 
Total training days 
 
41.9m 
35.3m 
Days per annum per employee 
 
4.3 
3.6 
Days per annum per trainee 
 
7.1 
6.6 

Base: All establishments in England in each sizeband Number of training days rounded to nearest 100,000  
By sector, Construction saw a large decrease in the percentage of workforce trained, which is in line with the previous finding that incidence of training had fallen heavily in this sector as well. The Education sector is also seemingly cutting back on the amount of training arranged for staff, with an eight percentage point reduction in the proportion of staff trained and the number of training days almost half the level they were in 2009. 

Education only saw a slight fall in terms of incidence of training (see section 6.2 of this report), suggesting that whilst most establishments still deliver some form of training, the amount of training at each establishment (on average) has been significantly reduced (Table 6.7).  

 
 
2009 
2011 
Column % 
 
% 
% 
Agriculture  
Base: 
2,350 
703 
% of workforce trained 
 
42 
40 
Total training days 
 
0.9m 
0.4m 
Days per annum per employee 
 
3.0 
3.1 
Days per annum per trainee 
 
7.3 
7.8 
Mining & Quarrying  
Base: 
120 
124 
% of workforce trained 
 
53 
42 
Total training days 
 
0.07m 
0.1m 
Days per annum per employee 
 
2.7 
2.0 
Days per annum per trainee 
 
5.1 
4.8 
Manufacturing  
Base: 
9,374 
6,667 
% of workforce trained 
 
44 
44 
Total training days 
 
7.9m 
8.0m 
Days per annum per employee 
 
3.4 
3.4 
Days per annum per trainee 
 
7.6 
7.7 
Electricity, Gas and Water  
Base: 
231 
1,160 
% of workforce trained 
 
67 
53 
Total training days 
 
0.3m 
1.3m 
Days per annum per employee 
 
3.3 
5.6 
Days per annum per trainee 
 
4.9 
10.5 
Construction  
Base: 
5,283 
5,485 
% of workforce trained 
 
53 
46 
Total training days 
 
4.5m 
3.3m 
Days per annum per employee 
 
4.1 
3.7 
Days per annum per trainee 
 
7.7 
7.9 
Wholesale and Retail  
Base: 
15,502 
13,060 
% of workforce trained 
 
48 
51 
Total training days 
 
18.9m 
17.1m 
Days per annum per employee 
 
4.9 
4.6 
Days per annum per trainee 
 
10.1 
8.9 
Hotels and Restaurants  
Base: 
5,609 
7,202 
% of workforce trained 
 
54 
55 
Total training days 
 
10.9m 
11.4m 
Days per annum per employee 
 
7.4 
7.2 
Days per annum per trainee 
 
13.6 
12.9 
Transport and Communications  
Base: 
4,501 
6,861 
% of workforce trained 
 
49 
42 
Total training days 
 
3.9m 
5.7m 
Days per annum per employee 
 
2.9 
2.7 
Days per annum per trainee 
 
5.9 
6.3 
Financial Services  
Base: 
2,456 
1,452 
% of workforce trained 
 
57 
54 
Total training days 
 
3.2m 
3.2m 
Days per annum per employee 
 
3.3 
3.7 
Days per annum per trainee 
 
5.7 
6.9 
Business Services  
Base: 
13,375 
12,656 
% of workforce trained 
 
53 
53 
Total training days 
 
15.6m 
16.0m 
Days per annum per employee 
 
3.7 
3.9 
Days per annum per trainee 
 
6.9 
7.4 
Public Administration  
Base: 
1,031 
1,214 
% of workforce trained 
 
63 
60 
Total training days 
 
6.9m 
8.5m 
Days per annum per employee 
 
5.8 
6.0 
Days per annum per trainee 
 
9.2 
10.0 


2009 
2011 
Column % 
 
% 
% 
Education  
Base: 
5,096 
4,582 
% of workforce trained 
 
69 
61 
Total training days 
 
8.4m 
4.6m 
Days per annum per employee 
 
4.0 
3.4 
Days per annum per trainee 
 
5.9 
5.6 
Health and Social Work  
Base: 
7,178 
6,872 
% of workforce trained 
 
73 
67 
Total training days 
 
18.0m 
14.4m 
Days per annum per employee 
 
6.7 
5.5 
Days per annum per trainee 
 
9.2 
8.2 
Community, Social and Personal Services activities  
Base: 
7,046 
6,118 
% of workforce trained 
 
50 
56 
Total training days 
 
5.6m 
7.6m 
Days per annum per employee 
 
4.6 
5.1 
Days per annum per trainee 
 
9.3 
9.1 

Base: All establishments in England in each sector Number of training days rounded to nearest 100,000  
By region, the largest falls in the proportion of the workforce trained were seen in the North East (a fall of eight percentage points) and London (a fall of six percentage points). 

A number of regions saw very little change, such as Yorkshire and Humber, West Midlands, South East and East of England; this suggests that the recession has hit training volumes in some areas more than others (Table 6.8). 


 
 
2009 
2011 
Column % 
 
% 
% 
East of England 
Base: 
8,552 
8,372 
% of workforce trained 
 
54 
54 
Total training days 
 
9.7m 
9.5m 
Days per annum per employee 
 
4.1 
4.0 
Days per annum per trainee 
 
7.6 
7.4 
East Midlands  
Base: 
7,337 
7,253 
% of workforce trained 
 
56 
52 
Total training days 
 
7.8m 
8.3m 
Days per annum per employee 
 
4.1 
4.4 
Days per annum per trainee 
 
7.4 
8.4 
London  
Base: 
12,000 
9,925 
% of workforce trained 
 
56 
50 
Total training days 
 
21.2m 
16.0m 
Days per annum per employee 
 
5.2 
3.9 
Days per annum per trainee 
 
9.1 
7.8 
North East  
Base: 
5,677 
5,529 
% of workforce trained 
 
58 
50 
Total training days 
 
5.5m 
4.7m 
Days per annum per employee 
 
5.3 
4.6 
Days per annum per trainee 
 
9.2 
9.1 
North West 
Base: 
9,921 
8,735 
% of workforce trained 
 
58 
55 
Total training days 
 
15.1m 
14.3m 
Days per annum per employee 
 
5.1 
4.8 
Days per annum per trainee 
 
8.8 
8.8 
South East 
Base: 
11,040 
10,592 
% of workforce trained 
 
56 
55 
Total training days 
 
17.0m 
18.2m 
Days per annum per employee 
 
4.6 
4.9 
Days per annum per trainee 
 
8.2 
9.0 
South West  
Base: 
8,698 
8,377 
% of workforce trained 
 
57 
55 
Total training days 
 
11.9m 
8.8m 
Days per annum per employee 
 
5.2 
3.9 
Days per annum per trainee 
 
9.2 
7.0 
West Midlands 
Base: 
8,186 
7,851 
% of workforce trained 
 
53 
52 
Total training days 
 
9.8m 
10.2m 
Days per annum per employee 
 
4.1 
4.3 
Days per annum per trainee 
 
7.8 
8.3 
Yorkshire & Humber 
Base: 
7,741 
7,522 
% of workforce trained 
 
56 
56 
Total training days 
 
10.8m 
11.5m 
Days per annum per employee 
 
4.8 
5.2 
Days per annum per trainee 
 
8.7 
9.2 

Base: All establishments in England in each region Number of training days rounded to nearest 100,000  

## 6.5 Incidence Of Training By Occupation

Figure 6.7 illustrates how the provision of training varies by occupation, and shows the number employed in each occupation (the full height of each bar), the number trained in the last 12 months (the darker subdivision), and the number trained in the last 12 months as a proportion of total employment (the figure in the boxes at the top of the chart). It is worth noting that the occupational profile shown is derived from employers describing their workforce structure within the survey, and differs somewhat from that derived from the Labour Force Survey which derives its profile from a survey of individuals. While more Managers are trained than any other occupational group, this is because they are the most numerous group of employees: in proportional terms, Managers are the least likely occupational group to benefit from training (44 per cent).  
Staff employed in Caring, Leisure and Other Services roles are the most likely occupational group to be trained (70 per cent)20
. 

                                                 

## 6.6 Training To Qualifications

This section explores the extent to which employers train staff to nationally recognised qualifications and the level of the qualifications to which staff are trained. 

A minority of employers that train (46 per cent, equivalent to 30 per cent of all employers) had funded or arranged training which was intended to lead to a nationally recognised qualification (whether it did lead to the that qualification being obtained or not). Size is again a key discriminator here: the larger the training establishment the more likely it is to provide training leading to qualifications (although there is a slight drop amongst the very largest establishments with 500 or more staff). Just a fifth of those with fewer than five staff train to qualifications, whereas around two thirds of those with 100 or more do so. However employees in establishments with 25-99 staff were most likely to have received training towards a qualification (15 per cent, compared to 12 per cent of all employees). 

Establishments are most likely to provide training to nationally recognised qualifications in the Education (59 per cent) and Health and Social Work (57 per cent) sectors, but it is in Mining and Quarrying, Community, Social and Personal Service and the Construction sectors where the greatest proportion of employees were trained to a nationally recognised qualification. Agriculture (20 per cent), Wholesale and Retail (23 per cent) and Transport and Communications (23 per cent) were least likely to provide this training. 

By region establishments in the North East were the most likely to provide any training designed to lead to a nationally recognised qualification (38 per cent); employees in this area were also most likely to have received such training (17 per cent had done so). Establishments in the West Midlands and London were least likely to provide training to qualifications (27 per cent each) and staff in these regions were least likely to have received such training (10 per cent had done so in the West Midlands and 11 per cent in London). Table 6.9 shows the proportion of all establishments providing any training to qualifications, and then, of those that train, the proportion that provide training to each level on the National Qualifications Framework. Finally, it shows the proportion of the workforce and the proportion of trainees that are trained to a nationally recognised qualification. This is split by Size, Sector and Region. 

Row %s 
 
% of  all 
% of *training* establishments  
establishments 
% of individuals trained 
providing any training 
providing any training to each level 
to a qualification 
to a qualification 
                                      Unwtd base: 
 
 
Unwtd 
base 
L1 
L2 
L3 
L4+ Employees Trainees 
England 
74,156 
% 
30 
56,713 
8 
17 
18 
12 
12 
23 
Size 


2-4 staff 
15,457 
% 
19 
7,185 
7 
11 
11 
8 
11 
28 
5-24 staff 
41,136 
% 
39 
32,442 
9 
18 
20 
13 
14 
27 
25-99 staff 
13,550 
% 
58 
12,587 
10 
29 
30 
22 
15 
27 
100-199 staff 
2,201 
% 
68 
2,114 
11 
35 
34 
30 
13 
23 
200-499 staff 
1,359 
% 
67 
1,318 
12 
34 
33 
32 
11 
18 
500+ staff 
453 
% 
60 
437 
17 
38 
36 
40 
7 
15 
Sector 


Agriculture 
703 
% 
20 
434 
8 
9 
10 
8 
12 
31 
Mining and Quarrying 
124 
% 
46 
95 
8 
24 
43 
22 
23 
53 
Manufacturing 
6,667 
% 
26 
4,586 
9 
15 
15 
9 
9 
21 
Electricity, Gas and Water 
1,160 
% 
42 
883 
13 
22 
16 
11 
17 
33 
Construction 
5,485 
% 
29 
3,658 
10 
17 
18 
9 
18 
38 
Wholesale and Retail 
13,060 
% 
23 
9,434 
10 
16 
14 
5 
9 
18 
Hotels and Restaurants 
7,202 
% 
30 
5,290 
15 
23 
16 
5 
13 
23 
Transport and Comms 
6,861 
% 
23 
4,738 
6 
11 
11 
10 
12 
29 
Financial Services 
1,452 
% 
25 
1,122 
4 
6 
8 
17 
7 
13 
Business Services 
12,656 
% 
29 
9,899 
6 
10 
12 
17 
11 
20 
Public Administration 
1,214 
% 
45 
1,104 
5 
20 
23 
23 
15 
25 
Education 
4,582 
% 
59 
4,316 
5 
24 
40 
34 
12 
19 
Health and Social Work 
6,872 
% 
57 
6,388 
5 
30 
39 
25 
18 
26 
6,118 
% 
37 
4,766 
11 
28 
25 
10 
19 
33 
Community, Social and Personal Services  
Region 


East of England 
8,372 
% 
32 
6,571 
9 
19 
18 
13 
14 
25 
East Midlands 
7,253 
% 
33 
5,388 
11 
22 
21 
12 
15 
28 
London 
9,925 
% 
27 
7,584 
9 
13 
13 
14 
11 
21 
North East 
5,529 
% 
38 
4,019 
10 
23 
26 
14 
17 
34 
North West 
8,735 
% 
35 
7,030 
10 
21 
23 
14 
14 
26 
South East 
10,592 
% 
30 
8,559 
8 
15 
16 
13 
12 
22 
South West 
8,377 
% 
29 
6,467 
6 
17 
16 
11 
12 
22 
West Midlands 
7,851 
% 
27 
5,263 
7 
16 
18 
10 
10 
20 
Yorkshire & Humber 
7,522 
% 
29 
5,832 
7 
17 
17 
10 
11 
19 

Base: Columns 1 and 6: All establishments in England; Columns 2-5 and 7: All establishments in England that have provided training for staff in the last 12 months. 

Columns 6 and 7 are shown as a percentage of all employment, percentages therefore show the proportion of all employees that have been trained to national qualifications (Column 6), and the percentage of all trainees that have been trained to national qualifications (Column 7). 

Consistent with the high levels in the North East region, at an LEA level, establishments in Hartlepool were most likely to be providing training towards nationally recognised qualifications: 44 per cent reported that they had done so in the previous 12 months. The proportion was also high in Redcar and Cleveland (43 per cent), Middlesborough (42 per cent) and in Sunderland, Plymouth and St Helens (each 41 per cent). The LEAs where establishments were least likely to be providing training towards nationally recognised qualifications were most commonly in London: Kensington and Chelsea (18 per cent), Camden (20 per cent), Hackney (22 per cent) and Harrow (also 22 per cent). Table B.6 in Appendix B shows the proportion training to national qualifications in each LEA. Establishments in the Tees Valley LEP were the most likely of all LEPs to be providing training to qualifications (41 per cent), compared to just 23 per cent in Buckinghamshire and Thames Valley. The figures for all LEPs can be found in Table B.12 in Appendix B. Over time the proportion of those providing training to a qualification has decreased slightly, in line with the fall seen in the incidence and volume of training. This fall has been fairly consistent by subgroup at just a few percentage points, with a few notable exceptions (Table 6.10): 

- 
In the 100-499 sizebands the figure has remained stable since 2009, however for 
those with 500 or more staff there has been larger falls in incidence of training to 
qualifications. Again, this is consistent with patterns noted earlier for mid sized 
establishments, but suggests that the 'larger-mid sized' establishments (employing 
100-499 staff) may be better able to respond than 'smaller-mid sized' (employing 25-
99 staff). 
- 
In the Public Administration sector incidence of training to qualifications has actually risen slightly from 41 per cent to 45 per cent and the proportion of individuals being 
trained to a qualification has risen from nine per cent to 15 per cent. 
- 
The Yorkshire and Humber region has seen a larger fall than the other regions in both incidence (eight percentage points) and volume (five percentage points).   

 
 
2005 
2007 
2009 
2011 
% of  all 
% of 
% of  all 
% of 
% of  all 
% of 
Row %s 
 
% of  all 
% of 
establishments 
establishments 
individuals 
establishments 
individuals 
establishments 
individuals 
individuals 
providing any 
providing any 
trained to a 
providing any 
trained to a 
providing any 
trained to a 
trained to a 
qualification 
qualification 
qualification 
qualification 
training to a 
qualification 
training to a 
qualification 
training to a 
qualification 
training to a 
qualification 
Unweighted base: 
Base 
 
 
Base 
 
 
Base 
 
 
Base 
 
 
England 
74,835 
30 
12 
79,018 
31 
11 
79,152 
33 
14 
74,156 
30 
12 
Size 


2-4 staff 
22,278 
18 
11 
24,084 
20 
11 
22,535 
21 
14 
15,457 
19 
11 
5-24 staff 
34,392 
39 
14 
36,778 
40 
14 
35,418 
41 
16 
41,136 
39 
14 
25-99 staff 
14,162 
58 
13 
13,830 
58 
13 
16,270 
59 
15 
13,550 
58 
15 
100-199 staff 
2,198 
60 
10 
2,424 
61 
10 
2,676 
65 
13 
2,201 
68 
13 
200-499 staff 
1,365 
60 
10 
1,407 
61 
10 
1,701 
62 
11 
1,359 
67 
11 
500+ staff 
440 
58 
10 
495 
61 
8 
552 
64 
10 
453 
60 
7 
Sector 


Agriculture 
2,544 
21 
11 
2,943 
21 
12 
2,350 
23 
14 
703 
20 
12 
Mining and Quarrying 
108 
45 
21 
144 
39 
9 
120 
49 
15 
124 
46 
23 
Manufacturing 
9,665 
23 
8 
10,161 
24 
9 
9,374 
26 
11 
6,667 
26 
9 
Electricity, Gas and Water 
160 
39 
5 
202 
33 
13 
231 
47 
9 
1,160 
42 
17 
Construction 
4,363 
31 
16 
4,808 
32 
15 
5,283 
41 
24 
5,485 
29 
18 
Wholesale and 
Retail 
16,078 
22 
7 
16,861 
23 
7 
15,502 
25 
8 
13,060 
23 
9 
Hotels and Restaurants 
5,493 
30 
11 
5,397 
33 
12 
5,609 
35 
14 
7,202 
30 
13 
Transport and Comms 
4,241 
21 
10 
4,599 
22 
9 
4,501 
27 
14 
6,861 
23 
12 
Financial Services 
1,746 
40 
11 
2,213 
39 
11 
2,456 
34 
10 
1,452 
25 
7 
Business Services 
11,381 
27 
12 
12,474 
28 
11 
13,375 
26 
11 
12,656 
29 
11 
Public Administration 
638 
61 
15 
651 
45 
11 
1,031 
41 
9 
1,214 
45 
15 
Education 
4,979 
65 
13 
4,704 
65 
13 
5,096 
63 
15 
4,582 
59 
12 
Health & 
Social Work 
7,436 
56 
20 
6,777 
57 
20 
7,178 
58 
23 
6,872 
57 
18 
 
 
2005 
2007 
2009 
2011 
% of  all 
% of 
% of  all 
% of 
% of  all 
% of 
Row %s 
 
% of  all 
% of 
establishments 
establishments 
individuals 
establishments 
individuals 
establishments 
individuals 
individuals 
providing any 
providing any 
trained to a 
providing any 
trained to a 
providing any 
trained to a 
trained to a 
qualification 
qualification 
qualification 
qualification 
training to a 
qualification 
training to a 
qualification 
training to a 
qualification 
training to a 
qualification 
Unweighted base: 
Base 
 
 
Base 
 
 
Base 
 
 
Base 
 
 
6,003 
34 
13 
7,084 
32 
14 
7,046 
33 
15 
6,118 
37 
19 
Community, Social & Personal 
Services  
Region 


East of England 
8,332 
31 
12 
8,454 
31 
11 
8,552 
33 
13 
8,372 
32 
14 
East Midlands 
5,884 
32 
11 
7,612 
32 
13 
7,337 
36 
16 
7,253 
33 
15 
London 
12,100 
23 
10 
12,077 
28 
9 
12,000 
29 
10 
9,925 
27 
11 
North East 
4,115 
37 
14 
5,608 
39 
17 
5,677 
40 
18 
5,529 
38 
17 
North West 
8,796 
34 
13 
8,838 
34 
12 
9,921 
36 
15 
8,735 
35 
14 
South East 
13,647 
31 
11 
12,219 
29 
10 
11,040 
29 
12 
10,592 
30 
12 
South West 
8,095 
29 
11 
8,454 
31 
10 
8,698 
32 
14 
8,377 
29 
12 
West Midlands 
7,404 
30 
12 
8,047 
30 
12 
8,186 
32 
14 
7,851 
27 
10 
Yorkshire & Humber 
6,462 
35 
14 
7,709 
34 
13 
7,741 
37 
16 
7,522 
29 
11 

Base: All establishments in England 

## 6.7 Employer Expenditure On Training

A follow-up study (the Investment in Training survey) was conducted to the core UK Commission's Employer Skills Survey 2011 among almost 8,000 establishments in England that train, with the intent to measure employer expenditure on training.  
Across England, total employer expenditure on training in the 12 months prior to the UK Commission's Employer Skills Survey 2011 is estimated to have been £40.5bn. This compares with £39.2bn in 2009. In real terms, using GDP deflators21
 to calculate fluctuations in currency over time, this is a slight decrease in spend, down 1.9 per cent on 
2009 spend, and 5.2 per cent down on spend in 2007 (Figure 6.8 at the end of this subsection summarises the real term fluctuations over time).  
The total figure splits relatively evenly between expenditure on on-the-job training 
(£22.0bn, 54 per cent of total expenditure) and off-the-job training (£18.5bn, 46 per cent of total expenditure).  
                                                 
Table 6.11 presents a breakdown of the overall figure by component elements. Half of total expenditure is accounted for by the cost of paying staff while they are being trained (50 per cent). In comparison a relatively small share of overall spend is accounted for by fees to external providers (eight per cent, though it represents 17 per cent of expenditure on off-the-job training). Figures are shown in absolute terms, with no corrections for inflation. 

components of training expenditure: time series 
 
2005 
% 
2007 
% 
2009 
% 
2011 
% 
Unweighted base 
7,059 
 
7,190 
 
7,317 
 
7,872 
 
Total training spend: 
£33.3bn 
100 
£38.6bn 
100 
£39.2bn 
100 
£40.5bn 
100 


Off-the-job training: Total: 
£16.8bn 
50 
£18.4bn 
47 
£19.1bn 
49 
£18.5bn 
46 
Off-the-job training: courserelated: 
£14.3bn 
43 
£16.0bn 
41 
£16.4bn 
42 
£15.6bn 
39 
Trainee labour costs  
£4,173m 
13 
£4,633m 
12 
£4,806m 
12 
£4,760m 
12 
Fees to external providers  
£1,654m 
5 
£1,893m 
5 
£2,048m 
5 
£2,270m 
6 
On-site training centre  
£2,287m 
7 
£2,551m 
7 
£2,635m 
7 
£2,180m 
5 
Off-site training centre (in the same company)  
£381m 
1 
£446m 
1 
£261m 
1 
£482m 
1 
Training management  
£5,100m 
15 
£5,766m 
15 
£6,245m 
16 
£5,430m 
13 
Non-training centre equipment and materials  
£446m 
1 
£475m 
1 
£459m 
1 
£301m 
1 
Travel and subsistence  
£337m 
1 
£410m 
1 
£365m 
1 
£359m 
1 
Levies minus grants  
-£67m 
-* 
-£185m 
-* 
-£375m 
-1 
-£180m 
-* 
Off-the-job training: other 
(seminars, workshops etc.): 
£2.5bn 
7 
£2.4bn 
6 
£2.7bn 
7 
£2.9bn 
7 
Trainee labour costs  
£1,788m 
5 
£1,633m 
4 
£1,957m 
5 
£2,080m 
5 
Fees to external providers  
£708m 
2 
£736m 
2 
£710m 
2 
£825m 
2 


On-the-job training: Total: 
£16.5bn 
50 
£20.3bn 
53 
£20.0bn 
51 
£22.0bn 
54 
Trainee labour costs  
£9,998m 
30 
£11,886m 
31 
£12,405m 
32 
£13,500m 
33 
Trainers' labour costs  
£6,526m 
20 
£8,404m 
22 
£7,640m 
20 
£8,490m 
21 

Base: All trainers in England completing the Investment in Training survey (2005 to 2009 this was called the "Cost of Training" survey). '*' denotes a figure larger than 0 but smaller than 0.5 per cent. 

 
The overall training expenditure figure is equivalent to approximately £3,300 per person trained, and to £1,775 per employee in the workforce in England. In real terms this is in fact a slight increase *per person trained* of 2.8 per cent on 2009 expenditure; the amount spent per employee *in the total workforce* however represents a fall of five per cent compared with 2009 expenditure once GDP deflators are taken into account.  Results in absolute terms are shown in Table 6.12, real term fluctuations are shown in Figure 6.8 
below. 

|                                  | 2005              | 2007     | 2009        | 2011    |
|----------------------------------|-------------------|----------|-------------|---------|
| Unweighted base                  | 7,059             | 7,190    | 7,317       | 7,872   |
| Total training expenditure       | £33,331m £38,648m | £39,157m | £40,500m    |         |
| Per                              | capita            | training | expenditure |         |
| (total workforce)                |                   |          |             |         |
| £1,550                           | £1,725            | £1,700   | £1,775      |         |
| Per                              | capita            | training | expenditure |         |
| (training employers' workforce)  |                   |          |             |         |
| £1,800                           | £1,975            | £1,925   | £2,000      |         |
| Per trainee training expenditure | £2,550            | £2,775   | £3,050      | £3,300  |

Base: All establishments in England completing the Investment in Training survey (in 2005-2009 this was called the 'Cost of Training' survey). 

Total spend rounded to nearest million; per capita and per trainee spend rounded to nearest £25 
 
 
A large component of the overall training expenditure figure presented in the previous tables is accounted for by the wages of staff being trained, and in comparison relatively little is spent on payments to external training providers. Because of these very different elements within the overall figure it is useful to breakdown the overall figure between direct and indirect costs. In the following analysis22
, the following categories are used: 

- 
Indirect costs - the trainee labour costs (wages) of paying workers while they are 
not producing. 
- 
Direct costs - all other costs. 
Direct costs have been further broken down into i) external direct costs, elements that could in theory be outsourced to another organisation to provide and ii) internal direct costs, those elements that could not be transferred or outsourced to another organisation. External direct costs have been defined as fees to external providers and off-site training centre costs. Internal direct costs include on-site training centre costs, equipment and materials, travel and subsistence and levies minus grants. The costs of managers and supervisors being involved in organising and providing training has been treated as internally provided (not able to be outsourced) except where this involvement represented a reasonable amount of managers'/supervisors' time, since then this provision could potentially be externally outsourced by buying in a dedicated training organiser. It was classified as an 'external' direct cost where the training work of the managers/supervisors represented the work of one full person (i.e. where multiplying the average proportion of time spent on training matters by the number of people involved in organising/providing training within the establishment was at least one).  
Across England employers as a whole, costs split evenly between direct (£20.2bn) and indirect costs (£20.3bn). External direct costs represent a slightly higher proportion of total training expenditure (28 per cent and £11.3bn) than internal direct costs (22 per cent and £8.8bn).  

## 6.8 Focus On Training By Product Market Strategy

This section focuses in on how private sector establishments with differing product market strategies (PMS) approach training. As described in Chapter 2, PMS ratings were derived from the sum of answers to four questions in the survey; a 'high' score indicates an establishment's approach involves products and services that are highly customised, innovative, high quality and that their position in the market is not dependent on the price of their goods or services; a 'low' score indicates the opposite, that is, products and services that are mass produced, low quality, compete on price and are not necessarily very innovative23
. 

Product Market Strategy is a strong predictor of training levels in private sector establishments. The proportion of establishments providing training for staff increases the higher up the PMS scale an establishment is, with 71 per cent of establishments with a 'very high' score providing any training for staff compared to 47 per cent of those with a 'very low' score. Figure 6.8 shows how this breaks down between on- and off-the-job training. 

 
 
Activities to aid the development of employees can be wider however than just training; the survey asked about a number of broader development activities discussed in section 6.3 above. Again establishments scoring higher on the PMS scale were more likely to provide this sort of development for staff, with 87 per cent of the 'very high' group doing so compared to 68 per cent of the 'very low' group. In all, once both training and broader developmental activities were taken into account, almost all establishments at the 'higher' end of the scale provided development for staff, with 91 per cent of establishments in the 'high' and 'very high' groups doing so and 88 per cent of establishments in the 'medium' 
group; however after that the figure drops to 84 per cent in 'low' and 77 per cent in 'very low'. To look at it another way: in the 'very low' PMS groups almost a quarter of establishments (23 per cent) provide no training and development for staff. Product Market Strategies at the 'lower' end of the scale tend to require fewer skills of staff, being more focused on mass production and value and less on innovation and quality; indeed 69 per cent of those in the 'very low' group who do not train say it is because they have no need for it.  
Among establishments who were training, those with 'higher' scores on the PMS scale were only marginally more likely to be training staff to nationally recognised qualifications: proportions ranged from 42 per cent of trainers in the 'very low' PMS scoring group to 47 
per cent in the 'very high'. As more establishments train in the 'higher' scoring groups, this equates to range from a fifth of all establishments in the 'very low' scoring group (20 
per cent), 24 per cent 'low', 29 per cent 'medium', 32 per cent 'high' and up to a third (33 per cent) of 'very high'.  
It follows that if they are providing more training, staff working in establishments with a PMS score at the 'high' end of the scale are more likely to receive training.  Over half of staff working in establishments with a 'very high' PMS score had received training in the 
12 months prior to the survey (56 per cent), this reduced to just over a third (37 per cent) 
of staff working in establishments with a 'very low' score. However those who are trained receive no more days training in an establishment with a high PMS score than those who are trained in an establishment with a low PMS score. Table 6.13 shows the proportion of the workforce trained, along with the number of days training provided for each employee and each trainee. 

|                             | Very low    | Low    | Medium    | High    |   Very high  |
|-----------------------------|-------------|--------|-----------|---------|--------------|
| Column %                    |             |        |           |         |              |
| %                           | %           | %      | %         | %       |              |
| Base:                       |             |        |           |         |              |
|                             |             |        |           |         |              |
| 1,928                       | 8,233       | 20,334 | 18,018    | 6,506   |              |
| % of workforce trained      | 37          | 42     | 50        | 54      |         56   |
| Days per annum per employee | 3.4         | 3.5    | 4.1       | 4.6     |          4.9 |
| Days per annum per trainee  | 9.0         | 8.3    | 8.1       | 8.4     |          8.9 |

Base: All establishments  
Number of training days rounded to nearest 100,000 
Expenditure on training however does rise with PMS score, both in terms of spend per employee and spend per trainee. This suggests that the training provided by those at the 'high' scoring end of the scale, whilst similar in volume, requires more investment either through being of a higher level, or more specialist skills that cost more to come by. It could also be that more senior staff are being trained which would add to the wage costs. Table 6.14 shows spend by strategy classification. 


|                            | Very low    | Low      | Medium    | High     | Very high    |
|----------------------------|-------------|----------|-----------|----------|--------------|
| Unweighted base            | 214         | 1,114    | 2,972     | 2,780    | 992          |
| Total training expenditure | £337m       | £2,331m  | £8,393m   | £12,120m | £5,405m      |
| Per                        | capita      | training |           |          |              |
| expenditure                |             | (total   | £1,050    | £1,400   | £1,600       |
| workforce)                 |             |          |           |          |              |
| Per                        | trainee     | training |           |          |              |
| expenditure                |             |          |           |          |              |
| £2,800                     | £3,325      | £3,175   | £3,825    | £4,500   |              |

Base: All establishments in England completing the 'Investment in Training' survey in each group. Total spend rounded to nearest million; per capita and per trainee spend rounded to nearest £25 

## 6.9 Conclusion

The vast majority of employers are either training or providing some more informal development for their employees. However the proportion of establishments providing training for employees and the proportion of the workforce receiving training have both fallen compared with 2009. This fall has been particularly notable in the Construction and Financial Services sectors, both in terms of proportion of establishments providing training and proportion of the workforce trained. 

As seen in previous years, training is not evenly distributed across the workforce, and employees in some sectors are more likely to miss out. In particular, Managers are less likely to be trained than other occupations (just 44 per cent are compared to 53 per cent of the workforce as a whole), as are staff in smaller organisations. Product Market Strategy positioning has a strong relationship with levels of training, with those at the 'higher' end of the scale more likely to train their staff and to provide broader development for them. Almost a quarter of establishments in the 'very low' PMS groups (23 per cent) provide no training and development for staff; 'lower' scoring establishments tend to require fewer skills of staff, being more focused on mass production and value and less on innovation and quality; so the reason for this lack of development for staff is most commonly that they perceive they have no need for it. Staff in these organisations are therefore missing out on training, but there is no business or economic incentive for the establishments to provide it for them. 

Investment in training has fallen slightly in real terms; this is partly due to fewer people being trained although there has also been a reduction in the amount spend on each trainee. 

Crucially only a relatively small number of employers train their employees towards nationally recognised qualifications, which highlights their lack of engagement with the publicly designed skills and qualification system. This lends support to the proposition that employers need to be more at the centre of a system that is flexible and adaptable to their needs. 


## 7 Conclusions

The UK Commission's Employer Skills Survey 2011 is a large scale employer survey covering an extensive range of topics, including recruitment, internal skills gaps, investment in training and product market strategies. This concluding chapter summarises the key messages coming out of the project for England, and, in drawing comparisons with the previous National Employer Skills Survey (NESS) series (carried out in England until 2009), discusses the ways employers are reacting to the economic climate. 

## Concentrated Pockets Of Skills Deficiencies By Sector And Occupation

Skills deficiencies measured by this project cover both internal skills gaps, where staff are not fully proficient to perform their job role, and external skills shortages where establishments are having difficulties finding people with the appropriate skills to fill vacancies. 

Both are experienced by a minority of employers (18 per cent of establishments had skills gaps and four per cent skill-shortage vacancies), but this overall picture masks concentrated pockets of skills deficiencies in the economy that have the potential to affect the current economic recovery and future growth. These pockets are unevenly spread across the economy.  
Skill-shortage vacancies, reported by four per cent of establishments overall, are most likely to be experienced by establishments in the Manufacturing and Community, Social and Personal Services sectors, where five per cent of establishments have a skillshortage vacancy and almost a quarter (24 and 23 per cent respectively) of vacancies are hard-to-fill due to skill shortages.  
As seen in previous surveys, vacancies for Skilled Trade occupations are most likely to be hard-to-fill due to skill shortages (a third of all vacancies in this occupational group are classed as "skill-shortage vacancies"); skill-shortage vacancies for Skilled Trades occupations are also among the most common in numeric terms with 14,600 skillshortage vacancies in the whole economy. Only skill-shortage vacancies for Associate Professionals (17,500) and Professionals (15,600) are more numerous. These are all job roles that will tend to require a higher level of skills, longer training requirements on entry and also skills which are likely to be quite specific to the industry they are in, whereas occupational groups which are less affected by skill-shortage vacancies (such as Elementary occupations, Administrative and Clerical, and Sales and Customer Services) 
will involve skills that are more transferrable between industries.  
The West Midlands and the North West are the areas affected most by a high density of skill-shortage vacancies, for both regions every one in five vacancy is a skill-shortage vacancy. Variations between regions range from 14 to 19 per cent. But the more detailed geographical analysis afforded by this survey shows much wider variation by Local Education Authority, from four per cent in Newham to 48 per cent in Kirklees. This greater variation illustrates the importance of the local labour market in the reporting of skill deficiency and in business response. 

Skills gaps, where current staff are not fully proficient to do their job to the required level, affect 18 per cent of establishments; in total five per cent of the workforce is deemed to have a skills gap. Again however some pockets of industry are affected more than others. 

The Hotels and Restaurants sector and Wholesale and Retail sector see a higher concentration of skills gaps, with nine and seven per cent respectively of the workforce reported as having a skills gap. This ties in with the pattern seen by occupation, where Sales and Customer Services staff (which includes roles such as shop assistants and sales agents) and Elementary occupations (including bar staff and cleaners) are the occupations with the highest proportion of staff with skills gaps (nine and eight per cent respectively). 

It needs to be borne in mind that having a skills gap can be a transient issue where some employees may be new to the role and developing proficiency, or where the nature of the role is changing to meet new business opportunities. In such cases skills gaps would be expected to decrease over time, and are not necessarily a negative thing as they may reflect a business that is innovating and evolving its offer to remain competitive.  
Skills deficiencies of either kind are most likely to be seen in larger establishments. However their impacts are felt more strongly in smaller establishments: the biggest impact of both skill-shortage vacancies and skills gaps is an increased workload for other staff, and larger establishments have more staff to absorb the extra workload minimising the impact on each individual staff member and therefore minimising the impact overall. 

## Provision Of And Investment In Training

The vast majority of establishments are providing some form of development or training for their workforce: 66 per cent of all establishments invested a combined total of £40.5bn in the skills development of their employees in the 12 months preceding the survey. Of this, half was spent on indirect costs (such as paying wages to staff whilst training), and half on direct costs: 28 per cent on direct tradeable, outsourceable costs and 22 per cent on non-tradeable direct costs that cannot typically be outsourced (such as management of training).  
However this training is not evenly distributed across the workforce. Managers were the group least likely to receive training from their employer, with just 44 per cent receiving any training compared to 53 per cent of the workforce as a whole. This is of concern given the perceived management and leadership skills gap that has been identified as an issue in the UK since the 1980s (see UKCES, Ambition 2020, 2009 for a discussion of this). Given that Sales and Customer Service occupations and Elementary occupations were the groups of staff most likely to have skills gaps, it might be hoped that high levels of training would be seen in these occupations to try to eliminate the gaps in their skills. 

However Sales and Customer Service occupations were no more likely than average to have received training (54 per cent had done so) and Elementary occupations are actually less likely than average to receive training (just 48 per cent had done so). 

 

## The Work-Readiness Of Education Leavers

Employers who have recruited new staff directly from education in the past two to three years have generally found them well prepared for work. This perceived preparedness increases with the time spent in education, with university leavers seen as better prepared than school leavers. The 2011 survey allows us, for the first time, to split 17-18 
year olds into those leaving school and those leaving college. Interestingly, those leaving college, despite being the same age and having spent the same amount of time in education, are seen as better prepared than 17-18 year olds leaving school. One hypothesis for this difference could be that college students are more likely to combine work with study, or another could be that they may take more vocational courses at college than they might take at school. Challengingly, the small minority of employers who find education leavers poorly prepared for work most commonly cite 'lack of experience' as the main reason for this. 

Unsurprisingly this is most common in the younger recruits, which is difficult to ameliorate but does provide a case for increased work experience opportunities for young people offered by employers. 


## Product Market Strategies

Private sector businesses employ a variety of business strategies to drive performance. These Product Market Strategies can be rated according to the approach adopted by the employer, compared to others in their industry, on a series of key characteristics including price dependency, innovation, quality and customisation of products and services. Establishments adopting a Product Market Strategy (PMS) that score at the 'high' end of the scale are defined as being more innovative and less price dependant, with products or services that are of a high quality and high level of customisation. Establishments with a 'high' scoring Product Market Strategy tend to be more active in the recruitment market, with a higher incidence of vacancies leading to higher incidences of hard-to-fill and skill-shortage vacancies overall.  Looking however at the proportion of vacancies that are hard-to-fill, it is in fact those scoring at the 'lower' end of the PMS scale that are most likely to find vacancies that they have are hard-to-fill. This is most commonly due to the nature of the job in these establishments: with lack of interest or shift work being cited as common reasons for the difficulties faced. Establishments at the 'higher' end of the PMS scale typically will require higher level skills from their staff. It is therefore no surprise that those scoring 'higher' on the scale are more likely to provide training and development for their staff, and also not only training a higher proportion of staff but also investing more financially in training per staff member trained. Worryingly 23 per cent those scoring 'very low' on the scale provide no training or development at all for staff, most commonly because they perceive they have no need for it, compared to 12 per cent which do neither across all establishments in England. Staff in these organisations are therefore missing out on training, but given the strategy adopted there is no business or economic incentive for the establishments to provide it for them.  
Other research shows that businesses that don't train are more likely to close down than those that do (for example, Garrett, *et al* 2010). The survey results for this group of businesses suggest that moving their business to a higher product market, generating greater skills and training opportunities, with consequent benefits for staff and the business itself, will be challenging to achieve from the current starting position. 

  

## Employer Skills In The Economic Context

The economy in England has been volatile in the period covered by the NESS series and the UK Commission's Employer Skills Survey 2011. This report looks at time series comparisons back to 2005; in this period the UK economy has seen boom years, followed by a recession and then the first tentative steps towards recovery. The wealth of data on recruitment, skills and training collected over this period casts light on how employers have been affected by the recession and ongoing uncertainty in the economic climate. 

## Recruitment

When the recession hit in 2008, employer confidence plummeted, as evidenced by the proportion of establishments taking on new staff. In 2007 the skills surveys showed 18 per cent of establishments as having a vacancy at the time of the survey; by 2009 this had fallen to just 12 per cent, and the number of vacancies reported reduced dramatically from 620,000 to 390,000. The 2011 survey shows signs that employer confidence is starting to return, with the proportion of establishments with vacancies up to 15 per cent, and the number of vacancies up to 530,000. Whilst this is not as high as the levels seen in 2007, it suggests that employers are more willing and indeed more able to take on new staff than they were two years ago. The market is largely meeting this demand for new staff, with the proportion of vacancies that are hard-to-fill consistent in 2011 to the proportions seen in 2009. When the number of vacancies fell between 2007 and 2009, the proportion of these vacancies that were hard-to-fill declined as well. The proportion of vacancies caused by skill-shortages shows similar patterns, with a fall between 2007 and 2009 and stable levels in 2011. However, this masks variations in these trends. Generally, those businesses most likely to report that their vacancies are hard to fill for skill related reasons (in the concentrated pockets described above) are also more likely to report an *increasing* density of skill-shortage vacancies between 2009 and 2011. Of particular note though is the trend for mid sized establishments (see Figure 7.1). Whilst the survey reports on establishments rather than enterprises, the results do lend some evidence to current debates regarding the role of businesses of this size in aiding economic recovery and driving productivity and growth, such as Germany's 'mittelstand' (*e.g.* Roper and Malshe, 2012). The survey shows that mid sized establishments in England are reporting increasing proportion of vacancies that are skill-shortage vacancies in their businesses, in contrast to the overall trend, suggesting they are demanding more skill, and perhaps, are growing, but that growth is at risk by a lack of access to suitable skills in the labour market. 


500+

## Internal Skills Gaps

The proportion of establishments reporting skills gaps increased between 2007 and 2009 from 15 to 19 per cent, and remains fairly stable in 2011 at 18 per cent. However the actual number of skills gaps, and proportion of the workforce who have skills gaps, has in 2011 fallen back to the approximate levels seen in 2007 at 1.3 million staff or six per cent of the workforce. As levels of training have not increased over this period, hypotheses for why this might be that perhaps fewer people have been moving jobs (as seen by the lower levels of vacancies in 2009 and 2011 compared to 2007) and so have had time to become proficient in the role they are performing, or, more pessimistically, that firms are not investing in innovation or developing new products and services that would require employees to improve their skills and may be reflected in transient skills gaps while they get up to speed. 

Again, mid sized establishments are not witnessing the declines reported overall, suggesting a further squeeze on their ability to grow.  
The incidence of training had been gradually increasing from 2005 to 2009 from 65 per cent in 2005 to 68 per cent in 2009. In 2011 the proportion of establishments providing any training for staff has dropped slightly to 66 per cent. Additionally, the incidence of establishments providing both on- and off-the-job training has reduced from 38 per cent in 
2009 to 24 per cent in 2011, suggesting that there have been training cut backs even in establishments that are still providing training for staff. It may also reflect other research which suggests that during the recession, employers are 'training smarter', ensuring their training is focussed on critical business need (Felstead *et al*, 2012).  
The proportion of the workforce receiving training has also fallen, from 56 per cent in 2009 to 53 per cent in 2011, as has the number of days training provided in total and per trainee, and the financial investment made in training. There is some evidence that training volumes have held up in mid sized establishments, perhaps in response to the fact that skill gaps are not declining at the rate reported elsewhere or that their experience of skill-shortage vacancies has also become more intense. 

On this latter point, financial investment in training has reduced by 1.9 per cent in "real terms", that is, after inflation has been taken into account. This equates to a fall in investment per person trained of 2.8 per cent; however the investment per capita in the workforce as a whole has remained consistent. The fall has not been uniform across all sectors, and some have been able to maintain their 2009 training levels despite the downturn. The sectors hardest hit have been the Construction sector, which has seen a 10 percentage point fall from 66 per cent to 56 per cent in the proportion of establishments providing training, and the Financial Services, which experienced an eight percentage point fall from 80 per cent to 72 per cent (though the figure is still above the all-England average for training). The 2009 figures suggested that whilst employers were cutting back on recruitment, they were counterbalancing this by continuing to invest in the training and development of the staff they did have. The 2011 figures suggest that whilst this confidence to take on new staff is returning, employers willingness and ability to invest in their current staff has decreased as the knock-on effects of the economic downturn have hit training budgets. 

With the UK back in recession at the time of writing, it is essential that employers retain a focus on their people to ensure they are well placed to drive economic recovery and also benefit from any upturn that does occur in the coming months and years. 


## Further Avenues For Analysis And Future Reports

This report has used the England data from the UK Commission's Employer Skills Survey 2011 to update the findings and examine changes from the previous NESS series.  There is, however, much more that can be done with the rich data available from the 2011 survey. Further analysis of other areas of the survey, including High Performance Working Practices (HPWP), and more detailed analysis for Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales, will be provided in subsequent reports. In addition, a series of sectoral studies will be released later in the summer of 2012, evidence from this project will form the bedrock of these. There is also the potential for advanced analysis techniques, such as regression and cluster analysis to potentially draw out further information on themes such as retention, recruitment and training. There is the scope to look at how different themes and trends fit together, and more broadly how employer characteristics and local labour markets can be used to predict likely behaviour. In this way the data allows deeper understanding of the challenges and the opportunities employers face in tackling the skill deficiencies which test growth and business success, and raise ambitious demand for highly skilled people in UK businesses. 


## Appendix A: Time Series Tables Chapter 2: Nature Of Establishments In England

|                          | 2005      | 2007      | 2009      |   2011  |
|--------------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|---------|
| Number of establishments |           |           |           |         |
| 1,390,155                | 1,451,507 | 1,492,367 | 1,462,328 |         |
| Column %                 |           |           |           |         |
| %                        | %         | %         | %         |         |
| 2-4                      | 53        | 54        | 53        |     52  |
| 5-24                     | 37        | 36        | 37        |     37  |
| 25-99                    | 8         | 8         | 8         |      8  |
| 100+                     | 2         | 2         | 2         |      2  |

Source: ONS IDBR 

|                            | 2005      | 2007      | 2009      | 2011    |
|----------------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|---------|
| Number of establishments   |           |           |           |         |
| 1,390,155                  | 1,451,507 | 1,492,367 | 1,462,328 |         |
| Column %                   |           |           |           |         |
| %                          | %         | %         | %         |         |
| Agriculture                | 4         | 4         | 5         | 4       |
| Mining and Quarrying       | 0.1       | 0.1       | *         | *       |
| Manufacturing              | 9         | 8         | 7         | 6       |
| Electricity, Gas and Water | 0.1       | 0.4       | *         | *       |
| Construction               | 7         | 7         | 9         | 10      |
| Wholesale and Retail       | 24        | 22        | 22        | 21      |
| Hotels and Restaurants     | 9         | 9         | 9         | 9       |
| Transport and              |           |           |           |         |
| Communications             |           |           |           |         |
| 4                          | 4         | 4         | 7         |         |
| Financial Services         | 2         | 2         | 2         | 2       |
| Business Services          | 21        | 22        | 24        | 20      |
| Public Administration      | 1         | 1         | 1         | 1       |
| Education                  | 4         | 5         | 3         | 3       |
| Health and Social Work     | 6         | 7         | 7         | 7       |
| 7                          | 9         | 8         | 7         |         |
| Community, Social and      |           |           |           |         |
| Personal Services          |           |           |           |         |
| activities                 |           |           |           |         |

Source: 2011, 2009: ONS IDBR; 2007: NESS 07; 2005: NESS 05 '*' denotes a figure above 0 but below 0.5 

|                          | 2005      | 2007      | 2009      |   2011  |
|--------------------------|-----------|-----------|-----------|---------|
| Number of establishments |           |           |           |         |
| 1,390,155                | 1,451,507 | 1,492,367 | 1,462,328 |         |
| Column %                 |           |           |           |         |
| %                        | %         | %         | %         |         |
| East of England          | 11        | 11        | 11        |     11  |
| East Midlands            | 8         | 8         | 8         |      8  |
| London                   | 16        | 16        | 16        |     16  |
| North East               | 4         | 4         | 4         |      4  |
| North West               | 12        | 12        | 12        |     12  |
| South East               | 17        | 17        | 17        |     17  |
| South West               | 11        | 11        | 11        |     11  |
| West Midlands            | 10        | 10        | 10        |     10  |
| Yorkshire & Humber       | 9         | 9         | 9         |      9  |
| Source: ONS IDBR         |           |           |           |         |
 
2005 
2007 
2009 
2011 
Unweighted base 
74,835 
79,018 
79,152 
74,156 
Column % 
% 
% 
% 
% 
Single site 
- 
63 
64 
64 
Multisite 
- 
36 
36 
36 

Base: All establishments in England Source: Skills surveys: 2011 - UKCESS 2011; 2009 - NESS09; 2007 - NESS07; 2005 - NESS05. 


## Chapter 4: Employers, Recruitment And Skill Shortages

 
 
2005 
2007 
2009 
2011 
Column % 
 
% 
% 
% 
% 
ENGLAND TOTAL 
Base: 
74,835 
79,018 
79,152 
74,156 
% of establishments with a vacancy 
 
17 
18 
12 
15 
Number of vacancies 
 
573,900 
619,700 
385,700 
533,400 
Vacancies as a proportion of employees 
 
2.7 
2.8 
1.7 
2.3 
Agriculture  
Base: 
2,544 
2,943 
2,350 
703 
% of establishments with 
a vacancy 
 
7 
8 
6 
7 
Number of vacancies 
 
5,700 
6,200 
5,200 
2,900 
Vacancies as a proportion of employees 
 
2.5 
2.5 
1.7 
2.3 
Mining & Quarrying  
Base: 
108 
144 
120 
124 
% of establishments with a vacancy 
 
15 
24 
11 
17 
Number of vacancies 
 
500 
900 
200 
700 
Vacancies as a proportion of employees 
 
1.5 
3.9 
0.8 
2.7 
Manufacturing  
Base: 
9,665 
10,161 
9,374 
6,667 
% of establishments with a vacancy 
 
17 
17 
9 
15 
Number of vacancies 
 
48,300 
46,000 
24,400 
39,000 
Vacancies as a proportion of employees 
 
1.7 
1.8 
1.0 
1.6 
Electricity, Gas and Water  
Base: 
160 
202 
231 
1,160 
% of establishments with a vacancy 
 
25 
18 
23 
13 
Number of vacancies 
 
1,400 
3,500 
1,600 
3,700 
Vacancies as a proportion of employees 
 
1.5 
2.7 
1.5 
1.6 
Construction  
Base: 
4,363 
4,808 
5,283 
5,485 
% of establishments with a vacancy 
 
13 
12 
6 
7 
Number of vacancies 
 
25,200 
25,200 
12,100 
19,700 
Vacancies as a proportion of employees 
 
2.9 
3.2 
1.1 
2.2 
Wholesale and Retail  
Base: 
16,078 
16,861 
15,502 
13,060 
% of establishments with 
a vacancy 
 
14 
14 
9 
12 
Number of vacancies 
 
87,100 
84,300 
50,500 
62,600 
Vacancies as a proportion of employees 
 
2.3 
2.2 
1.3 
1.7 
Hotels and Restaurants  Base: 
5,493 
5,397 
5,609 
7,202 
% of establishments with a vacancy 
 
20 
20 
17 
17 
Number of vacancies 
 
60,800 
62,900 
44,300 
54,900 
 
 
2005 
2007 
2009 
2011 
Column % 
 
% 
% 
% 
% 
Vacancies as a proportion of employees 
 
4.3 
4.4 
3.0 
3.5 
Transport and Communications  
Base: 
4,241 
4,599 
4,501 
6,861 
% of establishments with a vacancy 
 
19 
18 
11 
13 
Number of vacancies 
 
35,000 
28,700 
17,500 
56,500 
Vacancies as a proportion of employees 
 
2.9 
2.3 
1.3 
2.6 
Financial Services  
Base: 
1,746 
2,213 
2,456 
1,452 
% of establishments with 
a vacancy 
 
19 
22 
13 
17 
Number of vacancies 
 
21,900 
30,500 
13,700 
20,400 
Vacancies as a proportion of employees 
 
2.4 
3.4 
1.4 
2.4 
Business Services  
Base: 
11,381 
12,474 
13,375 
12,656 
% of establishments with a vacancy 
 
17 
18 
10 
16 
Number of vacancies 
 
116,900 
149,200 
71,500 
118,700 
Vacancies as a proportion of employees 
 
3.7 
4.0 
1.7 
2.9 
Public Administration  
Base: 
638 
651 
1,031 
1,214 
% of establishments with a vacancy 
 
33 
26 
23 
21 
Number of vacancies 
 
33,100 
16,500 
19,200 
30,900 
Vacancies as a proportion of employees 
 
2.9 
2.0 
1.6 
2.2 
Education  
Base: 
4,979 
4,704 
5,096 
4,582 
% of establishments with a vacancy 
 
27 
30 
26 
22 
Number of vacancies 
 
40,800 
59,500 
28,900 
17,200 
Vacancies as a 
proportion of employees 
 
1.7 
2.1 
1.4 
1.3 
Health and Social Work  Base: 
7,436 
6,777 
7,178 
6,872 
% of establishments with a vacancy 
 
27 
26 
22 
20 
Number of vacancies 
 
64,100 
61,800 
60,900 
51,000 
Vacancies as a proportion of employees  
 
2.7 
2.4 
2.3 
2.0 
Base: 
6,003 
7,084 
7,046 
6,118 
Community, Social and Personal Services activities  
% of establishments with 
a vacancy 
 
18 
18 
14 
19 
Number of vacancies 
 
33,100 
44,600 
27,000 
55,200 
Vacancies as a 
proportion of employees 
 
3.4 
3.6 
2.3 
3.8 

Base: All establishments in England Source: Skills surveys: 2011 - UKCESS 2011; 2009 - NESS09; 2007 - NESS07; 2005 - NESS05. 

"Vacancies as a proportion of employees" is shown as a proportion of all employment. Number of vacancies rounded to nearest 100 
Note: For 2009 it should be noted that different weighting strategies were used to calculate the overall and sector figures; therefore the sum of the sector figures does not match the England total 

 
 
2005 
2007 
2009 
2011 
Column % 
 
% 
% 
% 
% 
ENGLAND TOTAL 
Base: 
74,835 
79,018 
79,152 
74,156 
% of establishments with a vacancy 
 
17 
18 
12 
15 
Number of vacancies 
 
573,900 
619,700 
385,700 
533,400 
Vacancies as a proportion of employees 
 
2.7 
2.8 
1.7 
2.3 
East of England 
Base: 
8,332 
8,454 
8,552 
8,372 
% of establishments with a vacancy 
 
16 
18 
12 
15 
Number of vacancies 
 
57,100 
64,200 
44,200 
70,600 
Vacancies as a proportion of employees 
 
2.6 
2.8 
1.9 
3.0 
East Midlands  
Base: 
5,884 
7,612 
7,337 
7,253 
% of establishments with a vacancy 
 
16 
15 
11 
14 
Number of vacancies 
 
39,700 
41,000 
30,800 
41,800 
Vacancies as a proportion of employees 
 
2.3 
2.3 
1.6 
2.2 
London  
Base: 
12,100 
12,077 
12,000 
9,925 
% of establishments with a vacancy 
 
17 
21 
14 
17 
Number of vacancies 
 
87,400 
126,900 
74,700 
99,800 
Vacancies as a proportion of employees 
 
2.3 
3.3 
1.8 
2.4 
North East  
Base: 
4,115 
5,608 
5,677 
5,529 
% of establishments with a vacancy 
 
19 
18 
12 
13 
Number of vacancies 
 
23,800 
23,400 
21,500 
21,000 
Vacancies as a proportion of employees 
 
2.5 
2.3 
2.1 
2.0 
North West 
Base: 
8,796 
8,838 
9,921 
8,735 
% of establishments with a vacancy 
 
18 
17 
11 
14 
Number of vacancies 
 
83,600 
75,200 
43,700 
60,400 
Vacancies as a proportion of employees 
 
3.0 
2.6 
1.5 
2.0 
South East 
Base: 
13,647 
12,219 
11,040 
10,592 
% of establishments with a vacancy 
 
18 
18 
13 
17 
Number of vacancies 
 
99,200 
115,400 
64,500 
106,000 
Vacancies as a 
proportion of employees 
 
2.8 
3.2 
1.7 
2.9 
South West  
Base: 
8,095 
8,454 
8,698 
8,377 
% of establishments with a vacancy 
 
17 
17 
12 
13 
Number of vacancies 
 
62,500 
58,600 
38,700 
47,400 
Vacancies as a proportion of employees 
 
3.0 
2.7 
1.7 
2.1 
West Midlands 
Base: 
7,404 
8,047 
8,186 
7,851 
% of establishments with 
a vacancy 
 
17 
16 
11 
12 
Number of vacancies 
 
56,300 
61,400 
33,200 
45,000 
Vacancies as a proportion of employees  
 
2.5 
2.6 
1.4 
1.9 
Yorkshire & Humber 
Base: 
6,462 
7,709 
7,741 
7,522 
% of establishments with a vacancy 
 
20 
18 
12 
12 
Number of vacancies 
 
64,400 
53,600 
34,500 
41,400 
Vacancies as a proportion of employees 
 
3.1 
2.4 
1.5 
1.9 

Base: All establishments in England;  
Source: Skills surveys: 2011 - UKCESS 2011; 2009 - NESS09; 2007 - NESS07; 2005 - NESS05. 

"Vacancies as a proportion of employees" is shown as a proportion of all employment. Number of vacancies rounded to nearest 100 

| Column %                                       |         |
|------------------------------------------------|---------|
|                                                |         |
| 2005                                           | 2007    |
| Managers                                       |         |
| 17,056                                         | 17,944  |
| % of establishments with vacancies             |         |
| with a vacancy for managers                    |         |
|                                                |         |
| 8                                              | 10      |
|                                                |         |
| Base:                                          |         |
| 69,767                                         | 74,406  |
| Number of vacancies                            |         |
|                                                |         |
| 27,100                                         | 35,300  |
| Vacancies as a proportion of employees         |         |
|                                                |         |
| 0.8                                            | 0.9     |
| Professionals                                  |         |
| 17,056                                         | 17,944  |
| % of establishments with vacancies             |         |
| with a vacancy for professionals               |         |
|                                                |         |
| 10                                             | 13      |
|                                                |         |
| Base:                                          |         |
| 12,077                                         | 12,063  |
| Number of vacancies                            |         |
|                                                |         |
| 51,600                                         | 71,100  |
| Vacancies as a proportion of employees         |         |
|                                                |         |
| 2.2                                            | 2.7     |
| Associate Professionals                        |         |
| 17,056                                         | 17,944  |
| % of establishments with vacancies with a      |         |
| vacancy for associate professionals            |         |
|                                                |         |
| 16                                             | 18      |
|                                                |         |
| Base:                                          |         |
| 11,441                                         | 10,542  |
| Number of vacancies                            |         |
|                                                |         |
| 83,200                                         | 100,800 |
| Vacancies as a proportion of employees         |         |
|                                                |         |
| 4.8                                            | 6.3     |
| Admin / Clerical                               |         |
| 17,056                                         | 17,944  |
| % of establishments with vacancies with a      |         |
| vacancy for admin/clerical occupations         |         |
|                                                |         |
| 17                                             | 18      |
|                                                |         |
| Base:                                          |         |
| 42,654                                         | 45,710  |
| Number of vacancies                            |         |
|                                                |         |
| 69,600                                         | 72,900  |
| Vacancies as a proportion of employees         |         |
|                                                |         |
| 2.3                                            | 2.3     |
| Skilled Trades                                 |         |
| 17,056                                         | 17,944  |
| % of establishments with vacancies with a      |         |
| vacancy for skilled trades                     |         |
|                                                |         |
| 12                                             | 14      |
|                                                |         |
| Base:                                          |         |
| 16,702                                         | 16,933  |
| Number of vacancies                            |         |
|                                                |         |
| 50,200                                         | 58,800  |
| Vacancies as a proportion of employees         |         |
|                                                |         |
| 3.3                                            | 3.7     |
| Caring, Leisure and Other services             |         |
| 17,056                                         | 17,944  |
| % of establishments with vacancies with a      |         |
| vacancy for caring, leisure and other services |         |
|                                                |         |
| 14                                             | 12      |
|                                                |         |
| Base:                                          |         |
| 9,283                                          | 8,008   |
| Number of vacancies                            |         |
|                                                |         |
| 64,700                                         | 62,700  |
| Vacancies as a proportion of employees         |         |
|                                                |         |
| 4.0                                            | 3.8     |
| Sales / Customer services                      |         |
| 17,056                                         | 17,944  |
| % of establishments with vacancies with a      |         |
| vacancy for sales / customer services          |         |
|                                                |         |
| 16                                             | 16      |
|                                                |         |
| Base:                                          |         |
| 21,046                                         | 23,005  |
| Number of vacancies                            |         |
|                                                |         |
| 81,500                                         | 83,900  |
| Vacancies as a proportion of employees         |         |
|                                                |         |
| 2.9                                            | 2.8     |
| Machine Operatives                             |         |
| 17,056                                         | 17,944  |
| % of establishments with vacancies with a      |         |
| vacancy for machine operatives                 |         |
|                                                |         |
| 8                                              | 8       |
|                                                |         |
| Base:                                          |         |
| 10,667                                         | 10,633  |
| Number of vacancies                            |         |
|                                                |         |
| 48,100                                         | 41,400  |
| Column %                                  |        |
|-------------------------------------------|--------|
|                                           |        |
| 2005                                      | 2007   |
| Vacancies as a proportion of employees    |        |
|                                           |        |
| 2.9                                       | 2.8    |
| Elementary                                |        |
| 17,056                                    | 17,944 |
| % of establishments with vacancies with a |        |
| vacancy for elementary staff              |        |
|                                           |        |
| 17                                        | 16     |
|                                           |        |
| Base:                                     |        |
| 23,871                                    | 22,817 |
| Number of vacancies                       |        |
|                                           |        |
| 89,600                                    | 84,300 |
| Vacancies as a proportion of employees    |        |
|                                           |        |
| 2.8                                       | 2.7    |

Base: % of establishments with vacancies that have a vacancy for each occupation: All establishments in England with vacancies; Number of vacancies and vacancies as a proportion of all employees: All establishments in England with staff in each occupation.  
Source: Skills surveys: 2011 - UKCESS 2011; 2009 - NESS09; 2007 - NESS07; 2005 - NESS05. 

"Vacancies as a proportion of employees" is shown as a proportion of all employment.  
Number of vacancies rounded to nearest 100. 


 
 
2005 
2007 
2009 
2011 
Column % 
 
% 
% 
% 
% 
ENGLAND TOTAL 
Base: 
74,835 
79,018 
79,152 
74,156 
% of establishments with a hard-tofill vacancy 
 
7 
7 
3 
5 
Number of hard-to-fill vacancies 
 
203,600 
183,500 
85,400 
115,500 
 
Base: 
17,056 
17,944 
12,713 
14,749 
% of vacancies that are hard to fill 
 
35 
30 
22 
22 
2-4 
Base: 
22,278 
24,084 
22,535 
15,457 
% of establishments with a hard-tofill vacancy 
 
3 
4 
2 
3 
Number of hard-to-fill vacancies 
 
51,100 
45,400 
24,100 
33,600 
 
Base: 
2,225 
2,415 
1,576 
1,219 
% of vacancies that are hard to fill 
 
45 
38 
32 
35 
5-24  
Base: 
34,392 
36,778 
35,418 
41,136 
% of establishments with a hard-tofill vacancy 
 
6 
8 
4 
5 
Number of hard-to-fill vacancies 
 
69,800 
67,800 
30,100 
36,200 
 
Base: 
7,128 
7,575 
4,761 
6,907 
% of vacancies that are hard to fill 
 
40 
36 
25 
22 
25-99  
Base: 
14,162 
13,830 
16,270 
13,550 
% of establishments with a hard-tofill vacancy 
 
10 
12 
6 
9 
Number of hard-to-fill vacancies 
 
44,700 
40,000 
16,300 
27,700 
 
Base: 
5,379 
5,363 
4,297 
4,462 
% of vacancies that are hard to fill 
 
34 
27 
18 
20 
100-199  
Base: 
2,198 
2,424 
2,676 
2,201 
% of establishments with a hard-tofill vacancy 
 
15 
17 
8 
14 
Number of hard-to-fill vacancies 
 
15,100 
12,500 
4,200 
7,800 
 
Base: 
1,177 
1,398 
1,059 
1,142 
% of vacancies that are hard to fill 
 
30 
21 
13 
16 
200-499 
Base: 
1,365 
1,407 
1,701 
1,359 
% of establishments with a hard-tofill vacancy 
 
16 
18 
9 
14 
Number of hard-to-fill vacancies 
 
14,000 
10,400 
6,200 
6,600 
 
Base: 
845 
866 
744 
744 
% of vacancies that are hard to fill 
 
23 
18 
15 
11 
500+ 
Base: 
440 
495 
552 
453 
% of establishments with a hard-tofill vacancy 
 
16 
15 
10 
15 
Number of hard-to-fill vacancies 
 
8,900 
7,300 
4,400 
3,600 
 
Base: 
302 
327 
276 
275 
% of vacancies that are hard to fill 
 
21 
16 
16 
11 

Base for proportion of establishments with and number of hard-to-fill vacancies: All establishments in England Base for % of vacancies that are hard to fill: All establishments in England with vacancies"% of vacancies that are hard to fill" is shown as a proportion of all vacancies, figures therefore show the percentage of vacancies which are hard-to-fill.  
Number of hard-to-fill vacancies rounded to nearest 100 
Source: Skills surveys: 2011 - UKCESS 2011; 2009 - NESS09; 2007 - NESS07; 2005 - NESS05. 

 
 
2005 
2007 
2009 
2011 
Column % 
 
% 
% 
% 
% 
ENGLAND TOTAL 
Base: 
74,835 
79,018 
79,152 
74,156 
% of establishments with a hard-tofill vacancy 
 
7 
7 
3 
5 
Number of hard-to-fill vacancies 
 
203,600 
183,500 
85,400 
115,500 
 
Base: 
17,056 
17,944 
12,713 
14,749 
% of vacancies that are hard to fill 
 
35 
30 
22 
22 
Agriculture  
Base: 
2,544 
2,943 
2,350 
703 
% of establishments with a hard-tofill vacancy 
 
4 
4 
2 
3 
Number of hard-to-fill vacancies 
 
3,200 
3,000 
2,300 
1,000 
 
Base: 
235 
279 
187 
67 
% of vacancies that are hard to fill 
 
56 
49 
43 
34 
Mining & Quarrying  
Base: 
108 
144 
120 
124 
% of establishments with a hard-tofill vacancy 
 
6 
9 
3 
8 
Number of hard-to-fill vacancies 
 
100 
400 
100 
100 
 
Base: 
19 
38 
18 
27 
% of vacancies that are hard to fill 
 
** 
47 
** 
20 
Manufacturing  
Base: 
9,665 
10,161 
9,374 
6,667 
% of establishments with a hard-tofill vacancy 
 
8 
7 
3 
6 
Number of hard-to-fill vacancies 
 
17,500 
16,300 
5,400 
10,800 
 
Base: 
1,952 
2,048 
1,048 
1,232 
% of vacancies that are hard to fill 
 
36 
35 
22 
28 
Electricity, Gas and Water  
Base: 
160 
202 
231 
1,160 
% of establishments with a hard-tofill vacancy 
 
7 
3 
9 
4 
Number of hard-to-fill vacancies 
 
200 
300 
600 
600 
 
Base: 
39 
44 
51 
169 
% of vacancies that are hard to fill 
 
16 
9 
38 
15 
Construction  
Base: 
4,363 
4,808 
5,283 
5,485 
% of establishments with a hard-tofill vacancy 
 
7 
5 
2 
3 
Number of hard-to-fill vacancies 
 
12,400 
11,000 
3,400 
8,700 
 
Base: 
773 
810 
373 
481 
% of vacancies that are hard to fill 
 
49 
44 
28 
44 
Wholesale and Retail  
Base: 
16,078 
16,861 
15,502 
13,060 
% of establishments with a hard-tofill vacancy 
 
6 
5 
2 
3 
Number of hard-to-fill vacancies 
 
30,200 
22,600 
10,200 
11,400 
 
Base: 
2,915 
3,086 
1,862 
2,206 
% of vacancies that are hard to fill 
 
35 
27 
20 
18 
Hotels and Restaurants  
Base: 
5,493 
5,397 
5,609 
7,202 
% of establishments with a hard-tofill vacancy 
 
10 
8 
6 
6 
Number of hard-to-fill vacancies 
 
22,400 
19,200 
9,700 
12,300 
 
 
2005 
2007 
2009 
2011 
Column % 
 
% 
% 
% 
% 
 
Base: 
1,630 
1,606 
1,471 
1,777 
% of vacancies that are hard to fill 
 
37 
31 
22 
22 
Transport and Communications  
Base: 
4,241 
4,599 
4,501 
6,861 
% of establishments with a hard-tofill vacancy 
 
8 
6 
4 
5 
Number of hard-to-fill vacancies 
 
11,400 
8,700 
3,800 
9,700 
 
Base: 
1,004 
993 
578 
1,219 
% of vacancies that are hard to fill 
 
33 
30 
22 
17 
Financial Services  
Base: 
1,746 
2,213 
2,456 
1,452 
% of establishments with a hard-tofill vacancy 
 
7 
7 
3 
4 
Number of hard-to-fill vacancies 
 
5,800 
5,800 
2,600 
3,000 
 
Base: 
390 
534 
348 
279 
% of vacancies that are hard to fill 
 
27 
19 
19 
15 
Business Services  
Base: 
11,381 
12,474 
13,375 
12,656 
% of establishments with a hard-tofill vacancy 
 
7 
7 
3 
5 
Number of hard-to-fill vacancies 
 
40,800 
49,200 
16,500 
24,900 
 
Base: 
2,628 
3,152 
1,946 
2,638 
% of vacancies that are hard to fill 
 
35 
33 
23 
21 
Public Administration  
Base: 
638 
651 
1,031 
1,214 
% of establishments with a hard-tofill vacancy 
 
10 
5 
4 
5 
Number of hard-to-fill vacancies 
 
12,300 
2,600 
2,400 
5,700 
 
Base: 
237 
223 
304 
313 
% of vacancies that are hard to fill 
 
37 
16 
12 
19 
Education  
Base: 
4,979 
4,704 
5,096 
4,582 
% of establishments with a hard-tofill vacancy 
 
9 
8 
6 
6 
Number of hard-to-fill vacancies 
 
10,900 
11,300 
5,200 
2,800 
 
Base: 
1,515 
1,537 
1,402 
1,264 
% of vacancies that are hard to fill 
 
27 
19 
18 
16 
Health and Social Work  
Base: 
7,436 
6,777 
7,178 
6,872 
% of establishments with a hard-tofill vacancy 
 
10 
7 
6 
5 
Number of hard-to-fill vacancies 
 
23,800 
16,500 
15,500 
8,300 
 
Base: 
2,402 
2,070 
1,959 
1,724 
% of vacancies that are hard to fill 
 
37 
27 
25 
16 
Community, Social and Personal Services activities  
Base: 
6,003 
7,084 
7,046 
6,118 
% of establishments with a hard-tofill vacancy 
 
8 
8 
3 
7 
Number of hard-to-fill vacancies 
 
12,600 
16,500 
6,600 
16,000 
 
Base: 
1,317 
1,524 
1,166 
1,353 
% of vacancies that are hard to fill 
 
38 
37 
24 
29 

Base for proportion of establishments with and number of hard-to-fill vacancies: All establishments in England Base for % of vacancies that are hard to fill: All establishments with vacancies Source: Skills surveys: 2011 - UKCESS 2011; 2009 - NESS09; 2007 - NESS07; 2005 - NESS05. 

"% of vacancies that are hard to fill" is shown as a proportion of all vacancies, figures therefore show the percentage of vacancies which are hard-to-fill.  
Number of hard-to-fill vacancies rounded to nearest 100; figures in italics denotes base <50: treat figures with caution. 

 
 
2005 
2007 
2009 
2011 
Column % 
 
% 
% 
% 
% 
ENGLAND TOTAL 
Base: 
74,835 
79,018 
79,152 
74,156 
% of establishments with a hard-tofill vacancy 
 
7 
7 
3 
5 
Number of hard-to-fill vacancies 
 
203,600 
183,500 
85,400 
115,500 
 
Base: 
17,056 
17,944 
12,713 
14,749 
% of vacancies that are hard to fill 
 
35 
30 
22 
22 
East of England 
Base: 
8,332 
8,454 
8,552 
8,372 
% of establishments with a hard-tofill vacancy 
 
7 
7 
4 
6 
Number of hard-to-fill vacancies 
 
19,500 
19,300 
11,400 
13,300 
 
Base: 
1,748 
2,033 
1,317 
1,782 
% of vacancies that are hard to fill 
 
34 
30 
26 
19 
East Midlands  
Base: 
5,884 
7,612 
7,337 
7,253 
% of establishments with a hard-tofill vacancy 
 
5 
5 
3 
4 
Number of hard-to-fill vacancies 
 
11,800 
12,100 
5,600 
8,000 
 
Base: 
1,335 
1,457 
1,083 
1,361 
% of vacancies that are hard to fill 
 
30 
30 
18 
19 
London  
Base: 
12,100 
12,077 
12,000 
9,925 
% of establishments with a hard-tofill vacancy 
 
6 
8 
4 
5 
Number of hard-to-fill vacancies 
 
24,600 
40,300 
16,800 
17,700 
 
Base: 
2,507 
3,197 
2,210 
2,437 
% of vacancies that are hard to fill 
 
28 
32 
22 
18 
North East  
Base: 
4,115 
5,608 
5,677 
5,529 
% of establishments with a hard-tofill vacancy 
 
8 
7 
3 
4 
Number of hard-to-fill vacancies 
 
8,600 
7,000 
5,100 
4,000 
 
Base: 
966 
1,244 
798 
806 
% of vacancies that are hard to fill 
 
36 
30 
24 
19 
North West 
Base: 
8,796 
8,838 
9,921 
8,735 
% of establishments with a hard-tofill vacancy 
 
8 
6 
3 
4 
Number of hard-to-fill vacancies 
 
35,400 
18,700 
8,800 
14,000 
 
Base: 
2,127 
1,950 
1,501 
1,755 
% of vacancies that are hard to fill 
 
42 
25 
20 
23 
South East 
Base: 
13,647 
12,219 
11,040 
10,592 
% of establishments with a hard-tofill vacancy 
 
8 
7 
3 
6 
Number of hard-to-fill vacancies 
 
38,300 
36,100 
13,600 
21,600 
 
Base: 
3,226 
2,857 
1,987 
2,678 
% of vacancies that are hard to fill 
 
39 
31 
21 
20 
 
 
2005 
2007 
2009 
2011 
Column % 
 
% 
% 
% 
% 
South West  
Base: 
8,095 
8,454 
8,698 
8,377 
% of establishments with a hard-tofill vacancy 
 
7 
7 
4 
4 
Number of hard-to-fill vacancies 
 
19,200 
20,400 
8,400 
10,900 
 
Base: 
1,815 
1,872 
1,448 
1,525 
% of vacancies that are hard to fill 
 
31 
35 
22 
23 
West Midlands 
Base: 
7,404 
8,047 
8,186 
7,851 
% of establishments with a hard-tofill vacancy 
 
7 
6 
3 
4 
Number of hard-to-fill vacancies 
 
22,200 
14,600 
6,800 
12,100 
 
Base: 
1,709 
1,566 
1,196 
1,156 
% of vacancies that are hard to fill 
 
39 
24 
20 
27 
Yorkshire & Humber 
Base: 
6,462 
7,709 
7,741 
7,522 
% of establishments with a hard-tofill vacancy 
 
9 
6 
3 
4 
Number of hard-to-fill vacancies 
 
23,900 
14,900 
9,000 
13,900 
 
Base: 
1,623 
1,768 
1,173 
1,249 
% of vacancies that are hard to fill 
 
37 
28 
26 
34 

Base for proportion of establishments with and number of hard-to-fill vacancies: All establishments in England Base for % of vacancies that are hard to fill: All establishments with vacancies. 

Source: Skills surveys: 2011 - UKCESS 2011; 2009 - NESS09; 2007 - NESS07; 2005 - NESS05. 

"% of vacancies that are hard to fill" is shown as a proportion of all vacancies, figures therefore show the percentage of vacancies which are hard-to-fill.  
Number of hard-to-fill vacancies rounded to nearest 100. 


 
Base 
Low number of applicants 
with the required skills 
Not enough people 
interested in doing this type 
of job 
Lack of work experience the 
company demands 
Low number of applicants 
with the required attitude, 
motivation or personality 
Low number of applicants 
generally 
Lack of qualifications the 
company demands 
Poor terms and conditions 
(e.g. pay) offered for post 
Job entails shift 
work/unsociable hours 
Remote location/poor public 
transport 
Too much competition from 
other employers 
(*unwtd*) 
 
 
% 
% 
% 
% 
% 
% 
% 
% 
% 
% 
Total 
4,386 
39 
25 
20 
16 
15 
14 
14 
8 
8 
7 
Size 


2-4 
471 
30 
31 
17 
17 
22 
9 
11 
6 
6 
5 
5-24 
2,209 
40 
19 
19 
19 
12 
12 
11 
12 
7 
5 
25-99 
1,180 
35 
31 
20 
15 
11 
26 
22 
11 
7 
9 
100-199 
288 
52 
11 
25 
7 
16 
10 
6 
4 
11 
16 
200-499 
172 
64 
33 
26 
5 
11 
13 
7 
1 
9 
9 
500+ 
66 
54 
13 
25 
1 
8 
9 
37 
- 
24 
22 
Sector 


Agriculture 
25 
14 
55 
5 
22 
20 
2 
2 
2 
3 
1 
Mining and Quarrying 
9 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
Manufacturing 
495 
59 
13 
22 
9 
12 
13 
6 
1 
9 
5 
Electricity, Gas and Water 
49 
36 
30 
19 
8 
12 
17 
10 
2 
1 
0 
Construction 
178 
20 
61 
12 
10 
56 
8 
5 
1 
2 
3 
Wholesale and Retail 
541 
35 
19 
23 
15 
12 
9 
10 
13 
7 
7 
Hotels and Restaurants 
571 
33 
23 
15 
22 
11 
7 
16 
23 
13 
6 
437 
54 
13 
23 
17 
11 
10 
9 
5 
4 
6 
Transport and Communications Financial Services 
59 
49 
7 
20 
8 
7 
6 
26 
3 
2 
26 
Business Services 
844 
47 
21 
25 
17 
10 
17 
8 
5 
6 
9 
Public Administration 
74 
32 
38 
20 
13 
21 
10 
27 
15 
11 
10 
Education 
255 
49 
14 
20 
14 
25 
16 
14 
4 
7 
4 
Health and Social Work 
452 
28 
17 
13 
18 
14 
7 
16 
14 
17 
9 
397 
25 
38 
17 
17 
6 
34 
32 
7 
7 
7 
Community, Social and 
Personal Services activities 
Region 


East of England 
642 
37 
17 
20 
12 
12 
11 
17 
8 
11 
8 
East Midlands 
376 
29 
18 
19 
21 
9 
15 
8 
11 
11 
7 
London 
691 
46 
21 
24 
19 
9 
13 
8 
8 
2 
11 
North East 
225 
53 
15 
15 
18 
15 
6 
13 
6 
8 
13 
North West 
501 
31 
40 
12 
15 
8 
35 
37 
8 
4 
6 
South East 
910 
46 
20 
21 
15 
13 
11 
16 
8 
11 
7 
South West 
405 
32 
30 
23 
18 
13 
10 
7 
10 
11 
8 
West Midlands 
328 
41 
16 
24 
16 
14 
15 
11 
11 
8 
6 
Yorkshire & Humber 
308 
32 
44 
15 
11 
40 
8 
4 
6 
6 
3 

Base: All establishments in England with hard-to-fill vacancies Source: Skills surveys: 2011 - UKCESS 2011; 2009 - NESS09; 2007 - NESS07; 2005 - NESS05. 

Percentages are based on all hard-to-fill vacancies, rather than all establishments with hard-to-fill vacancies; figures therefore show the proportion of hard-to-fill vacancies caused by each factor reported by employers. 

 
 
2005 
2007 
2009 
2011 
Column % 
 
% 
% 
% 
% 
ENGLAND TOTAL 
Base: 
74,835 
79,018 
79,152 
74,156 
% of establishments with a SSV 
 
5 
5 
3 
4 
Number of SSVs 
 
143,100 
130,000 
63,100 
85,500 
 
Base: 
17,056 
17,944 
12,713 
14,749 
% of vacancies that are SSVs 
 
25 
21 
16 
16 
2-4 
Base: 
22,278 
24,084 
22,535 
15,457 
% of establishments with a SSV 
 
3 
3 
2 
2 
Number of SSVs 
 
36,600 
31,600 
17,600 
20,700 
 
Base: 
2,225 
2,415 
1,576 
1,219 
% of vacancies that are SSVs 
 
33 
26 
23 
21 
5-24  
Base: 
34,392 
36,778 
35,418 
41,136 
% of establishments with a SSV 
 
6 
6 
3 
4 
Number of SSVs 
 
46,900 
46,800 
22,200 
27,000 
 
Base: 
7,128 
7,575 
4,761 
6,907 
% of vacancies that are SSVs 
 
27 
25 
19 
17 
25-99  
Base: 
14,162 
13,830 
16,270 
13,550 
% of establishments with a SSV 
 
10 
9 
4 
7 
Number of SSVs 
 
30,300 
27,900 
11,300 
22,300 
 
Base: 
5,379 
5,363 
4,297 
4,462 
% of vacancies that are SSVs 
 
23 
19 
13 
16 
100-199  
Base: 
2,198 
2,424 
2,676 
2,201 
% of establishments with a SSV 
 
15 
14 
7 
11 
Number of SSVs 
 
11,900 
10,000 
2,900 
6,700 
 
Base: 
1,177 
1,398 
1,059 
1,142 
% of vacancies that are SSVs 
 
24 
17 
9 
14 
200-499 
Base: 
1,365 
1,407 
1,701 
1,359 
% of establishments with a SSV 
 
16 
14 
8 
12 
Number of SSVs 
 
11,200 
7,800 
5,200 
5,800 
 
Base: 
845 
866 
744 
744 
% of vacancies that are SSVs 
 
19 
13 
13 
10 
500+ 
Base: 
440 
495 
552 
453 
% of establishments with a SSV 
 
16 
13 
8 
13 
Number of SSVs 
 
6,200 
6,000 
4,000 
3,000 
 
Base: 
302 
327 
276 
275 
% of vacancies that are SSVs 
 
15 
13 
14 
10 

Base for proportion of establishments with an SSV: All establishments in England Base for % of vacancies that are SSVs: All establishments with vacancies Source: Skills surveys: 2011 - UKCESS 2011; 2009 - NESS09; 2007 - NESS07; 2005 - NESS05. 

Number of skill-shortage vacancies rounded to nearest 100 

 
 
2005 
2007 
2009 
2011 
Column % 
 
% 
% 
% 
% 
ENGLAND TOTAL 
Base: 
74,835 
79,018 
79,152 
74,156 
% of establishments with a SSV 
 
5 
5 
3 
4 
Number of SSVs 
 
143,100 
130,000 
63,100 
85,500 
 
Base: 
17,056 
17,944 
12,713 
14,749 
% of vacancies that are SSVs 
 
25 
21 
16 
16 
Agriculture  
Base: 
2,544 
2,943 
2,350 
703 
% of establishments with a SSV 
 
3 
2 
2 
2 
Number of SSVs 
 
1,900 
1,900 
1,400 
700 
 
Base: 
235 
279 
187 
67 
% of vacancies that are SSVs 
 
34 
31 
26 
25 
Mining & Quarrying  
Base: 
108 
144 
120 
124 
% of establishments with a SSV 
 
3 
9 
3 
7 
Number of SSVs 
 
100 
400 
* 
100 
 
Base: 
19 
38 
18 
27 
% of vacancies that are SSVs 
 
** 
43 
** 
18 
Manufacturing  
Base: 
9,665 
10,161 
9,374 
6,667 
% of establishments with a SSV 
 
6 
6 
2 
5 
Number of SSVs 
 
14,000 
12,500 
4,400 
9,300 
 
Base: 
1,952 
2,048 
1,048 
1,232 
% of vacancies that are SSVs 
 
29 
27 
18 
24 
Electricity, Gas and Water  
Base: 
160 
202 
231 
1,160 
% of establishments with a SSV 
 
6 
2 
7 
3 
Number of SSVs 
 
200 
200 
500 
400 
 
Base: 
39 
44 
51 
169 
% of vacancies that are SSVs 
 
13 
6 
30 
12 
Construction  
Base: 
4,363 
4,808 
5,283 
5,485 
% of establishments with a SSV 
 
5 
4 
1 
2 
Number of SSVs 
 
9,200 
8,600 
2,700 
3,500 
 
Base: 
773 
810 
373 
481 
% of vacancies that are SSVs 
 
36 
34 
23 
18 
Wholesale and Retail  
Base: 
16,078 
16,861 
15,502 
13,060 
% of establishments with a SSV 
 
4 
3 
2 
2 
Number of SSVs 
 
19,800 
14,600 
7,700 
8,400 
 
Base: 
2,915 
3,086 
1,862 
2,206 
% of vacancies that are SSVs 
 
23 
17 
15 
13 
Hotels and Restaurants  
Base: 
5,493 
5,397 
5,609 
7,202 
% of establishments with a SSV 
 
6 
4 
4 
4 
Number of SSVs 
 
12,600 
11,500 
6,300 
7,800 
 
Base: 
1,630 
1,606 
1,471 
1,777 
% of vacancies that are SSVs 
 
21 
18 
14 
14 
 
 
2005 
2007 
2009 
2011 
Column % 
 
% 
% 
% 
% 
Transport and Communications  
Base: 
4,241 
4,599 
4,501 
6,861 
% of establishments with a SSV 
 
5 
5 
3 
4 
Number of SSVs 
 
7,700 
6,200 
2,800 
8,100 
 
Base: 
1,004 
993 
578 
1,219 
% of vacancies that are SSVs 
 
22 
22 
16 
14 
Financial Services  
Base: 
1,746 
2,213 
2,456 
1,452 
% of establishments with a SSV 
 
6 
6 
3 
3 
Number of SSVs 
 
4,400 
4,700 
2,200 
2,600 
 
Base: 
390 
534 
348 
279 
% of vacancies that are SSVs 
 
20 
16 
16 
13 
Business Services  
Base: 
11,381 
12,474 
13,375 
12,656 
% of establishments with a SSV 
 
5 
6 
2 
4 
Number of SSVs 
 
31,700 
38,900 
13,200 
20,600 
 
Base: 
2,628 
3,152 
1,946 
2,638 
% of vacancies that are SSVs 
 
27 
26 
18 
17 
Public Administration  
Base: 
638 
651 
1,031 
1,214 
% of establishments with a SSV 
 
8 
3 
2 
4 
Number of SSVs 
 
10,900 
1,900 
1,300 
4,000 
 
Base: 
237 
223 
304 
313 
% of vacancies that are SSVs 
 
33 
12 
7 
13 
Education  
Base: 
4,979 
4,704 
5,096 
4,582 
% of establishments with a SSV 
 
6 
6 
4 
4 
Number of SSVs 
 
7,300 
7,600 
4,000 
2,200 
 
Base: 
1,515 
1,537 
1,402 
1,264 
% of vacancies that are SSVs 
 
18 
13 
14 
13 
Health and Social Work  
Base: 
7,436 
6,777 
7,178 
6,872 
% of establishments with a SSV 
 
6 
4 
4 
3 
Number of SSVs 
 
14,700 
8,900 
10,400 
5,100 
 
Base: 
2,402 
2,070 
1,959 
1,724 
% of vacancies that are SSVs 
 
23 
14 
17 
10 
Community, Social and Personal Services activities  
Base: 
6,003 
7,084 
7,046 
6,118 
% of establishments with a SSV 
 
6 
6 
3 
5 
Number of SSVs 
 
8,700 
12,000 
4,600 
12,600 
 
Base: 
1,317 
1,524 
1,166 
1,353 
% of vacancies that are SSVs 
 
26 
27 
17 
23 

Base for proportion of establishments with an SSV: All establishments in England Base for % of vacancies that are SSVs: All establishments with vacancies Source: Skills surveys: 2011 - UKCESS 2011; 2009 - NESS09; 2007 - NESS07; 2005 - NESS05. Number of skill-shortage vacancies rounded to nearest 100 '**' denotes base size under 25: too low to report. Figures in italics denote base size <50: treat figures with caution. 

 
 
2005 
2007 
2009 
2011 
Column % 
 
% 
% 
% 
% 
ENGLAND TOTAL 
Base: 
74,835 
79,018 
79,152 
74,156 
% of establishments with a SSV 
 
5 
5 
3 
4 
Number of SSVs 
 
143,100 
130,000 
63,100 
85,500 
 
Base: 
17,056 
17,944 
12,713 
14,749 
% of vacancies that are SSVs 
 
25 
21 
16 
16 
East of England 
Base: 
8,332 
8,454 
8,552 
8,372 
% of establishments with a SSV 
 
5 
4 
3 
5 
Number of SSVs 
 
13,400 
12,500 
8,300 
10,200 
 
Base: 
1,748 
2,033 
1,317 
1,782 
% of vacancies that are SSVs 
 
23 
19 
19 
14 
East Midlands  
Base: 
5,884 
7,612 
7,337 
7,253 
% of establishments with a SSV 
 
4 
3 
2 
3 
Number of SSVs 
 
8,200 
8,500 
4,000 
6,400 
 
Base: 
1,335 
1,457 
1,083 
1,361 
% of vacancies that are SSVs 
 
21 
21 
13 
15 
London  
Base: 
12,100 
12,077 
12,000 
9,925 
% of establishments with a SSV 
 
4 
7 
3 
5 
Number of SSVs 
 
19,000 
32,900 
13,600 
15,200 
 
Base: 
2,507 
3,197 
2,210 
2,437 
% of vacancies that are SSVs 
 
22 
26 
18 
15 
North East  
Base: 
4,115 
5,608 
5,677 
5,529 
% of establishments with a SSV 
 
5 
5 
3 
3 
Number of SSVs 
 
5,500 
4,600 
3,700 
2,900 
 
Base: 
966 
1,244 
798 
806 
% of vacancies that are SSVs 
 
23 
20 
17 
14 
North West 
Base: 
8,796 
8,838 
9,921 
8,735 
% of establishments with a SSV 
 
6 
4 
2 
3 
Number of SSVs 
 
26,200 
13,000 
6,200 
11,300 
 
Base: 
2,127 
1,950 
1,501 
1,755 
% of vacancies that are SSVs 
 
31 
17 
14 
19 
South East 
Base: 
13,647 
12,219 
11,040 
10,592 
% of establishments with a SSV 
 
5 
5 
2 
5 
Number of SSVs 
 
25,600 
25,600 
9,800 
16,900 
 
Base: 
3,226 
2,857 
1,987 
2,678 
% of vacancies that are SSVs 
 
26 
22 
15 
16 
South West  
Base: 
8,095 
8,454 
8,698 
8,377 
% of establishments with a SSV 
 
4 
4 
3 
3 
Number of SSVs 
 
11,000 
12,800 
6,000 
7,100 
 
Base: 
1,815 
1,872 
1,448 
1,525 
 
 
2005 
2007 
2009 
2011 
Column % 
 
% 
% 
% 
% 
% of vacancies that are SSVs 
 
18 
22 
16 
15 
West Midlands 
Base: 
7,404 
8,047 
8,186 
7,851 
% of establishments with a SSV 
 
6 
4 
2 
3 
Number of SSVs 
 
17,300 
10,000 
4,800 
8,300 
 
Base: 
1,709 
1,566 
1,196 
1,156 
% of vacancies that are SSVs 
 
31 
16 
15 
19 
Yorkshire & Humber 
Base: 
6,462 
7,709 
7,741 
7,522 
% of establishments with a SSV 
 
7 
4 
3 
3 
Number of SSVs 
 
16,900 
10,200 
6,600 
7,200 
 
Base: 
1,623 
1,768 
1,173 
1,249 
% of vacancies that are SSVs 
 
26 
19 
19 
17 

Base for proportion of establishments with an SSV: All establishments in England Source: Skills surveys: 2011 - UKCESS 2011; 2009 - NESS09; 2007 - NESS07; 2005 - NESS05. 

Base for % of vacancies that are SSVs: All establishments with vacancies Number of skill-shortage vacancies rounded to nearest 100 

 
Increase workload for other 
staff 
Have difficulties meeting 
customer services objectives 
 
 
Base 
(unwtd) 
% 
% 
% 
% 
% 
% 
% 
% 
% 
% 
Total 
4,386 
81 
46 
40 
40 
39 
34 
31 
25 
24 
21 
Size 


2-4 
471 
79 
47 
40 
47 
49 
35 
32 
28 
34 
26 
5-24 
2,209 
82 
47 
40 
39 
38 
33 
31 
23 
22 
18 
25-99 
1,180 
83 
44 
41 
31 
30 
35 
26 
23 
11 
17 
100-199 
288 
83 
41 
41 
31 
22 
34 
24 
25 
8 
19 
200-499 
172 
81 
41 
38 
37 
19 
40 
28 
25 
7 
20 
500+ 
66 
93 
59 
52 
31 
20 
43 
32 
16 
12 
28 
Sector 


Agriculture 
25 
95 
23 
49 
35 
25 
35 
46 
25 
13 
44 
Mining and Quarrying 
9 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
Manufacturing 
495 
83 
47 
41 
46 
37 
28 
28 
33 
18 
22 
Electricity, Gas and Water 
49 
93 
64 
65 
47 
57 
53 
48 
45 
44 
36 
Construction 
178 
77 
47 
49 
48 
52 
37 
30 
32 
31 
24 
Wholesale and Retail 
541 
82 
46 
31 
29 
35 
32 
29 
17 
13 
19 
Hotels and Restaurants 
571 
81 
49 
43 
39 
33 
43 
38 
20 
28 
16 
437 
80 
43 
39 
48 
49 
29 
29 
29 
29 
30 
Transport and Communications 
Financial Services 
59 
95 
42 
18 
26 
32 
34 
40 
18 
2 
18 
Business Services 
844 
81 
47 
39 
43 
46 
32 
27 
29 
25 
17 
Public Administration 
74 
93 
55 
64 
32 
24 
40 
35 
21 
19 
37 
Education 
255 
77 
38 
40 
34 
29 
38 
27 
28 
26 
14 
Health and Social Work 
452 
76 
34 
41 
27 
20 
34 
34 
20 
15 
12 
397 
80 
53 
41 
44 
46 
37 
28 
20 
33 
24 
Community, Social and Personal Services activities 
Region 


East of England 
642 
83 
46 
41 
41 
38 
33 
35 
27 
25 
22 
East Midlands 
376 
80 
49 
45 
45 
43 
34 
29 
31 
27 
23 
London 
691 
81 
50 
41 
45 
45 
40 
32 
26 
28 
27 
North East 
225 
82 
46 
45 
41 
32 
31 
33 
32 
20 
22 
North West 
501 
85 
46 
36 
34 
37 
34 
29 
20 
20 
15 
South East 
910 
85 
52 
46 
44 
38 
37 
33 
27 
26 
23 
South West 
405 
71 
36 
28 
32 
37 
28 
28 
16 
16 
15 
West Midlands 
328 
77 
38 
36 
36 
43 
33 
27 
20 
20 
19 
Yorkshire & Humber 
308 
78 
37 
31 
29 
33 
25 
19 
23 
23 
9 

Base: All establishments in England with hard-to-fill vacancies Source: UKCESS 2011 

Experience increased 
operating costs 
Delay developing new 
products or services 
Lose business or orders to 
competitors 
Have difficulties meeting 
quality standards 
Have difficulties introducing 
new working practices 
Outsource work 
Withdraw from offering 
certain products or services 
altogether 
Have difficulties introducing 
technological change 

## Chapter 5: Internal Skills Mismatch

 
 
2005 
2007 
2009 
2011 
Column % 
 
% 
% 
% 
% 
ENGLAND TOTAL 
Base: 
74,835 
79,018 
79,152 
74,156 
% of establishments with a skills gap 
 
16 
15 
19 
18 
Number of skills gaps 
 
1,265,000 
1,361,100 
1,702,500 
1,318,900 
% of workforce with skills gaps 
 
6 
6 
7 
6 
2-4 
Base: 
22,278 
24,084 
22,535 
15,457 
% of establishments with a skills gap 
 
8 
8 
10 
8 
Number of skills gaps 
 
74,300 
77,100 
90,300 
73,300 
% of workforce with skills gaps 
 
4 
4 
4 
4 
5-24  
Base: 
34,392 
36,778 
35,418 
41,136 
% of establishments with a skills gap 
 
23 
21 
26 
24 
Number of skills gaps 
 
312,600 
284,000 
359,300 
304,000 
% of workforce with skills gaps 
 
6 
5 
7 
6 
25-99  
Base: 
14,162 
13,830 
16,270 
13,550 
% of establishments with a skills gap 
 
35 
30 
39 
38 
Number of skills gaps 
 
336,000 
313,500 
380,700 
330,000 
% of workforce with skills gaps 
 
6 
6 
7 
6 
100-199  
Base: 
2,198 
2,424 
2,676 
2,201 
% of establishments with a skills gap 
 
39 
39 
48 
46 
Number of skills gaps 
 
132,300 
159,300 
195,100 
152,000 
% of workforce with skills gaps 
 
5 
6 
7 
6 
200-499 
Base: 
1,365 
1,407 
1,701 
1,359 
% of establishments with a skills gap 
 
44 
42 
55 
46 
Number of skills gaps 
 
207,200 
236,800 
331,300 
201,600 
% of workforce with skills gaps 
 
6 
7 
10 
6 
500+ 
Base: 
440 
495 
552 
453 
% of establishments with a skills gap 
 
41 
48 
59 
49 
Number of skills gaps 
 
202,500 
290,400 
345,700 
258,000 
% of workforce with skills gaps 
 
6 
8 
9 
7 

Base: All establishments in England Source: Skills surveys: 2011 - UKCESS 2011; 2009 - NESS09; 2007 - NESS07; 2005 - NESS05. 

 'Percentage of workforce with skills gaps' is based on all employment, therefore figures show the proportion of the entire workforce that have skills gaps. Number of skills gaps rounded to nearest 100 

 
 
2005 
2007 
2009 
2011 
Column % 
 
% 
% 
% 
% 
ENGLAND TOTAL 
Base: 
74,835 
79,018 
79,152 
74,156 
% of establishments with a skills gap 
 
16 
15 
19 
18 
Number of skills gaps 
 
1,265,000 
1,361,100 
1,702,500 
1,318,900 
% of workforce with skills gaps 
 
6 
6 
7 
6 
Agriculture  
Base: 
2,544 
2,943 
2,350 
703 
% of establishments with a skills gap 
 
10 
10 
13 
9 
Number of skills gaps 
 
10,900 
11,900 
18,400 
5,300 
% of workforce with skills gaps 
 
5 
5 
6 
4 
Mining & Quarrying  
Base: 
108 
144 
120 
124 
% of establishments with a skills gap 
 
14 
12 
16 
9 
Number of skills gaps 
 
1,300 
500 
1,500 
600 
% of workforce with skills gaps 
 
4 
2 
6 
2 
Manufacturing  
Base: 
9,665 
10,161 
9,374 
6,667 
% of establishments with a skills gap 
 
18 
17 
20 
20 
Number of skills gaps 
 
184,000 
169,100 
203,500 
140,000 
% of workforce with skills gaps 
 
6 
7 
9 
6 
Electricity, Gas and Water  
Base: 
160 
202 
231 
1,160 
% of establishments with a skills gap 
 
29 
16 
30 
17 
Number of skills gaps 
 
4,700 
6,700 
9,400 
14,900 
% of workforce with skills gaps 
 
5 
5 
9 
6 
Construction  
Base: 
4,363 
4,808 
5,283 
5,485 
% of establishments with a skills gap 
 
15 
15 
18 
13 
Number of skills gaps 
 
46,400 
46,700 
76,700 
43,300 
% of workforce with skills gaps 
 
5 
6 
7 
5 
Wholesale and Retail  
Base: 
16,078 
16,861 
15,502 
13,060 
% of establishments with a skills gap 
 
19 
17 
20 
20 
Number of skills gaps 
 
271,700 
244,900 
292,900 
245,500 
% of workforce with skills gaps 
 
7 
6 
8 
7 
Hotels and Restaurants  
Base: 
5,493 
5,397 
5,609 
7,202 
% of establishments with a skills gap 
 
21 
19 
26 
23 
Number of skills gaps 
 
137,200 
131,800 
164,700 
145,400 
% of workforce with skills gaps 
 
10 
9 
11 
9 
Transport and Communications  
Base: 
4,241 
4,599 
4,501 
6,861 
% of establishments with a skills gap 
 
15 
14 
17 
14 
Number of skills gaps 
 
60,500 
69,700 
89,000 
100,100 
% of workforce with skills gaps 
 
5 
6 
7 
5 
Financial Services  
Base: 
1,746 
2,213 
2,456 
1,452 
% of establishments with a skills gap 
 
20 
19 
22 
17 
Number of skills gaps 
 
62,300 
56,000 
82,100 
39,000 
% of workforce with skills gaps 
 
7 
6 
8 
5 
Business Services  
Base: 
11,381 
12,474 
13,375 
12,656 
% of establishments with a skills gap 
 
13 
12 
15 
16 
 
 
2005 
2007 
2009 
2011 
Column % 
 
% 
% 
% 
% 
Number of skills gaps 
 
155,400 
250,800 
298,300 
208,800 
% of workforce with skills gaps 
 
5 
7 
7 
5 
Public Administration  
Base: 
638 
651 
1,031 
1,214 
% of establishments with a skills gap 
 
22 
24 
23 
18 
Number of skills gaps 
 
54,700 
57,300 
59,100 
82,000 
% of workforce with skills gaps 
 
5 
7 
5 
6 
Education  
Base: 
4,979 
4,704 
5,096 
4,582 
% of establishments with a skills gap 
 
21 
17 
25 
21 
Number of skills gaps 
 
102,000 
110,500 
110,000 
59,200 
% of workforce with skills gaps 
 
4 
4 
5 
4 
Health and Social Work  
Base: 
7,436 
6,777 
7,178 
6,872 
% of establishments with a skills gap 
 
19 
17 
23 
21 
Number of skills gaps 
 
123,700 
143,100 
211,900 
141,100 
% of workforce with skills gaps 
 
5 
6 
8 
5 
Community, Social and Personal Services activities  
Base: 
6,003 
7,084 
7,046 
6,118 
% of establishments with a skills gap 
 
13 
12 
18 
17 
Number of skills gaps 
 
50,200 
62,200 
92,100 
93,900 
% of workforce with skills gaps 
 
5 
5 
8 
6 

Base: All establishments in England Source: Skills surveys: 2011 - UKCESS 2011; 2009 - NESS09; 2007 - NESS07; 2005 - NESS05. 'Percentage of workforce with skills gaps' is based on all employment, therefore figures show the proportion of the entire workforce that have skills gaps. Number of skills gaps rounded to nearest 100 
Note: For 2009 it should be noted that different weighting strategies were used to calculate the overall and sector figures; therefore the sum of the sector figures does not match the England total 

 
 
2005 
2007 
2009 
2011 
Column % 
 
% 
% 
% 
% 
ENGLAND TOTAL 
Base: 
74,835 
79,018 
79,152 
74,156 
% of establishments with a skills gap 
 
16 
15 
19 
18 
Number of skills gaps 
 
1,265,000 
1,361,100 
1,702,500 
1,318,900 
% of workforce with skills gaps 
 
6 
6 
7 
6 
East of England 
Base: 
8,332 
8,454 
8,552 
8,372 
% of establishments with a skills gap 
 
15 
15 
17 
18 
Number of skills gaps 
 
115,100 
145,500 
160,900 
141,400 
% of workforce with skills gaps 
 
5 
6 
7 
6 
East Midlands  
Base: 
5,884 
7,612 
7,337 
7,253 
% of establishments with a skills gap 
 
15 
15 
18 
15 
Number of skills gaps 
 
106,700 
114,700 
136,900 
112,400 
% of workforce with skills gaps 
 
6 
6 
7 
6 
London  
Base: 
12,100 
12,077 
12,000 
9,925 
% of establishments with a skills gap 
 
13 
17 
17 
15 
Number of skills gaps 
 
218,800 
287,300 
290,800 
231,700 
% of workforce with skills gaps 
 
6 
7 
7 
6 
North East  
Base: 
4,115 
5,608 
5,677 
5,529 
% of establishments with a skills gap 
 
21 
19 
20 
18 
Number of skills gaps 
 
53,300 
61,900 
61,300 
61,900 
% of workforce with skills gaps 
 
6 
6 
6 
6 
North West 
Base: 
8,796 
8,838 
9,921 
8,735 
% of establishments with a skills gap 
 
16 
14 
19 
19 
Number of skills gaps 
 
165,000 
166,500 
209,000 
178,800 
% of workforce with skills gaps 
 
6 
6 
7 
6 
South East 
Base: 
13,647 
12,219 
11,040 
10,592 
% of establishments with a skills gap 
 
18 
15 
21 
19 
Number of skills gaps 
 
231,700 
211,000 
302,800 
216,400 
% of workforce with skills gaps 
 
7 
6 
8 
6 
South West  
Base: 
8,095 
8,454 
8,698 
8,377 
% of establishments with a skills gap 
 
15 
16 
22 
19 
Number of skills gaps 
 
107,500 
137,600 
202,500 
134,600 
% of workforce with skills gaps 
 
5 
6 
9 
6 
West Midlands 
Base: 
7,404 
8,047 
8,186 
7,851 
% of establishments with a skills gap 
 
16 
14 
20 
18 
Number of skills gaps 
 
110,200 
125,800 
196,400 
133,100 
% of workforce with skills gaps 
 
5 
5 
8 
6 
Yorkshire & Humber 
Base: 
6,462 
7,709 
7,741 
7,522 
% of establishments with a skills gap 
 
23 
14 
17 
18 
Number of skills gaps 
 
156,500 
110,700 
141,900 
108,600 
% of workforce with skills gaps 
 
8 
5 
6 
5 

Base: All establishments in England Source: Skills surveys: 2011 - UKCESS 2011; 2009 - NESS09; 2007 - NESS07; 2005 - NESS05. 

 'Percentage of workforce with skills gaps' is based on all employment, therefore figures show the proportion of the entire workforce that have skills gaps. Number of skills gaps rounded to nearest 100 

 
New to the role 
Training is currently only 
partially completed 
 
 
Base 
(unwtd) 
% 
% 
% 
% 
% 
% 
% 
% 
% 
% 
Total 
18,043 
46 
45 
31 
28 
23 
22 
18 
17 
16 
9 
Size 


2-4 
1,298 
48 
54 
29 
20 
20 
28 
17 
19 
17 
7 
5-24 
9,744 
50 
51 
34 
30 
24 
24 
19 
16 
17 
10 
25-99 
5,105 
52 
48 
34 
29 
23 
22 
18 
15 
15 
10 
100-199 
1,016 
46 
44 
27 
29 
25 
19 
14 
17 
15 
8 
200-499 
652 
51 
44 
27 
28 
26 
17 
14 
16 
15 
8 
500+ 
228 
29 
35 
31 
24 
21 
23 
21 
20 
16 
11 
Sector 


Agriculture 
101 
37 
44 
28 
22 
14 
28 
15 
20 
11 
10 
Mining and Quarrying 
15 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
Manufacturing 
1,647 
44 
48 
22 
21 
22 
28 
19 
20 
18 
5 
Electricity, Gas and Water 
227 
49 
48 
27 
19 
28 
14 
17 
17 
8 
7 
Construction 
982 
41 
47 
26 
20 
21 
26 
16 
18 
14 
4 
Wholesale and Retail 
3,747 
48 
43 
36 
33 
23 
20 
15 
16 
17 
7 
Hotels and Restaurants 
2,391 
57 
55 
35 
37 
23 
23 
20 
16 
21 
17 
1,302 
43 
39 
35 
33 
31 
20 
22 
22 
15 
15 
Transport and Communications 
Financial Services 
316 
54 
50 
38 
38 
13 
9 
16 
9 
18 
3 
Business Services 
2,746 
48 
47 
28 
25 
23 
20 
15 
17 
15 
11 
Public Administration 
302 
36 
35 
22 
19 
24 
16 
14 
15 
11 
10 
Education 
1,149 
35 
36 
23 
23 
21 
18 
10 
12 
9 
5 
Health and Social Work 
1,755 
40 
45 
37 
23 
25 
32 
27 
16 
14 
10 
1,363 
48 
44 
31 
28 
23 
19 
16 
16 
14 
10 
Community, Social and Personal Services activities 
Region 


East of England 
2,178 
47 
48 
31 
31 
24 
24 
23 
16 
17 
10 
East Midlands 
1,518 
49 
48 
30 
26 
32 
25 
21 
20 
20 
7 
London 
2,263 
42 
36 
42 
31 
30 
26 
29 
19 
17 
18 
North East 
1,124 
39 
43 
28 
27 
26 
22 
15 
15 
15 
5 
North West 
2,281 
44 
40 
34 
31 
24 
21 
15 
18 
18 
11 
South East 
2,988 
47 
42 
33 
30 
21 
24 
16 
14 
13 
9 
South West 
2,165 
51 
53 
25 
21 
16 
14 
9 
12 
10 
5 
West Midlands 
1,646 
45 
51 
22 
29 
20 
16 
11 
21 
19 
4 
Yorkshire & Humber 
1,880 
49 
56 
19 
14 
18 
22 
13 
13 
10 
6 

Base: All establishments in England with skills gaps Source: UKCESS 2011 
Percentages are shown based on all skills gaps followed up in the survey, therefore figures show the proportion skills gaps that are attributed to each cause, rather than the percentage of establishments stating each cause. 

Staff lack motivation 
Been on training but their 
performance has not 
improved sufficiently 
Introduction of new working 
practices 
Not received the appropriate 
training 
Unable to recruit staff with the 
required skills 
Introduction of new 
technology 
Development of new products 
and services 
Problems retaining staff 
Increased workload for 
other staff 
Increased operating 
costs 
Difficulties meeting 
quality standards 
Difficulties introducing 
new working practices 
Loss of business or 
orders to competitors 
Delays developing new 
products or services 
Need to outsource work 
 
 
Base 
(unwtd) 
% 
% 
% 
% 
% 
% 
% 
Total 
18,043 
49 
27 
26 
22 
20 
15 
9 
Size 


2-4 
1,298 
44 
24 
23 
20 
22 
19 
12 
5-24 
9,744 
49 
26 
26 
23 
21 
15 
8 
25-99 
5,105 
50 
31 
27 
22 
17 
12 
7 
100-199 
1,016 
53 
35 
29 
26 
18 
13 
9 
200-499 
652 
56 
37 
30 
28 
17 
15 
8 
500+ 
228 
64 
46 
30 
31 
15 
17 
13 
Sector 


Agriculture 
101 
35 
32 
19 
21 
11 
16 
20 
Mining and Quarrying 
15 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
- 
Manufacturing 
1,647 
47 
37 
24 
22 
20 
17 
13 
Electricity, Gas and Water 
227 
50 
32 
20 
19 
16 
13 
10 
Construction 
982 
37 
30 
16 
19 
15 
14 
10 
Wholesale and Retail 
3,747 
52 
23 
24 
23 
24 
12 
7 
Hotels and Restaurants 
2,391 
51 
31 
34 
24 
25 
16 
9 
1,302 
47 
33 
27 
22 
24 
20 
11 
Transport and Communications 
Financial Services 
316 
53 
19 
26 
21 
27 
11 
4 
Business Services 
2,746 
50 
29 
26 
22 
21 
17 
10 
Public Administration 
302 
56 
30 
35 
30 
5 
15 
7 
Education 
1,149 
46 
20 
23 
23 
11 
12 
8 
Health and Social Work 
1,755 
46 
19 
22 
24 
10 
13 
7 
1,363 
46 
21 
28 
22 
17 
16 
8 
Community, Social and 
Personal Services activities 
Region 


East of England 
1,518 
53 
31 
29 
26 
22 
17 
9 
East Midlands 
2,178 
54 
33 
26 
25 
23 
18 
12 
London 
2,263 
55 
32 
32 
30 
30 
22 
11 
North East 
1,124 
50 
30 
26 
23 
20 
16 
9 
North West 
2,281 
53 
30 
27 
25 
20 
18 
9 
South East 
2,988 
53 
29 
29 
24 
21 
15 
10 
South West 
2,165 
40 
22 
20 
16 
14 
11 
7 
West Midlands 
1,646 
39 
22 
19 
16 
15 
12 
7 
Yorkshire & Humber 
1,880 
35 
18 
16 
13 
15 
8 
6 

Base: All establishments in England with skills gaps Source: UKCESS 2011 

## Chapter 6: Workforce Development

 
 
2005 
2007 
2009 
2011 
Column % 
 
% 
% 
% 
% 
ENGLAND TOTAL 
Base: 
74,835 
79,018 
79,152 
74,156 
Total doing any training 
 
65 
67 
68 
66 
Off-the-job only 
 
13 
13 
13 
13 
On-the-job only 
 
19 
21 
17 
19 
Both off- and on-the-job training 
 
33 
33 
38 
34 
Do not train 
 
35 
33 
32 
34 
Agriculture  
Base: 
2,544 
2,943 
2,350 
703 
Total doing any training 
 
46 
49 
55 
51 
Off-the-job only 
 
17 
16 
18 
15 
On-the-job only 
 
11 
14 
12 
14 
Both off- and on-the-job training 
 
18 
18 
25 
22 
Do not train 
 
54 
51 
45 
49 
Mining & Quarrying  
Base: 
108 
144 
120 
124 
Total doing any training 
 
78 
73 
80 
70 
Off-the-job only 
 
12 
22 
12 
11 
On-the-job only 
 
17 
18 
16 
14 
Both off- and on-the-job training 
 
50 
33 
53 
45 
Do not train 
 
22 
27 
20 
30 
Manufacturing  
Base: 
9,665 
10,161 
9,374 
6,667 
Total doing any training 
 
59 
61 
60 
61 
Off-the-job only 
 
13 
12 
12 
13 
On-the-job only 
 
19 
23 
17 
18 
Both off- and on-the-job training 
 
27 
26 
31 
30 
Do not train 
 
41 
39 
40 
39 
Electricity, Gas and Water  
Base: 
160 
202 
231 
1,160 
Total doing any training 
 
80 
81 
82 
71 
Off-the-job only 
 
15 
16 
8 
17 
On-the-job only 
 
9 
17 
13 
14 
Both off- and on-the-job training 
 
57 
48 
61 
40 
Do not train 
 
20 
19 
18 
29 


2005 
2007 
2009 
2011 
Column % 
 
% 
% 
% 
% 


Construction  
Base: 
4,363 
4,808 
5,283 
5,485 
Total doing any training 
 
57 
59 
66 
56 
Off-the-job only 
 
19 
18 
21 
19 
On-the-job only 
 
13 
15 
11 
12 
Both off- and on-the-job training 
 
25 
26 
34 
25 
Do not train 
 
43 
41 
34 
44 
Wholesale and Retail  
Base: 
16,078 
16,861 
15,502 
13,060 
Total doing any training 
 
57 
61 
60 
61 
Off-the-job only 
 
11 
10 
12 
9 
On-the-job only 
 
23 
27 
20 
24 
Both off- and on-the-job training 
 
23 
24 
29 
27 
Do not train 
 
43 
39 
40 
39 
Hotels and Restaurants  
Base: 
5,493 
5,397 
5,609 
7,202 
Total doing any training 
 
60 
66 
66 
61 
Off-the-job only 
 
11 
11 
11 
10 
On-the-job only 
 
23 
27 
22 
23 
Both off- and on-the-job training 
 
26 
28 
33 
29 
Do not train 
 
40 
34 
34 
39 
Transport and Comms 
Base: 
4,241 
4,599 
4,501 
6,861 
Total doing any training 
 
61 
63 
61 
60 
Off-the-job only 
 
13 
12 
11 
13 
On-the-job only 
 
19 
23 
17 
20 
Both off- and on-the-job training 
 
29 
28 
32 
28 
Do not train 
 
39 
37 
39 
40 
Financial Services  
Base: 
1,746 
2,213 
2,456 
1,452 
Total doing any training 
 
84 
82 
80 
72 
Off-the-job only 
 
12 
11 
9 
10 
On-the-job only 
 
21 
24 
21 
24 
Both off- and on-the-job training 
 
51 
47 
50 
38 
Do not train 
 
16 
18 
20 
28 
Business Services  
Base: 
11,381 
12,474 
13,375 
12,656 
Total doing any training 
 
69 
69 
68 
70 
Off-the-job only 
 
16 
15 
14 
15 
 
 
2005 
2007 
2009 
2011 
Column % 
 
% 
% 
% 
% 
On-the-job only 
 
19 
20 
17 
17 
Both off- and on-the-job training 
 
34 
34 
37 
38 
Do not train 
 
31 
31 
32 
30 
Public Administration  
Base: 
638 
651 
1,031 
1,214 
Total doing any training 
 
91 
92 
87 
85 
Off-the-job only 
 
9 
21 
11 
13 
On-the-job only 
 
14 
12 
13 
17 
Both off- and on-the-job training 
 
68 
59 
64 
55 
Do not train 
 
9 
8 
13 
15 
Education  
Base: 
4,979 
4,704 
5,096 
4,582 
Total doing any training 
 
94 
92 
92 
88 
Off-the-job only 
 
14 
14 
8 
11 
On-the-job only 
 
8 
10 
8 
12 
Both off- and on-the-job training 
 
71 
68 
76 
65 
Do not train 
 
6 
8 
8 
12 
Health and Social Work  
Base: 
7,436 
6,777 
7,178 
6,872 
Total doing any training 
 
86 
88 
88 
89 
Off-the-job only 
 
14 
14 
10 
11 
On-the-job only 
 
12 
15 
11 
17 
Both off- and on-the-job training 
 
60 
60 
67 
61 
Do not train 
 
14 
12 
12 
11 
Community, Social and Personal Services activities  
Base: 
6,003 
7,084 
7,046 
6,118 
Total doing any training 
 
63 
66 
68 
68 
Off-the-job only 
 
13 
14 
13 
13 
On-the-job only 
 
18 
18 
16 
19 
Both off- and on-the-job training 
 
33 
34 
39 
37 
Do not train 
 
37 
34 
32 
32 

Base: All establishments in England Source: Skills surveys: 2011 - UKCESS 2011; 2009 - NESS09; 2007 - NESS07; 2005 - NESS05. 


 
 
2005 
2007 
2009 
2011 
Column % 
 
% 
% 
% 
% 
ENGLAND TOTAL 
Base: 
74,835 
79,018 
79,152 
74,156 
Total doing any training 
 
65 
67 
68 
66 
Off-the-job only 
 
13 
13 
13 
13 
On-the-job only 
 
19 
21 
17 
19 
Both off- and on-the-job training 
 
33 
33 
38 
34 
Do not train 
 
35 
33 
32 
34 
East of England 
Base: 
8,332 
8,454 
8,552 
8,372 
Total doing any training 
 
65 
66 
66 
67 
Off-the-job only 
 
14 
14 
13 
15 
On-the-job only 
 
17 
18 
17 
19 
Both off- and on-the-job training 
 
34 
34 
37 
34 
Do not train 
 
35 
34 
34 
33 
East Midlands  
Base: 
5,884 
7,612 
7,337 
7,253 
Total doing any training 
 
66 
68 
67 
63 
Off-the-job only 
 
12 
15 
16 
11 
On-the-job only 
 
22 
23 
15 
18 
Both off- and on-the-job training 
 
32 
30 
36 
33 
Do not train 
 
34 
32 
33 
37 
London  
Base: 
12,100 
12,077 
12,000 
9,925 
Total doing any training 
 
62 
67 
66 
64 
Off-the-job only 
 
12 
12 
13 
11 
On-the-job only 
 
24 
20 
17 
19 
Both off- and on-the-job training 
 
26 
35 
36 
34 
Do not train 
 
38 
33 
34 
36 
North East  
Base: 
4,115 
5,608 
5,677 
5,529 
Total doing any training 
 
71 
70 
69 
67 
Off-the-job only 
 
12 
12 
14 
12 
On-the-job only 
 
19 
19 
14 
20 
Both off- and on-the-job training 
 
40 
39 
40 
35 
Do not train 
 
29 
30 
31 
33 
North West 
Base: 
8,796 
8,838 
9,921 
8,735 
Total doing any training 
 
64 
68 
67 
68 
Off-the-job only 
 
14 
12 
12 
13 
On-the-job only 
 
16 
20 
17 
19 
Both off- and on-the-job training 
 
34 
37 
38 
36 
Do not train 
 
36 
32 
33 
32 
South East 
Base: 
13,647 
12,219 
11,040 
10,592 
Total doing any training 
 
70 
69 
70 
68 
Off-the-job only 
 
15 
14 
12 
14 
On-the-job only 
 
18 
24 
18 
19 
Both off- and on-the-job training 
 
37 
31 
40 
36 
 
 
2005 
2007 
2009 
2011 
Column % 
 
% 
% 
% 
% 
Do not train 
 
30 
31 
30 
32 
South West  
Base: 
8,095 
8,454 
8,698 
8,377 
Total doing any training 
 
65 
68 
71 
65 
Off-the-job only 
 
13 
14 
12 
12 
On-the-job only 
 
22 
23 
18 
20 
Both off- and on-the-job training 
 
29 
31 
41 
34 
Do not train 
 
35 
32 
29 
35 
West Midlands 
Base: 
7,404 
8,047 
8,186 
7,851 
Total doing any training 
 
60 
65 
68 
61 
Off-the-job only 
 
13 
14 
12 
12 
On-the-job only 
 
14 
23 
17 
19 
Both off- and on-the-job training 
 
32 
29 
39 
30 
Do not train 
 
40 
35 
32 
39 
Yorkshire & Humber 
Base: 
6,462 
7,709 
7,741 
7,522 
Total doing any training 
 
64 
66 
65 
67 
Off-the-job only 
 
15 
12 
14 
13 
On-the-job only 
 
14 
18 
13 
20 
Both off- and on-the-job training 
 
35 
36 
38 
34 
Do not train 
 
36 
34 
35 
33 

Base: All establishments in England Source: Skills surveys: 2011 - UKCESS 2011; 2009 - NESS09; 2007 - NESS07; 2005 - NESS05. 


## Appendix B: Local Level Data Data By Local Education Authority (Lea)

% of 
 
 
establishments 
Vacancy density 
with a vacancy 
Column % 
Base 
% 
% 
Barking and Dagenham 
119 
18 
1.9 
Barnet 
339 
13 
2.8 
Barnsley 
254 
13 
1.5 
Bath and North East Somerset 
291 
13 
1.8 
Bedford 
221 
16 
2.5 
Bexley 
188 
12 
2.0 
Birmingham 
1,214 
14 
2.4 
Blackburn with Darwen 
176 
19 
2.4 
Blackpool 
182 
12 
1.2 
Bolton 
284 
13 
1.4 
Bournemouth 
238 
16 
4.2 
Bracknell Forest 
123 
14 
3.2 
Bradford 
619 
13 
1.3 
Brent 
281 
17 
1.9 
Brighton and Hove 
333 
17 
2.7 
Bristol 
594 
16 
2.2 
Bromley 
332 
11 
1.5 
Buckinghamshire 
712 
13 
3.3 
Bury 
179 
17 
3.9 
Calderdale 
320 
10 
1.3 
Cambridgeshire 
965 
17 
2.6 
Camden 
606 
22 
3.1 
Central Bedfordshire 
373 
13 
2.1 
Cheshire East 
564 
17 
3.1 
Cheshire West and Chester 
509 
15 
1.9 
City of London 
422 
24 
2.8 
Cornwall and Isles of Scilly 
939 
9 
2.5 
Coventry 
351 
16 
2.6 
Croydon 
338 
19 
3.6 
Cumbria 
931 
10 
1.7 
Darlington 
221 
15 
2.4 
Derby 
338 
20 
1.9 
Derbyshire 
1,261 
11 
2.0 
Devon 
1,437 
11 
1.8 
Doncaster 
350 
9 
0.9 
Dorset 
691 
12 
2.1 
% of 
 
 
establishments 
Vacancy density 
with a vacancy 
Column % 
Base 
% 
% 
Dudley 
414 
10 
1.3 
Durham 
1,113 
12 
3.5 
Ealing 
331 
13 
2.3 
East Riding of Yorkshire 
541 
11 
2.1 
East Sussex 
574 
14 
2.3 
Enfield 
247 
12 
1.6 
Essex 
1,968 
12 
2.4 
Gateshead 
473 
13 
1.6 
Gloucestershire 
994 
13 
1.9 
Greenwich 
183 
24 
2.6 
Hackney 
246 
16 
2.4 
Halton 
133 
20 
3.2 
Hammersmith and Fulham 
275 
20 
3.6 
Hampshire 
1,634 
15 
2.3 
Haringey 
212 
16 
3.8 
Harrow 
220 
11 
1.8 
Hartlepool 
161 
12 
1.9 
Havering 
218 
10 
1.4 
Herefordshire 
379 
7 
1.8 
Hertfordshire 
1,599 
18 
5.0 
Hillingdon 
319 
15 
1.8 
Hounslow 
264 
21 
2.0 
Isle of Wight 
182 
14 
2.0 
Islington 
364 
21 
2.5 
Kensington and Chelsea 
333 
23 
3.6 
Kent 
1,677 
14 
2.1 
Kingston upon Hull 
358 
16 
6.4 
Kingston upon Thames 
200 
20 
2.1 
Kirklees 
548 
10 
2.6 
Knowsley 
115 
6 
0.4 
Lambeth 
269 
20 
1.6 
Lancashire 
1,590 
13 
1.7 
Leeds 
1,063 
16 
1.7 
Leicester 
419 
21 
1.7 
Leicestershire 
1,086 
13 
2.0 
Lewisham 
161 
18 
3.1 
Lincolnshire 
1,297 
11 
2.1 
Liverpool 
478 
17 
1.7 
Luton 
195 
14 
2.4 
Manchester 
583 
22 
2.8 
% of 
 
 
establishments 
Vacancy density 
with a vacancy 
Column % 
Base 
% 
% 
Medway 
233 
13 
1.8 
Merton 
216 
16 
3.2 
Middlesbrough 
270 
13 
1.5 
Milton Keynes 
294 
16 
2.0 
Newcastle upon Tyne 
670 
13 
1.7 
Newham 
171 
15 
2.4 
Norfolk 
1,297 
15 
2.2 
North East Lincolnshire 
212 
10 
1.4 
North Lincolnshire 
255 
6 
0.9 
North Somerset 
272 
15 
1.9 
North Tyneside 
355 
13 
3.2 
North Yorkshire 
1,299 
11 
1.5 
Northamptonshire 
1,179 
17 
3.2 
Northumberland 
869 
12 
2.2 
Nottingham 
452 
18 
1.9 
Nottinghamshire 
1,152 
14 
1.8 
Oldham 
220 
10 
1.3 
Oxfordshire 
912 
22 
3.2 
Peterborough 
240 
17 
2.4 
Plymouth 
259 
12 
1.3 
Poole 
217 
15 
1.8 
Portsmouth 
204 
16 
2.7 
Reading 
188 
20 
5.2 
Redbridge 
196 
12 
1.6 
Redcar and Cleveland 
237 
9 
1.5 
Richmond upon Thames 
260 
18 
3.0 
Rochdale 
226 
14 
1.3 
Rotherham 
294 
12 
1.6 
Rutland 
69 
9 
1.8 
Salford 
275 
14 
1.9 
Sandwell 
345 
14 
1.8 
Sefton 
289 
13 
2.1 
Sheffield 
683 
13 
2.9 
Shropshire 
622 
11 
1.6 
Slough 
131 
23 
2.6 
Solihull 
249 
14 
1.5 
Somerset 
911 
11 
1.9 
South Gloucestershire 
344 
14 
3.8 
South Tyneside 
248 
10 
1.0 
Southampton 
227 
16 
2.6 
% of 
 
 
establishments 
Vacancy density 
with a vacancy 
Column % 
Base 
% 
% 
Southend on Sea 
204 
10 
2.0 
Southwark 
354 
19 
2.1 
St Helens 
177 
7 
0.9 
Staffordshire 
1,246 
12 
1.8 
Stockport 
367 
12 
1.9 
Stockton-on-Tees 
390 
13 
1.8 
Stoke-on-Trent 
299 
8 
1.1 
Suffolk 
1,147 
14 
2.4 
Sunderland 
522 
15 
1.3 
Surrey 
1,535 
19 
3.2 
Sutton 
190 
13 
1.7 
Swindon 
244 
18 
1.5 
Tameside 
220 
11 
1.2 
Telford and Wrekin 
225 
13 
1.7 
Thurrock 
163 
13 
1.3 
Torbay 
182 
14 
1.7 
Tower Hamlets 
288 
17 
4.2 
Trafford 
347 
16 
2.2 
Wakefield 
414 
11 
3.8 
Walsall 
305 
8 
1.2 
Waltham Forest 
170 
8 
1.7 
Wandsworth 
321 
14 
2.3 
Warrington 
261 
19 
2.9 
Warwickshire 
943 
13 
2.0 
West Berkshire 
234 
16 
2.4 
West Sussex 
1,004 
15 
2.3 
Westminster 
1,292 
20 
2.7 
Wigan 
323 
12 
1.3 
Wiltshire 
764 
12 
1.8 
Windsor and Maidenhead 
214 
16 
2.4 
Wirral 
306 
13 
1.9 
Wokingham 
181 
18 
3.1 
Wolverhampton 
301 
11 
1.5 
Worcestershire 
958 
12 
1.9 
York 
312 
12 
2.1 

Base: All establishments in each LEA Percentages in Column 2 are based on all employment, percentages therefore represent the number of vacancies as a proportion of all employment 

 
% of establishments 
 
Hard-to-fill 
 
with a hard-to-fill 
vacancy density 
vacancy 
Column % 
Base 
% 
Base 
% 
Barking and Dagenham 
119 
8 
25 
21 
Barnet 
339 
3 
66 
10 
Barnsley 
254 
4 
44 
19 
Bath and North East Somerset 
291 
4 
59 
22 
Bedford 
221 
7 
55 
27 
Bexley 
188 
6 
30 
22 
Birmingham 
1,214 
4 
191 
19 
Blackburn with Darwen 
176 
3 
39 
8 
Blackpool 
182 
2 
33 
17 
Bolton 
284 
3 
52 
11 
Bournemouth 
238 
4 
46 
12 
Bracknell Forest 
123 
4 
32 
12 
Bradford 
619 
5 
107 
27 
Brent 
281 
7 
58 
32 
Brighton and Hove 
333 
4 
94 
17 
Bristol 
594 
4 
125 
27 
Bromley 
332 
4 
51 
20 
Buckinghamshire 
712 
5 
179 
20 
Bury 
179 
3 
40 
7 
Calderdale 
320 
3 
46 
31 
Cambridgeshire 
965 
6 
241 
27 
Camden 
606 
7 
203 
17 
Central Bedfordshire 
373 
5 
76 
27 
Cheshire East 
564 
4 
133 
12 
Cheshire West and Chester 
509 
4 
112 
17 
City of London 
422 
6 
140 
9 
Cornwall and Isles of Scilly 
939 
2 
148 
16 
Coventry 
351 
5 
62 
50 
Croydon 
338 
7 
88 
19 
Cumbria 
931 
4 
167 
22 
Darlington 
221 
7 
40 
45 
Derby 
338 
4 
74 
15 
Derbyshire 
1,261 
4 
211 
17 
Devon 
1,437 
4 
248 
26 
Doncaster 
350 
1 
47 
17 
Dorset 
691 
3 
126 
30 
Dudley 
414 
3 
54 
21 
Durham 
1,113 
4 
155 
11 
Ealing 
331 
4 
66 
42 
 
% of establishments 
 
Hard-to-fill 
 
with a hard-to-fill 
vacancy density 
vacancy 
Column % 
Base 
% 
Base 
% 
East Riding of Yorkshire 
541 
4 
85 
24 
East Sussex 
574 
5 
125 
25 
Enfield 
247 
3 
47 
17 
Essex 
1,968 
5 
378 
22 
Gateshead 
473 
2 
62 
10 
Gloucestershire 
994 
3 
189 
22 
Greenwich 
183 
5 
50 
14 
Hackney 
246 
6 
48 
21 
Halton 
133 
15 
23 
** 
Hammersmith and Fulham 
275 
9 
68 
18 
Hampshire 
1,634 
6 
382 
23 
Haringey 
212 
5 
43 
11 
Harrow 
220 
3 
49 
20 
Hartlepool 
161 
3 
20 
** 
Havering 
218 
3 
30 
24 
Herefordshire 
379 
1 
42 
21 
Hertfordshire 
1,599 
7 
365 
10 
Hillingdon 
319 
4 
73 
9 
Hounslow 
264 
7 
63 
30 
Isle of Wight 
182 
4 
33 
20 
Islington 
364 
5 
107 
10 
Kensington and Chelsea 
333 
9 
105 
19 
Kent 
1,677 
5 
377 
26 
Kingston upon Hull 
358 
2 
55 
3 
Kingston upon Thames 
200 
7 
44 
21 
Kirklees 
548 
5 
88 
50 
Knowsley 
115 
* 
11 
** 
Lambeth 
269 
7 
70 
20 
Lancashire 
1,590 
4 
301 
22 
Leeds 
1,063 
5 
199 
22 
Leicester 
419 
6 
93 
19 
Leicestershire 
1,086 
4 
211 
15 
Lewisham 
161 
2 
40 
6 
Lincolnshire 
1,297 
3 
226 
22 
Liverpool 
478 
5 
108 
12 
Luton 
195 
4 
42 
18 
Manchester 
583 
5 
164 
22 
Medway 
233 
5 
43 
19 
Merton 
216 
7 
44 
18 
Middlesbrough 
270 
4 
40 
34 
 
% of establishments 
 
Hard-to-fill 
 
with a hard-to-fill 
vacancy density 
vacancy 
Column % 
Base 
% 
Base 
% 
Milton Keynes 
294 
5 
66 
22 
Newcastle upon Tyne 
670 
2 
90 
20 
Newham 
171 
3 
33 
7 
Norfolk 
1,297 
6 
273 
24 
North East Lincolnshire 
212 
2 
30 
17 
North Lincolnshire 
255 
2 
28 
28 
North Somerset 
272 
5 
51 
25 
North Tyneside 
355 
3 
55 
9 
North Yorkshire 
1,299 
3 
214 
28 
Northamptonshire 
1,179 
6 
234 
46 
Northumberland 
869 
4 
137 
31 
Nottingham 
452 
3 
94 
9 
Nottinghamshire 
1,152 
4 
209 
15 
Oldham 
220 
4 
37 
20 
Oxfordshire 
912 
7 
282 
21 
Peterborough 
240 
7 
61 
19 
Plymouth 
259 
2 
39 
18 
Poole 
217 
6 
51 
25 
Portsmouth 
204 
5 
47 
13 
Reading 
188 
5 
52 
6 
Redbridge 
196 
4 
34 
24 
Redcar and Cleveland 
237 
3 
30 
20 
Richmond upon Thames 
260 
8 
65 
25 
Rochdale 
226 
3 
49 
16 
Rotherham 
294 
5 
48 
22 
Rutland 
69 
2 
9 
** 
Salford 
275 
5 
60 
16 
Sandwell 
345 
6 
49 
36 
Sefton 
289 
3 
49 
14 
Sheffield 
683 
4 
119 
47 
Shropshire 
622 
5 
84 
33 
Slough 
131 
7 
38 
18 
Solihull 
249 
4 
43 
19 
Somerset 
911 
5 
153 
37 
South Gloucestershire 
344 
3 
61 
4 
South Tyneside 
248 
3 
29 
22 
Southampton 
227 
5 
54 
32 
Southend on Sea 
204 
4 
36 
16 
Southwark 
354 
4 
94 
9 
St Helens 
177 
2 
17 
** 
 
% of establishments 
 
Hard-to-fill 
 
with a hard-to-fill 
vacancy density 
vacancy 
Column % 
Base 
% 
Base 
% 
Staffordshire 
1,246 
4 
187 
28 
Stockport 
367 
3 
68 
11 
Stockton-on-Tees 
390 
4 
59 
24 
Stoke-on-Trent 
299 
2 
27 
12 
Suffolk 
1,147 
6 
231 
22 
Sunderland 
522 
4 
89 
13 
Surrey 
1,535 
8 
442 
25 
Sutton 
190 
4 
45 
21 
Swindon 
244 
4 
50 
13 
Tameside 
220 
3 
40 
17 
Telford and Wrekin 
225 
2 
33 
9 
Thurrock 
163 
5 
24 
** 
Torbay 
182 
3 
35 
17 
Tower Hamlets 
288 
7 
70 
11 
Trafford 
347 
5 
78 
17 
Wakefield 
414 
2 
65 
6 
Walsall 
305 
3 
34 
35 
Waltham Forest 
170 
2 
23 
** 
Wandsworth 
321 
4 
73 
19 
Warrington 
261 
8 
69 
14 
Warwickshire 
943 
4 
150 
26 
West Berkshire 
234 
4 
66 
23 
West Sussex 
1,004 
5 
255 
22 
Westminster 
1,292 
6 
392 
17 
Wigan 
323 
4 
59 
26 
Wiltshire 
764 
3 
144 
21 
Windsor and Maidenhead 
214 
9 
56 
40 
Wirral 
306 
6 
46 
36 
Wokingham 
181 
7 
55 
27 
Wolverhampton 
301 
3 
47 
18 
Worcestershire 
958 
4 
153 
37 
York 
312 
2 
74 
31 

 Base: Column 1  all establishments in each LEA, Column 2 all establishments in each LEA with vacancies Percentages in Column 2 are based on all vacancies, rather than all establishments with vacancies; figures therefore show the percentage of vacancies that are hard-to-fill. '**' denotes base size <25 and therefore too low to report. Figures in italics denote base size below 50 and figures should be treated with caution. 


 
Skill-shortage 
 
 
% of establishments 
with a skill-shortage 
vacancy density 
vacancy 
Column % 
Base 
% 
Base 
% 
Barking and Dagenham 
119 
8 
25 
20 
Barnet 
339 
3 
66 
8 
Barnsley 
254 
2 
44 
9 
Bath and North East Somerset 
291 
3 
59 
11 
Bedford 
221 
6 
55 
22 
Bexley 
188 
6 
30 
21 
Birmingham 
1,214 
3 
191 
9 
Blackburn with Darwen 
176 
2 
39 
5 
Blackpool 
182 
1 
33 
** 
Bolton 
284 
2 
52 
8 
Bournemouth 
238 
4 
46 
11 
Bracknell Forest 
123 
2 
32 
9 
Bradford 
619 
3 
107 
18 
Brent 
281 
6 
58 
30 
Brighton and Hove 
333 
3 
94 
15 
Bristol 
594 
4 
125 
23 
Bromley 
332 
2 
51 
14 
Buckinghamshire 
712 
4 
179 
12 
Bury 
179 
3 
40 
6 
Calderdale 
320 
2 
46 
25 
Cambridgeshire 
965 
5 
241 
22 
Camden 
606 
5 
203 
14 
Central Bedfordshire 
373 
3 
76 
22 
Cheshire East 
564 
3 
133 
10 
Cheshire West and Chester 
509 
4 
112 
** 
City of London 
422 
6 
140 
8 
Cornwall and Isles of Scilly 
939 
2 
148 
7 
Coventry 
351 
3 
62 
43 
Croydon 
338 
6 
88 
17 
Cumbria 
931 
3 
167 
16 
Darlington 
221 
6 
40 
40 
Derby 
338 
3 
74 
12 
Derbyshire 
1,261 
3 
211 
12 
Devon 
1,437 
3 
248 
** 
Doncaster 
350 
1 
47 
15 
Dorset 
691 
2 
126 
21 
Dudley 
414 
3 
54 
16 
Durham 
1,113 
3 
155 
7 
Ealing 
331 
4 
66 
40 
 
Skill-shortage 
 
 
% of establishments 
with a skill-shortage 
vacancy density 
vacancy 
Column % 
Base 
% 
Base 
% 
East Riding of Yorkshire 
541 
3 
85 
21 
East Sussex 
574 
4 
125 
17 
Enfield 
247 
3 
47 
14 
Essex 
1,968 
3 
378 
15 
Gateshead 
473 
2 
62 
6 
Gloucestershire 
994 
2 
189 
17 
Greenwich 
183 
4 
50 
10 
Hackney 
246 
5 
48 
18 
Halton 
133 
3 
23 
6 
Hammersmith and Fulham 
275 
8 
68 
17 
Hampshire 
1,634 
5 
382 
18 
Haringey 
212 
5 
43 
10 
Harrow 
220 
3 
49 
19 
Hartlepool 
161 
3 
20 
8 
Havering 
218 
3 
30 
21 
Herefordshire 
379 
1 
42 
12 
Hertfordshire 
1,599 
5 
365 
7 
Hillingdon 
319 
3 
73 
7 
Hounslow 
264 
6 
63 
29 
Isle of Wight 
182 
3 
33 
18 
Islington 
364 
4 
107 
9 
Kensington and Chelsea 
333 
8 
105 
19 
Kent 
1,677 
5 
377 
21 
Kingston upon Hull 
358 
2 
55 
1 
Kingston upon Thames 
200 
6 
44 
17 
Kirklees 
548 
5 
88 
48 
Knowsley 
115 
* 
11 
3 
Lambeth 
269 
6 
70 
18 
Lancashire 
1,590 
4 
301 
17 
Leeds 
1,063 
3 
199 
15 
Leicester 
419 
5 
93 
14 
Leicestershire 
1,086 
3 
211 
14 
Lewisham 
161 
2 
40 
6 
Lincolnshire 
1,297 
3 
226 
20 
Liverpool 
478 
2 
108 
7 
Luton 
195 
3 
42 
17 
Manchester 
583 
3 
164 
** 
Medway 
233 
3 
43 
9 
Merton 
216 
4 
44 
10 
Middlesbrough 
270 
2 
40 
26 
 
Skill-shortage 
 
 
% of establishments 
with a skill-shortage 
vacancy density 
vacancy 
Column % 
Base 
% 
Base 
% 
Milton Keynes 
294 
5 
66 
13 
Newcastle upon Tyne 
670 
2 
90 
** 
Newham 
171 
2 
33 
4 
Norfolk 
1,297 
5 
273 
20 
North East Lincolnshire 
212 
2 
30 
17 
North Lincolnshire 
255 
2 
28 
17 
North Somerset 
272 
2 
51 
7 
North Tyneside 
355 
1 
55 
5 
North Yorkshire 
1,299 
2 
214 
14 
Northamptonshire 
1,179 
5 
234 
43 
Northumberland 
869 
3 
137 
22 
Nottingham 
452 
2 
94 
6 
Nottinghamshire 
1,152 
3 
209 
11 
Oldham 
220 
4 
37 
18 
Oxfordshire 
912 
5 
282 
17 
Peterborough 
240 
6 
61 
12 
Plymouth 
259 
2 
39 
16 
Poole 
217 
6 
51 
22 
Portsmouth 
204 
4 
47 
9 
Reading 
188 
4 
52 
6 
Redbridge 
196 
3 
34 
19 
Redcar and Cleveland 
237 
2 
30 
12 
Richmond upon Thames 
260 
8 
65 
24 
Rochdale 
226 
2 
49 
12 
Rotherham 
294 
4 
48 
19 
Rutland 
69 
1 
9 
4 
Salford 
275 
4 
60 
14 
Sandwell 
345 
4 
49 
24 
Sefton 
289 
2 
49 
12 
Sheffield 
683 
3 
119 
6 
Shropshire 
622 
3 
84 
17 
Slough 
131 
6 
38 
16 
Solihull 
249 
1 
43 
5 
Somerset 
911 
3 
153 
21 
South Gloucestershire 
344 
2 
61 
3 
South Tyneside 
248 
2 
29 
16 
Southampton 
227 
5 
54 
20 
Southend on Sea 
204 
3 
36 
13 
Southwark 
354 
3 
94 
7 
St Helens 
177 
2 
17 
10 
 
Skill-shortage 
 
 
% of establishments 
with a skill-shortage 
vacancy density 
vacancy 
Column % 
Base 
% 
Base 
% 
Staffordshire 
1,246 
2 
187 
** 
Stockport 
367 
2 
68 
6 
Stockton-on-Tees 
390 
3 
59 
20 
Stoke-on-Trent 
299 
2 
27 
9 
Suffolk 
1,147 
5 
231 
17 
Sunderland 
522 
3 
89 
10 
Surrey 
1,535 
5 
442 
18 
Sutton 
190 
3 
45 
15 
Swindon 
244 
3 
50 
9 
Tameside 
220 
2 
40 
** 
Telford and Wrekin 
225 
2 
33 
9 
Thurrock 
163 
3 
24 
12 
Torbay 
182 
3 
35 
11 
Tower Hamlets 
288 
6 
70 
9 
Trafford 
347 
5 
78 
15 
Wakefield 
414 
1 
65 
3 
Walsall 
305 
2 
34 
21 
Waltham Forest 
170 
2 
23 
11 
Wandsworth 
321 
3 
73 
16 
Warrington 
261 
6 
69 
11 
Warwickshire 
943 
3 
150 
17 
West Berkshire 
234 
3 
66 
21 
West Sussex 
1,004 
4 
255 
20 
Westminster 
1,292 
5 
392 
14 
Wigan 
323 
3 
59 
21 
Wiltshire 
764 
2 
144 
15 
Windsor and Maidenhead 
214 
8 
56 
33 
Wirral 
306 
2 
46 
9 
Wokingham 
181 
5 
55 
19 
Wolverhampton 
301 
3 
47 
17 
Worcestershire 
958 
3 
153 
26 
York 
312 
1 
74 
29 

 
Base: Column 1 all establishments in each LEA, Column 2 all establishments in each LEA with vacancies 
 
Percentages in Column 2 are based on all vacancies, rather than all establishments with vacancies; figures 
therefore show the percentage of vacancies that are hard-to-fill due to skill shortages. 
 
'**' denotes base size <25 and therefore too low to report. Figures in italics denote base size below 50 and 
figures should be treated with caution. 
 

% of 
 
 
establishments 
% of workforce that have skills 
with a skills gap 
gaps 
Column % 
Base 
% 
% 
Barking and Dagenham 
119 
14 
4 
Barnet 
339 
17 
8 
Barnsley 
254 
13 
2 
Bath and North East Somerset 
291 
16 
5 
Bedford 
221 
25 
7 
Bexley 
188 
9 
3 
Birmingham 
1,214 
18 
6 
Blackburn with Darwen 
176 
17 
5 
Blackpool 
182 
20 
8 
Bolton 
284 
18 
6 
Bournemouth 
238 
17 
7 
Bracknell Forest 
123 
20 
14 
Bradford 
619 
17 
5 
Brent 
281 
20 
8 
Brighton and Hove 
333 
18 
9 
Bristol 
594 
20 
6 
Bromley 
332 
18 
7 
Buckinghamshire 
712 
13 
5 
Bury 
179 
15 
5 
Calderdale 
320 
14 
4 
Cambridgeshire 
965 
14 
7 
Camden 
606 
17 
5 
Central Bedfordshire 
373 
13 
5 
Cheshire East 
564 
20 
6 
Cheshire West and Chester 
509 
17 
5 
City of London 
422 
13 
5 
Cornwall and Isles of Scilly 
939 
18 
6 
Coventry 
351 
21 
5 
Croydon 
338 
15 
18 
Cumbria 
931 
15 
4 
Darlington 
221 
19 
4 
Derby 
338 
18 
12 
Derbyshire 
1,261 
14 
4 
Devon 
1,437 
19 
5 
Doncaster 
350 
18 
4 
Dorset 
691 
15 
4 
Dudley 
414 
13 
4 
Durham 
1,113 
17 
6 
Ealing 
331 
14 
5 
% of 
 
 
establishments 
% of workforce that have skills 
with a skills gap 
gaps 
Column % 
Base 
% 
% 
East Riding of Yorkshire 
541 
16 
8 
East Sussex 
574 
17 
5 
Enfield 
247 
13 
7 
Essex 
1,968 
17 
5 
Gateshead 
473 
17 
4 
Gloucestershire 
994 
18 
6 
Greenwich 
183 
17 
7 
Hackney 
246 
18 
7 
Halton 
133 
17 
3 
Hammersmith and Fulham 
275 
13 
3 
Hampshire 
1,634 
18 
5 
Haringey 
212 
14 
5 
Harrow 
220 
11 
6 
Hartlepool 
161 
18 
8 
Havering 
218 
16 
6 
Herefordshire 
379 
16 
6 
Hertfordshire 
1,599 
18 
7 
Hillingdon 
319 
16 
9 
Hounslow 
264 
16 
5 
Isle of Wight 
182 
21 
7 
Islington 
364 
14 
5 
Kensington and Chelsea 
333 
14 
4 
Kent 
1,677 
19 
7 
Kingston upon Hull 
358 
21 
4 
Kingston upon Thames 
200 
19 
6 
Kirklees 
548 
18 
6 
Knowsley 
115 
18 
5 
Lambeth 
269 
17 
7 
Lancashire 
1,590 
17 
5 
Leeds 
1,063 
21 
5 
Leicester 
419 
16 
9 
Leicestershire 
1,086 
13 
6 
Lewisham 
161 
14 
5 
Lincolnshire 
1,297 
16 
5 
Liverpool 
478 
17 
6 
Luton 
195 
19 
5 
Manchester 
583 
23 
7 
Medway 
233 
22 
6 
Merton 
216 
11 
5 
Middlesbrough 
270 
19 
9 
% of 
 
 
establishments 
% of workforce that have skills 
with a skills gap 
gaps 
Column % 
Base 
% 
% 
Milton Keynes 
294 
22 
13 
Newcastle upon Tyne 
670 
20 
4 
Newham 
171 
19 
6 
Norfolk 
1,297 
17 
6 
North East Lincolnshire 
212 
25 
6 
North Lincolnshire 
255 
21 
6 
North Somerset 
272 
15 
5 
North Tyneside 
355 
16 
4 
North Yorkshire 
1,299 
13 
6 
Northamptonshire 
1,179 
15 
9 
Northumberland 
869 
17 
5 
Nottingham 
452 
15 
7 
Nottinghamshire 
1,152 
15 
4 
Oldham 
220 
15 
4 
Oxfordshire 
912 
20 
5 
Peterborough 
240 
22 
4 
Plymouth 
259 
23 
7 
Poole 
217 
19 
5 
Portsmouth 
204 
20 
5 
Reading 
188 
23 
4 
Redbridge 
196 
17 
4 
Redcar and Cleveland 
237 
20 
10 
Richmond upon Thames 
260 
11 
4 
Rochdale 
226 
17 
5 
Rotherham 
294 
22 
8 
Rutland 
69 
15 
6 
Salford 
275 
15 
5 
Sandwell 
345 
18 
4 
Sefton 
289 
21 
4 
Sheffield 
683 
22 
4 
Shropshire 
622 
15 
7 
Slough 
131 
18 
6 
Solihull 
249 
20 
10 
Somerset 
911 
18 
4 
South Gloucestershire 
344 
21 
6 
South Tyneside 
248 
17 
5 
Southampton 
227 
26 
4 
Southend on Sea 
204 
17 
4 
Southwark 
354 
15 
5 
St Helens 
177 
22 
8 
% of 
 
 
establishments 
% of workforce that have skills 
with a skills gap 
gaps 
Column % 
Base 
% 
% 
Staffordshire 
1,246 
17 
7 
Stockport 
367 
17 
6 
Stockton-on-Tees 
390 
18 
4 
Stoke-on-Trent 
299 
17 
4 
Suffolk 
1,147 
19 
6 
Sunderland 
522 
15 
8 
Surrey 
1,535 
18 
5 
Sutton 
190 
14 
9 
Swindon 
244 
22 
5 
Tameside 
220 
18 
5 
Telford and Wrekin 
225 
21 
4 
Thurrock 
163 
17 
4 
Torbay 
182 
20 
6 
Tower Hamlets 
288 
20 
6 
Trafford 
347 
15 
6 
Wakefield 
414 
19 
5 
Walsall 
305 
19 
6 
Waltham Forest 
170 
13 
8 
Wandsworth 
321 
13 
6 
Warrington 
261 
21 
5 
Warwickshire 
943 
16 
5 
West Berkshire 
234 
18 
6 
West Sussex 
1,004 
19 
5 
Westminster 
1,292 
13 
4 
Wigan 
323 
12 
4 
Wiltshire 
764 
18 
5 
Windsor and Maidenhead 
214 
17 
5 
Wirral 
306 
17 
8 
Wokingham 
181 
15 
5 
Wolverhampton 
301 
23 
5 
Worcestershire 
958 
19 
5 
York 
312 
21 
3 

Base: All establishments in each LEA Percentages in Column 2 are based on all employment, percentages therefore represent the percentage of employees in the workforce that have a skills gap 

Off-job 
Off-job 
On-job 
and on-
 
 
ANY 
training 
training 
job 
Do not 
TRAINING 
only 
only 
training 
train 
Column % 
Base 
% 
% 
% 
% 
% 
Barking and Dagenham 
119 
64 
19 
18 
28 
36 
Barnet 
339 
61 
10 
21 
30 
39 
Barnsley 
254 
60 
12 
14 
34 
40 
Bath and North East Somerset 
291 
66 
14 
25 
27 
34 
Bedford 
221 
64 
11 
12 
41 
36 
Bexley 
188 
56 
5 
14 
38 
44 
Birmingham 
1,214 
63 
12 
19 
32 
37 
Blackburn with Darwen 
176 
69 
9 
26 
34 
31 
Blackpool 
182 
61 
7 
16 
37 
39 
Bolton 
284 
75 
12 
24 
39 
25 
Bournemouth 
238 
68 
13 
22 
33 
32 
Bracknell Forest 
123 
63 
11 
24 
29 
37 
Bradford 
619 
65 
10 
18 
37 
35 
Brent 
281 
57 
11 
14 
32 
43 
Brighton and Hove 
333 
70 
11 
24 
35 
30 
Bristol 
594 
70 
10 
19 
41 
30 
Bromley 
332 
62 
8 
20 
34 
38 
Buckinghamshire 
712 
64 
22 
12 
31 
36 
Bury 
179 
65 
10 
24 
32 
35 
Calderdale 
320 
64 
15 
18 
30 
36 
Cambridgeshire 
965 
72 
17 
19 
36 
28 
Camden 
606 
60 
9 
19 
32 
40 
Central Bedfordshire 
373 
65 
18 
14 
33 
35 
Cheshire East 
564 
66 
13 
17 
36 
34 
Cheshire West and Chester 
509 
70 
17 
21 
32 
30 
City of London 
422 
67 
11 
14 
42 
33 
Cornwall and Isles of Scilly 
939 
62 
12 
18 
32 
38 
Coventry 
351 
66 
11 
20 
35 
34 
Croydon 
338 
70 
9 
25 
35 
30 
Cumbria 
931 
63 
16 
15 
33 
37 
Darlington 
221 
69 
12 
18 
38 
31 
Derby 
338 
67 
12 
18 
37 
33 
Derbyshire 
1,261 
58 
10 
16 
31 
42 
Devon 
1,437 
63 
11 
17 
35 
37 
Doncaster 
350 
69 
18 
22 
30 
31 
Dorset 
691 
60 
13 
18 
29 
40 
Dudley 
414 
58 
9 
20 
29 
42 
Durham 
1,113 
65 
11 
20 
35 
35 
Ealing 
331 
69 
14 
22 
33 
31 
Off-job 
Off-job 
On-job 
and on-
 
 
ANY 
training 
training 
job 
Do not 
TRAINING 
only 
only 
training 
train 
Column % 
Base 
% 
% 
% 
% 
% 
East Riding of Yorkshire 
541 
64 
13 
19 
32 
36 
East Sussex 
574 
68 
12 
21 
35 
32 
Enfield 
247 
55 
8 
21 
26 
45 
Essex 
1,968 
65 
15 
19 
31 
35 
Gateshead 
473 
69 
13 
20 
35 
31 
Gloucestershire 
994 
64 
11 
18 
35 
36 
Greenwich 
183 
66 
11 
20 
35 
34 
Hackney 
246 
55 
8 
13 
34 
45 
Halton 
133 
75 
11 
14 
50 
25 
Hammersmith and Fulham 
275 
62 
14 
15 
33 
38 
Hampshire 
1,634 
69 
14 
18 
36 
31 
Haringey 
212 
58 
11 
16 
30 
42 
Harrow 
220 
61 
16 
12 
32 
39 
Hartlepool 
161 
68 
10 
19 
39 
32 
Havering 
218 
51 
10 
18 
23 
49 
Herefordshire 
379 
56 
17 
14 
25 
44 
Hertfordshire 
1,599 
69 
14 
21 
34 
31 
Hillingdon 
319 
59 
9 
13 
37 
41 
Hounslow 
264 
69 
14 
19 
36 
31 
Isle of Wight 
182 
73 
18 
19 
36 
27 
Islington 
364 
64 
12 
19 
34 
36 
Kensington and Chelsea 
333 
60 
12 
17 
32 
40 
Kent 
1,677 
68 
13 
20 
35 
32 
Kingston upon Hull 
358 
72 
19 
19 
34 
28 
Kingston upon Thames 
200 
70 
14 
18 
38 
30 
Kirklees 
548 
64 
14 
18 
32 
36 
Knowsley 
115 
72 
16 
22 
34 
28 
Lambeth 
269 
69 
13 
17 
39 
31 
Lancashire 
1,590 
68 
15 
17 
35 
32 
Leeds 
1,063 
72 
11 
22 
39 
28 
Leicester 
419 
61 
9 
22 
31 
39 
Leicestershire 
1,086 
61 
10 
17 
35 
39 
Lewisham 
161 
68 
11 
17 
40 
32 
Lincolnshire 
1,297 
63 
13 
18 
32 
37 
Liverpool 
478 
76 
12 
19 
45 
24 
Luton 
195 
64 
12 
19 
33 
36 
Manchester 
583 
71 
12 
18 
40 
29 
Medway 
233 
76 
23 
18 
36 
24 
Merton 
216 
67 
11 
24 
32 
33 
Middlesbrough 
270 
75 
8 
25 
42 
25 
Off-job 
Off-job 
On-job 
and on-
 
 
ANY 
training 
training 
job 
Do not 
TRAINING 
only 
only 
training 
train 
Column % 
Base 
% 
% 
% 
% 
% 
Milton Keynes 
294 
74 
19 
21 
34 
26 
Newcastle upon Tyne 
670 
70 
10 
19 
41 
30 
Newham 
171 
64 
12 
21 
31 
36 
Norfolk 
1,297 
65 
14 
16 
35 
35 
North East Lincolnshire 
212 
63 
11 
18 
34 
37 
North Lincolnshire 
255 
72 
15 
27 
31 
28 
North Somerset 
272 
70 
12 
24 
34 
30 
North Tyneside 
355 
64 
10 
20 
34 
36 
North Yorkshire 
1,299 
62 
14 
22 
27 
38 
Northamptonshire 
1,179 
61 
12 
16 
33 
39 
Northumberland 
869 
66 
15 
18 
32 
34 
Nottingham 
452 
73 
9 
25 
40 
27 
Nottinghamshire 
1,152 
63 
13 
17 
34 
37 
Oldham 
220 
62 
8 
21 
33 
38 
Oxfordshire 
912 
71 
13 
23 
35 
29 
Peterborough 
240 
67 
12 
20 
34 
33 
Plymouth 
259 
72 
15 
25 
32 
28 
Poole 
217 
71 
12 
24 
36 
29 
Portsmouth 
204 
78 
12 
27 
39 
22 
Reading 
188 
73 
12 
25 
36 
27 
Redbridge 
196 
58 
7 
12 
38 
42 
Redcar and Cleveland 
237 
71 
14 
23 
35 
29 
Richmond upon Thames 
260 
69 
13 
17 
38 
31 
Rochdale 
226 
64 
9 
20 
34 
36 
Rotherham 
294 
65 
9 
15 
40 
35 
Rutland 
69 
64 
9 
19 
36 
36 
Salford 
275 
65 
7 
20 
38 
35 
Sandwell 
345 
59 
8 
21 
30 
41 
Sefton 
289 
65 
13 
19 
34 
35 
Sheffield 
683 
70 
11 
20 
38 
30 
Shropshire 
622 
60 
15 
19 
26 
40 
Slough 
131 
74 
19 
14 
40 
26 
Solihull 
249 
62 
13 
18 
31 
38 
Somerset 
911 
64 
12 
20 
32 
36 
South Gloucestershire 
344 
66 
16 
16 
34 
34 
South Tyneside 
248 
65 
11 
19 
35 
35 
Southampton 
227 
64 
10 
16 
38 
36 
Southend on Sea 
204 
66 
17 
18 
31 
34 
Southwark 
354 
69 
8 
17 
44 
31 
St Helens 
177 
68 
10 
11 
48 
32 
Off-job 
Off-job 
On-job 
and on-
 
 
ANY 
training 
training 
job 
Do not 
TRAINING 
only 
only 
training 
train 
Column % 
Base 
% 
% 
% 
% 
% 
Staffordshire 
1,246 
58 
12 
18 
28 
42 
Stockport 
367 
74 
15 
27 
31 
26 
Stockton-on-Tees 
390 
72 
14 
21 
37 
28 
Stoke-on-Trent 
299 
61 
12 
19 
30 
39 
Suffolk 
1,147 
65 
14 
18 
34 
35 
Sunderland 
522 
66 
11 
18 
38 
34 
Surrey 
1,535 
67 
15 
16 
37 
33 
Sutton 
190 
59 
11 
13 
36 
41 
Swindon 
244 
70 
12 
20 
39 
30 
Tameside 
220 
69 
21 
18 
30 
31 
Telford and Wrekin 
225 
66 
14 
20 
32 
34 
Thurrock 
163 
65 
7 
21 
37 
35 
Torbay 
182 
61 
5 
22 
34 
39 
Tower Hamlets 
288 
70 
15 
21 
34 
30 
Trafford 
347 
76 
11 
19 
46 
24 
Wakefield 
414 
59 
10 
19 
29 
41 
Walsall 
305 
59 
10 
16 
33 
41 
Waltham Forest 
170 
61 
9 
21 
31 
39 
Wandsworth 
321 
62 
13 
19 
30 
38 
Warrington 
261 
74 
13 
17 
43 
26 
Warwickshire 
943 
61 
13 
18 
31 
39 
West Berkshire 
234 
68 
8 
24 
36 
32 
West Sussex 
1,004 
66 
14 
18 
35 
34 
Westminster 
1,292 
68 
12 
20 
36 
32 
Wigan 
323 
63 
10 
22 
31 
37 
Wiltshire 
764 
64 
9 
22 
33 
36 
Windsor and Maidenhead 
214 
62 
12 
17 
33 
38 
Wirral 
306 
63 
8 
18 
37 
37 
Wokingham 
181 
74 
17 
20 
36 
26 
Wolverhampton 
301 
58 
11 
18 
29 
42 
Worcestershire 
958 
62 
14 
18 
29 
38 
York 
312 
80 
16 
20 
44 
20 

Base: All establishments in each LEA 

% of establishments that 
train staff to nationally 
 
 
recognised qualifications 
Column % 
Base 
% 
Barking and Dagenham 
119 
27 
Barnet 
339 
27 
Barnsley 
254 
32 
Bath and North East Somerset 
291 
27 
Bedford 
221 
32 
Bexley 
188 
30 
Birmingham 
1,214 
26 
Blackburn with Darwen 
176 
30 
Blackpool 
182 
33 
Bolton 
284 
37 
Bournemouth 
238 
24 
Bracknell Forest 
123 
36 
Bradford 
619 
29 
Brent 
281 
23 
Brighton and Hove 
333 
24 
Bristol 
594 
26 
Bromley 
332 
27 
Buckinghamshire 
712 
23 
Bury 
179 
38 
Calderdale 
320 
32 
Cambridgeshire 
965 
40 
Camden 
606 
20 
Central Bedfordshire 
373 
33 
Cheshire East 
564 
30 
Cheshire West and Chester 
509 
33 
City of London 
422 
23 
Cornwall and Isles of Scilly 
939 
30 
Coventry 
351 
29 
Croydon 
338 
31 
Cumbria 
931 
31 
Darlington 
221 
39 
Derby 
338 
38 
Derbyshire 
1,261 
33 
Devon 
1,437 
26 
Doncaster 
350 
35 
Dorset 
691 
26 
Dudley 
414 
27 
Durham 
1,113 
37 
Ealing 
331 
30 
% of establishments that 
train staff to nationally 
 
 
recognised qualifications 
Column % 
Base 
% 
East Riding of Yorkshire 
541 
25 
East Sussex 
574 
30 
Enfield 
247 
29 
Essex 
1,968 
32 
Gateshead 
473 
39 
Gloucestershire 
994 
29 
Greenwich 
183 
28 
Hackney 
246 
22 
Halton 
133 
30 
Hammersmith and Fulham 
275 
23 
Hampshire 
1,634 
32 
Haringey 
212 
27 
Harrow 
220 
22 
Hartlepool 
161 
44 
Havering 
218 
24 
Herefordshire 
379 
24 
Hertfordshire 
1,599 
29 
Hillingdon 
319 
32 
Hounslow 
264 
30 
Isle of Wight 
182 
33 
Islington 
364 
26 
Kensington and Chelsea 
333 
18 
Kent 
1,677 
29 
Kingston upon Hull 
358 
33 
Kingston upon Thames 
200 
35 
Kirklees 
548 
26 
Knowsley 
115 
40 
Lambeth 
269 
30 
Lancashire 
1,590 
35 
Leeds 
1,063 
29 
Leicester 
419 
30 
Leicestershire 
1,086 
30 
Lewisham 
161 
35 
Lincolnshire 
1,297 
33 
Liverpool 
478 
39 
Luton 
195 
33 
Manchester 
583 
36 
Medway 
233 
37 
Merton 
216 
25 
Middlesbrough 
270 
42 
% of establishments that 
train staff to nationally 
 
 
recognised qualifications 
Column % 
Base 
% 
Milton Keynes 
294 
30 
Newcastle upon Tyne 
670 
35 
Newham 
171 
27 
Norfolk 
1,297 
32 
North East Lincolnshire 
212 
30 
North Lincolnshire 
255 
32 
North Somerset 
272 
25 
North Tyneside 
355 
36 
North Yorkshire 
1,299 
27 
Northamptonshire 
1,179 
32 
Northumberland 
869 
35 
Nottingham 
452 
37 
Nottinghamshire 
1,152 
33 
Oldham 
220 
32 
Oxfordshire 
912 
28 
Peterborough 
240 
37 
Plymouth 
259 
41 
Poole 
217 
37 
Portsmouth 
204 
40 
Reading 
188 
38 
Redbridge 
196 
27 
Redcar and Cleveland 
237 
43 
Richmond upon Thames 
260 
23 
Rochdale 
226 
39 
Rotherham 
294 
34 
Rutland 
69 
26 
Salford 
275 
30 
Sandwell 
345 
27 
Sefton 
289 
37 
Sheffield 
683 
32 
Shropshire 
622 
26 
Slough 
131 
33 
Solihull 
249 
30 
Somerset 
911 
25 
South Gloucestershire 
344 
29 
South Tyneside 
248 
37 
Southampton 
227 
35 
Southend on Sea 
204 
33 
Southwark 
354 
32 
St Helens 
177 
41 
% of establishments that 
train staff to nationally 
 
 
recognised qualifications 
Column % 
Base 
% 
Staffordshire 
1,246 
27 
Stockport 
367 
33 
Stockton-on-Tees 
390 
40 
Stoke-on-Trent 
299 
28 
Suffolk 
1,147 
29 
Sunderland 
522 
41 
Surrey 
1,535 
29 
Sutton 
190 
32 
Swindon 
244 
32 
Tameside 
220 
30 
Telford and Wrekin 
225 
33 
Thurrock 
163 
32 
Torbay 
182 
31 
Tower Hamlets 
288 
34 
Trafford 
347 
38 
Wakefield 
414 
24 
Walsall 
305 
28 
Waltham Forest 
170 
32 
Wandsworth 
321 
23 
Warrington 
261 
39 
Warwickshire 
943 
24 
West Berkshire 
234 
25 
West Sussex 
1,004 
31 
Westminster 
1,292 
26 
Wigan 
323 
38 
Wiltshire 
764 
26 
Windsor and Maidenhead 
214 
23 
Wirral 
306 
31 
Wokingham 
181 
29 
Wolverhampton 
301 
30 
Worcestershire 
958 
28 
York 
312 
30 

Base: All establishments in each LEA 

## Data By Local Enterprise Partnership (Lep)

% of 
 
 
establishments 
Vacancy density 
with a vacancy 
Column % 
Base 
% 
% 
Black Country 
1,365 
11 
1.5 
Buckinghamshire Thames 
Valley 
712 
13 
3.3 
Cheshire and Warrington 
1,334 
17 
2.6 
Coast to Capital 
2,251 
17 
2.7 
Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly 
939 
9 
2.5 
Coventry and Warwickshire 
1,294 
14 
2.2 
Cumbria 
931 
10 
1.7 
Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham 
and Nottinghamshire, 
3,203 
14 
1.9 
Dorset 
1,146 
14 
2.5 
Enterprise M3 
2,220 
18 
2.8 
Gloucestershire 
994 
13 
1.9 
Greater Birmingham and 
Solihull 
2,483 
13 
2.1 
Greater Cambridge & Greater 
Peterborough 
2,164 
16 
2.3 
Greater Lincolnshire 
1,764 
10 
1.8 
Greater Manchester 
3,024 
15 
2.1 
Heart of the South West 
2,789 
11 
1.7 
Hertfordshire 
1,599 
18 
5.0 
Humber 
1,366 
11 
3.1 
Lancashire 
1,948 
14 
1.7 
Leeds City Region 
4,150 
13 
1.9 
Leicester and Leicestershire 
1,505 
15 
1.9 
Liverpool City Region 
1,498 
14 
1.7 
London 
9,925 
18 
2.6 
New Anglia 
2,444 
15 
2.3 
North Eastern 
4,250 
12 
2.2 
Northamptonshire 
1,179 
17 
3.2 
Oxfordshire LEP 
912 
22 
3.2 
% of 
 
 
establishments 
Vacancy density 
with a vacancy 
Column % 
Base 
% 
% 
Sheffield City Region 
2,232 
13 
2.0 
Solent 
1,827 
15 
2.3 
South East 
4,819 
13 
2.2 
South East Midlands 
2,440 
15 
2.9 
Stoke-on-Trent and 
Staffordshire 
1,545 
12 
1.6 
Swindon and Wiltshire 
1,008 
14 
1.7 
Tees Valley 
1,279 
13 
1.8 
Thames Valley Berkshire 
1,071 
18 
3.2 
The Marches 
1,226 
10 
1.7 
West of England 
1,501 
15 
2.5 
Worcestershire 
958 
12 
1.9 
York and North Yorkshire 
2,152 
11 
1.8 

Base: All establishments in each LEP Percentages in Column 2 are based on all employment, percentages therefore represent the number of vacancies as a proportion of all employment 

 
% of establishments 
 
Hard-to-fill 
 
with a hard-to-fill 
vacancy density 
vacancy 
Column % 
Base 
% 
Base 
% 
Black Country 
1,365 
4 
184 
28 
Buckinghamshire Thames Valley 
712 
5 
179 
20 
Cheshire and Warrington 
1,334 
5 
314 
14 
Coast to Capital 
2,251 
5 
590 
20 
Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly 
939 
2 
148 
16 
Coventry and Warwickshire 
1,294 
4 
212 
36 
Cumbria 
931 
4 
167 
22 
Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and 
Nottinghamshire, 
3,203 
4 
588 
15 
Dorset 
1,146 
4 
223 
22 
Enterprise M3 
2,220 
8 
593 
26 
Gloucestershire 
994 
3 
189 
22 
Greater Birmingham and Solihull 
2,483 
4 
378 
23 
Greater Cambridge & Greater 
Peterborough 
2,164 
6 
502 
25 
Greater Lincolnshire 
1,764 
3 
284 
22 
Greater Manchester 
3,024 
4 
647 
17 
Heart of the South West 
2,789 
4 
475 
28 
Hertfordshire 
1,599 
7 
365 
10 
Humber 
1,366 
3 
198 
10 
Lancashire 
1,948 
4 
373 
19 
Leeds City Region 
4,150 
4 
735 
25 
Leicester and Leicestershire 
1,505 
4 
304 
16 
Liverpool City Region 
1,498 
5 
254 
27 
London 
9,925 
5 
2,437 
16 
New Anglia 
2,444 
6 
504 
23 
North Eastern 
4,250 
3 
617 
15 
Northamptonshire 
1,179 
6 
234 
46 
Oxfordshire LEP 
912 
7 
282 
21 
Sheffield City Region 
2,232 
4 
376 
35 
 
% of establishments 
 
Hard-to-fill 
 
with a hard-to-fill 
vacancy density 
vacancy 
Column % 
Base 
% 
Base 
% 
Solent 
1,827 
5 
407 
23 
South East 
4,819 
5 
983 
23 
South East Midlands 
2,440 
5 
541 
32 
Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire 
1,545 
3 
214 
25 
Swindon and Wiltshire 
1,008 
3 
194 
19 
Tees Valley 
1,279 
4 
189 
29 
Thames Valley Berkshire 
1,071 
6 
299 
18 
The Marches 
1,226 
3 
159 
23 
West of England 
1,501 
4 
296 
17 
Worcestershire 
958 
4 
153 
37 
York and North Yorkshire 
2,152 
3 
373 
28 

 Base: Column 1  all establishments in each LEP, Column 2 all establishments in each LEP with vacancies Percentages in Column 2 are based on all vacancies, rather than all establishments with vacancies; figures therefore show the percentage of vacancies that are hard-to-fill. 


 
Skill-shortage 
 
 
% of establishments 
with a skill-shortage 
vacancy density 
vacancy 
Column % 
Base 
% 
Base 
% 
Black Country 
1,365 
3 
184 
20 
Buckinghamshire Thames Valley 
712 
4 
179 
12 
Cheshire and Warrington 
1,334 
4 
314 
11 
Coast to Capital 
2,251 
4 
590 
17 
Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly 
939 
2 
148 
7 
Coventry and Warwickshire 
1,294 
3 
212 
28 
Cumbria 
931 
3 
167 
16 
Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and 
Nottinghamshire, 
3,203 
3 
588 
11 
Dorset 
1,146 
3 
223 
17 
Enterprise M3 
2,220 
6 
593 
19 
Gloucestershire 
994 
2 
189 
17 
Greater Birmingham and Solihull 
2,483 
2 
378 
12 
Greater Cambridge & Greater 
Peterborough 
2,164 
4 
502 
18 
Greater Lincolnshire 
1,764 
2 
284 
19 
Greater Manchester 
3,024 
3 
647 
14 
Heart of the South West 
2,789 
3 
475 
18 
Hertfordshire 
1,599 
5 
365 
7 
Humber 
1,366 
2 
198 
8 
Lancashire 
1,948 
3 
373 
15 
Leeds City Region 
4,150 
3 
735 
19 
Leicester and Leicestershire 
1,505 
4 
304 
14 
Liverpool City Region 
1,498 
2 
254 
8 
London 
9,925 
5 
2,437 
14 
New Anglia 
2,444 
5 
504 
18 
North Eastern 
4,250 
3 
617 
11 
Northamptonshire 
1,179 
5 
234 
43 
Oxfordshire LEP 
912 
5 
282 
17 
Sheffield City Region 
2,232 
3 
376 
11 
 
Skill-shortage 
 
 
% of establishments 
with a skill-shortage 
vacancy density 
vacancy 
Column % 
Base 
% 
Base 
% 
Solent 
1,827 
4 
407 
17 
South East 
4,819 
4 
983 
17 
South East Midlands 
2,440 
4 
541 
28 
Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire 
1,545 
2 
214 
14 
Swindon and Wiltshire 
1,008 
2 
194 
13 
Tees Valley 
1,279 
3 
189 
24 
Thames Valley Berkshire 
1,071 
5 
299 
15 
The Marches 
1,226 
2 
159 
13 
West of England 
1,501 
3 
296 
12 
Worcestershire 
958 
3 
153 
26 
York and North Yorkshire 
2,152 
2 
373 
20 

 Base: Column 1 all establishments in each LEP, Column 2 all establishments in each LEP with vacancies Percentages in Column 2 are based on all vacancies, rather than all establishments with vacancies; figures therefore show the percentage of vacancies that are hard-to-fill due to skill shortages. 


% of 
 
 
establishments 
% of workforce that have skills 
with a skills gap 
gaps 
Column % 
Base 
% 
% 
Black Country 
1,365 
18 
4 
Buckinghamshire Thames 
Valley 
712 
13 
5 
Cheshire and Warrington 
1,334 
19 
5 
Coast to Capital 
2,251 
18 
8 
Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly 
939 
18 
6 
Coventry and Warwickshire 
1,294 
17 
5 
Cumbria 
931 
15 
4 
Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham 
and Nottinghamshire, 
3,203 
15 
6 
Dorset 
1,146 
16 
5 
Enterprise M3 
2,220 
17 
5 
Gloucestershire 
994 
18 
6 
Greater Birmingham and 
Solihull 
2,483 
18 
6 
Greater Cambridge & Greater 
Peterborough 
2,164 
17 
7 
Greater Lincolnshire 
1,764 
18 
6 
Greater Manchester 
3,024 
17 
6 
Heart of the South West 
2,789 
19 
5 
Hertfordshire 
1,599 
18 
7 
Humber 
1,366 
20 
6 
Lancashire 
1,948 
17 
5 
Leeds City Region 
4,150 
18 
5 
Leicester and Leicestershire 
1,505 
14 
7 
Liverpool City Region 
1,498 
18 
6 
London 
9,925 
15 
6 
New Anglia 
2,444 
18 
6 
North Eastern 
4,250 
17 
5 
Northamptonshire 
1,179 
15 
9 
Oxfordshire LEP 
912 
20 
5 
Sheffield City Region 
2,232 
19 
4 
% of 
 
 
establishments 
% of workforce that have skills 
with a skills gap 
gaps 
Column % 
Base 
% 
% 
Solent 
1,827 
20 
5 
South East 
4,819 
18 
6 
South East Midlands 
2,440 
17 
8 
Stoke-on-Trent and 
Staffordshire 
1,545 
17 
6 
Swindon and Wiltshire 
1,008 
19 
5 
Tees Valley 
1,279 
19 
6 
Thames Valley Berkshire 
1,071 
18 
6 
The Marches 
1,226 
16 
6 
West of England 
1,501 
19 
6 
Worcestershire 
958 
19 
5 
York and North Yorkshire 
2,152 
15 
6 

Base: All establishments in each LEP Percentages in Column 2 are based on all employment, percentages therefore represent the percentage of employees in the workforce that have a skills gap 

Off-job 
Off-job 
On-job 
and on-
 
 
ANY 
training 
training 
job 
Do not 
TRAINING 
only 
only 
training 
train 
Column % 
Base 
% 
% 
% 
% 
% 
Black Country 
1,365 
59 
10 
19 
30 
41 
Buckinghamshire Thames 
Valley 
712 
64 
22 
12 
31 
36 
Cheshire and Warrington 
1,334 
69 
14 
19 
36 
31 
Coast to Capital 
2,251 
68 
12 
19 
36 
32 
Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly 
939 
62 
12 
18 
32 
38 
Coventry and Warwickshire 
1,294 
63 
12 
18 
32 
37 
Cumbria 
931 
63 
16 
15 
33 
37 
3,203 
63 
11 
18 
34 
37 
Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and 
Nottinghamshire, 
Dorset 
1,146 
64 
13 
20 
31 
36 
Enterprise M3 
2,220 
68 
15 
17 
36 
32 
Gloucestershire 
994 
64 
11 
18 
35 
36 
Greater Birmingham and 
Solihull 
2,483 
62 
13 
18 
31 
38 
Greater Cambridge & Greater 
Peterborough 
2,164 
71 
15 
21 
35 
29 
Greater Lincolnshire 
1,764 
65 
13 
20 
32 
35 
Greater Manchester 
3,024 
69 
12 
21 
36 
31 
Heart of the South West 
2,789 
64 
12 
19 
34 
36 
Hertfordshire 
1,599 
69 
14 
21 
34 
31 
Humber 
1,366 
68 
15 
20 
33 
32 
Lancashire 
1,948 
67 
14 
18 
35 
33 
Leeds City Region 
4,150 
66 
12 
20 
35 
34 
Leicester and Leicestershire 
1,505 
61 
10 
18 
34 
39 
Liverpool City Region 
1,498 
70 
11 
18 
41 
30 
London 
9,925 
64 
11 
18 
34 
36 
New Anglia 
2,444 
65 
14 
17 
34 
35 
North Eastern 
4,250 
66 
12 
19 
35 
34 
Northamptonshire 
1,179 
61 
12 
16 
33 
39 
Oxfordshire LEP 
912 
71 
13 
23 
35 
29 
Off-job 
Off-job 
On-job 
and on-
 
 
ANY 
training 
training 
job 
Do not 
TRAINING 
only 
only 
training 
train 
Column % 
Base 
% 
% 
% 
% 
% 
Sheffield City Region 
2,232 
66 
12 
18 
36 
34 
Solent 
1,827 
70 
14 
19 
37 
30 
South East 
4,819 
67 
14 
19 
33 
33 
South East Midlands 
2,440 
63 
13 
17 
33 
37 
Stoke-on-Trent and 
Staffordshire 
1,545 
59 
12 
18 
28 
41 
Swindon and Wiltshire 
1,008 
65 
10 
22 
34 
35 
Tees Valley 
1,279 
71 
12 
21 
38 
29 
Thames Valley Berkshire 
1,071 
69 
13 
21 
35 
31 
The Marches 
1,226 
60 
16 
17 
27 
40 
West of England 
1,501 
68 
13 
20 
35 
32 
Worcestershire 
958 
62 
14 
18 
29 
38 
York and North Yorkshire 
2,152 
65 
14 
21 
31 
35 

Base: All establishments in each LEP 

% of establishments that 
train staff to nationally 
 
 
recognised qualifications 
Column % 
Base 
% 
Black Country 
1,365 
28 
Buckinghamshire Thames Valley 
712 
23 
Cheshire and Warrington 
1,334 
33 
Coast to Capital 
2,251 
29 
Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly 
939 
30 
Coventry and Warwickshire 
1,294 
26 
Cumbria 
931 
31 
Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham and 
Nottinghamshire, 
3,203 
34 
Dorset 
1,146 
27 
Enterprise M3 
2,220 
31 
Gloucestershire 
994 
29 
Greater Birmingham and Solihull 
2,483 
26 
Greater Cambridge & Greater 
Peterborough 
2,164 
35 
Greater Lincolnshire 
1,764 
33 
Greater Manchester 
3,024 
35 
Heart of the South West 
2,789 
28 
Hertfordshire 
1,599 
29 
Humber 
1,366 
29 
Lancashire 
1,948 
34 
Leeds City Region 
4,150 
28 
Leicester and Leicestershire 
1,505 
30 
Liverpool City Region 
1,498 
36 
London 
9,925 
27 
New Anglia 
2,444 
31 
North Eastern 
4,250 
37 
Northamptonshire 
1,179 
32 
Oxfordshire LEP 
912 
28 
Sheffield City Region 
2,232 
34 
% of establishments that 
train staff to nationally 
 
 
recognised qualifications 
Column % 
Base 
% 
Solent 
1,827 
33 
South East 
4,819 
31 
South East Midlands 
2,440 
29 
Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire 
1,545 
27 
Swindon and Wiltshire 
1,008 
27 
Tees Valley 
1,279 
41 
Thames Valley Berkshire 
1,071 
30 
The Marches 
1,226 
27 
West of England 
1,501 
27 
Worcestershire 
958 
28 
York and North Yorkshire 
2,152 
27 
Base: All establishments in each LEP 
 

## Appendix C: A Note On Proficiency And Skills Gaps

To ascertain the number of staff with skills gaps, respondents were asked, for each major (one-digit SOC 2010) occupation where they employed staff, how many of those they employed were fully proficient. If respondents asked for clarification, then a proficient employee was described as 'someone who is able to do their job to the required level'. 'Proficient employee', however, is clearly a subjective and relative term to the extent that: 

- 
different managers in an organisation may have different views on whether an individual member of staff is able to do the job to the required level. Indeed they may 
have different views on what the required level is that the organisation is looking for within an occupational category 
- 
an employee could be regarded as fully proficient but if the requirements of the job 
change (for example, some new machinery or technology is introduced) then they could be regarded as not being able to do their job to the required level, despite the fact that their skills were unchanged 
- 
the same is true if a person were to be promoted to a more demanding position - the 
company might go from having no skills gaps to saying that this newly promoted member of staff was not fully proficient in the new job, despite having the same proficiency as before 
- 
different companies may be more demanding and 'critical' of their staff than others: an individual considered fully proficient by one company might be seen as having a skills gap if performing the same role to the same standard in another company. 
A final point to note is that the survey categorises all staff as either fully proficient or not: it takes no account of the range that can clearly exist between those who are very nearly proficient and those who significantly lack the skills that employers require. While from a policy perspective, therefore, there is clearly interest in raising the skill levels of the workforce, survey data can only identify changes year on year in the proportion of staff reported as fully proficient, not cases where skills levels have been raised but where staff still remain below full proficiency. 


## Appendix D: Technical Appendix

A full Technical Report accompanies the main UK Commission's Employer Skills Survey report and can be downloaded from the UKCES website or obtained by contacting UKCES directly. This appendix provides brief details on the key areas of sampling, fieldwork and analysis.  
The data reported in this document came from two surveys:  

- Wave 1: the main skills survey, covering business strategy, retention, recruitment, 
skills gaps and high performance working; 
- Wave 2, Investment in Training Survey: covering the financial investment 
establishments make in training their staff. 

## Employer Skills Survey: Wave 1 Sampling

This report uses a sample comparable to that used in NESS09, with all establishments with two or more people working at them eligible. Quotas were set on a size by sector within region basis, proportioned to give a robust base size in each subgroup of the overall sample.  In addition non-interlocking targets were set for the SSCs and LEAs. 

Sample was drawn from Experian's business database. 

## Fieldwork

A total of 75,053 interviews were completed in England, by telephone using computerassisted telephone interviewing (CATI) technology, of which 74,156 had 2+ employment (2011 records with 1 employee 0 working proprietors were not in the NESS09 survey, so were excluded from the legacy analysis). Interviews were conducted with the most senior person at the site with responsibility for recruitment, human resources and workplace skills. England fieldwork was undertaken by two agencies, as follows: 

| Agency                   |
|--------------------------|
| BMG                      |
|                          |
|                          |
| South West               |
| West Midlands            |
| Yorkshire and Humberside |
|                          |
| Ipsos MORI               |
|                          |
| East of England          |
| East Midlands            |
| London                   |
| North East               |
| North West               |
| South East               |

Fieldwork for Wave 1 took place from March to July 2011. 

## Response Rate

The response rate for the survey in England was 39%, calculated as a proportion of all completed contacts. A detailed breakdown of survey outcomes is shown below:  

% of 
Outcome 
Number of 
complete 
contacts 
% of all 
sample 
contacts 
Total sample 
442,510 
100% 
 
Ineligible 
36,946 
8% 
 
'Live' / not available during fieldwork / out of quota 
167,885 
38% 
 
Unobtainable number 
48,750 
11% 


Total complete contacts 
188,929 
43% 
100% 
Achieved interviews 
74,156 
17% 
39% 
Respondent refusal 
90,039 
20% 
48% 
Quits during interview 
5,339 
1% 
3% 
Company policy refusal 
19,395 
4% 
10% 

## Questionnaire Design

The questionnaire design harmonised previous questionnaires used by the four nations of the UK in their own skills surveys. This included the National Employer Skills Survey series in England, the Scottish Employer Skills Surveys, the Northern Ireland Skills Monitoring Surveys and Future Skills Wales.  
A task and finish group chaired by the UK Commission and including IFF Research, and representatives from each of the four nations, was set up to drive this process.  
The group's aim was to develop a questionnaire that answered the Employer Skills Survey objectives, whilst maintaining time series data for each nation as far as was feasible in the framework of the ESS. The questionnaire is available on the UK 
Commission's website at: http://employersurveys.ukces.org.uk/ess/ess11/default.aspx.  

## Weighting / Grossing Up

Data for the survey was weighted and grossed up to population estimates of establishments and to the population of employees, as derived from the 2010 Inter-
Departmental Business Register (IDBR). 

The UK Commission's Employer Skills Survey 2011 was weighted using interlocking grids of SSC by sizeband in each region of England.  Target weights were used to gross up the survey data to the population.: 

- 
Population: 2+ employment (all establishments with two or more people working at 
them, 2011 records with 1 employee 0 working proprietors were not in the NESS09 survey, so were excluded from the legacy analysis) 
- 
Strategy: Size by SSC within region - size bandings matched NESS09.   
- 
Separate weights were calculated for unit and employment measures as per 
NESS09. 

## Employer Skills Survey: Investment In Training Follow-Up

A separate Investment in Training study was conducted by IFF Research to provide detailed estimates of employer expenditure on training. The approach replicated that of previous Cost of Training studies in England. 

## Sampling

At the end of the UK ESS Wave 1 questionnaire those respondents who had arranged or funded training for their staff in the previous 12 months were asked if they would be willing to take part in a follow up study on training expenditure.  Those agreeing to participate formed the sample for this follow-up survey. 

Quotas were set on the basis of training type by size within region. 

## Fieldwork

Employers who had indicated agreement to take part were called by an IFF interviewer to confirm participation and contact details. They were then sent a datasheet via email or fax containing the questions that were to be asked in the full interview (a copy of which can be seen below). Sending this datasheet in advance allowed the respondent time to collect the relevant information and increase the accuracy of responses. A few days after sending, an interviewer called back to conduct the full interview. Overall information on training was collected from 7,929 respondents in England, of which 7,872 had 2+ employment (2011 records with 1 employee 0 working proprietors were not in the NESS09 survey, so were excluded from the legacy analysis). 

Fieldwork was undertaken by IFF Research from 16th May to 29th July 2011. 

## Weighting/Grossing Up

In order to weight the Investment in Training study, population figures were calculated from weighted UKCESS Wave 1 data which had in turn been weighted using the IDBR 
figures used for the main survey analysis.  Data was weighted on the basis of interlocking grids on size by sector by the type of training they carried out, with a regional rim weight. 

For further detail on cost calculations and data modelling for the Investment in Training study please see Appendix C of the UK Report.  

## Gdp Deflators

In order to calculate whether the changes in training investment seen over time equate to 
"real term" rises once inflation has been taken into account GDP deflators have been used when comparing annual spend. The GDP deflator is a measure of general inflation in the domestic economy, reflecting movements of hundreds of separate deflators such as expenditure on items such as bread, investment in computers, imports of aircraft and exports of consultancy services.  

## Appendix E: Industry Coding

Each establishment was allocated to one of 14 sectors, based on their Standard Industrial Classification (SIC). SIC 2007 was used to classify establishments using the following method. Using the four-digit Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) supplied for each record from the Experian database, a description of business activity was read out to each respondent. If they agreed that this description matched the main activity undertaken at the establishment, then the SIC on Experian's database was assumed to be correct. If however the respondent felt the description did not correspond to their main business activity at the site, a verbatim response was collected to find out what they do (see question A7 on the survey; questionnaire available at www.ukces.org.uk). At the analysis stage this was coded to a four-digit SIC which was then used as the basis for allocation into sector. The table below shows the 14 sectors and their corresponding SIC 2007 definitions. 

Sector 
SIC 2007 
A - Agriculture, forestry and fishing (01-03) 
1. Agriculture 
Including farming, hunting and other related service activities, 
forestry 
and 
logging, 
fishing 
and 
aquaculture 
B - Mining and quarrying (05-09) 
2. Mining & Quarrying 
Including mining of coal, metals, sand/stone/clay, and extraction of crude petroleum and natural gas  
C - Manufacturing (10-33) 
3. Manufacturing 
Including manufacture of food and beverage, textiles, chemicals and chemical products, basic pharmaceutical products, other mineral products, manufacture of metals and metal products, machinery, computer and electronic products and equipment, motor vehicles and other transport equipment, furniture, and repair and installation of machinery and equipment 
4. Electricity, Gas and Water  
D - Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply (35) 
E - Water supply, sewerage, waste management 
and remediation activities (36-39)  
Including electric power generation, transmission and 
distribution, 
manufacture 
of 
gas 
and 
 
distribution of gaseous fuels, steam and air conditioning supply, water collection, treatment and supply, sewerage and waste collection, treatment 
Sector 
SIC 2007 
and disposal activities and materials recovery 
F - Construction (41-43) 
5. Construction 
Including the construction of buildings, civil engineering (constructing roads, railways and other utility 
projects), 
demolition, 
and 
specialised 
activities such as electrical installation, roofing and scaffold erection 
6. Wholesale and Retail 
G - Wholesale and retail trade; repair of motor 
vehicles and motor cycles (45-47) Including sale, maintenance and repair of motor vehicles, 
parts 
and 
accessories, 
non-vehicle 
wholesale 
(for 
example 
agriculture, 
food, 
household goods), and the retail trade of all products whether in stores, stalls, markets, mail order or online 
7. Hotels and Restaurants 
I - Accommodation and food service activities (55- 56) 
Including hotels, campsites, youth hostels, holiday centres, 
villages 
and 
other 
short 
stay 
accommodation, restaurants and takeaways, event catering and licensed clubs, pubs and bars 
8. Transport and Communications 
H - Transport and storage (49-53) J - Information and communication (58-63) 
Including land, water and air transport (passenger and freight), warehousing and support activities for transportation, 
postal 
and 
courier 
activities, 
  
publishing (books, journals, newspapers etc and software/computer games), television, film and music 
production, 
broadcasting, 
telecommunications, computer programming and consultancy, information service activities (e.g. data processing and hosting) 
9. Financial Services 
K - Financial and insurance activities (64-66) 
Including banks and building societies, activities of holding companies, trusts, funds and similar financial entities, credit granting, pensions, insurance and reinsurance 
 
 
Sector 
SIC 2007 
L - Real estate activities (68) 
10. Business services 
M - Professional, scientific and technical activities (69-75) 
N - Administrative and support service activities (77-82) 
Including the buying, selling and renting of real estate, legal activities, accounting, bookkeeping and 
auditing, 
management 
consultancy, 
architectural and engineering activities, scientific research and development, advertising and market research, specialist design, photographic activities, translation and interpretation, veterinary activities, renting and leasing of tangible goods (motors, household, machinery), employment agencies, travel agencies and tour operations, security and investigation activities, office administration and business support 
11. Public Administration 
O - Public administration and defence; compulsory social security (84) 
Including administration of the State and economic and social policy of the community, provision of services to the community as a whole such as 
defence activities, foreign affairs, justice and judicial activities, fire service and compulsory social security activities 
P - Education (85) 
12. Education 
Including pre-primary, primary, secondary and higher education, other education (such as sports, driving schools, cultural education), educational support activities 
Q - Human health and social work activities (86-88) 
13. Health and Social work 
Including Hospitals, medical and dental practices, residential care, social work activities 
R - Arts, entertainment and recreation (90-93) 
14. Other Community, Social and Personal Services 
S - Other service activities (94-96) 
Including performing arts, libraries and museums, gambling and betting, sports facilities, amusement 
Sector 
SIC 2007 
and recreation activities, activities of membership 
organisations (religious, political, trade union, professional), 
personal 
services 
(hairdressing, 
beauty, 
textile 
cleaning, 
well-being 
activities, 
funeral activities) T - Activities of households as employers; undifferentiated goods and services producing activities of households for own use (97-98) 
NOT COVERED IN SURVEY 
U - Activities of extraterritorial organisations and 
bodies (99) Including households as employers of domestic personnel, private households producing goods for own use 


## Appendix F: Occupational Coding

The occupational data collected in the survey were collected both pre-coded and verbatim. The former included the occupational breakdown of employment (question D5 
to D8) where respondents were asked how many of their workforce fell into each of the nine major (one-digit) Standard Occupation Classification (SOC) 2010 categories 
(Managers, Directors and Senior Officials through to Elementary Occupations). However, on vacancy measures (for example the occupations in which vacancies exist - question C2) this information was collected verbatim. This was then coded at the analysis stage, where possible to a four-digit level SOC, if not three, two- or one-digit level. 

Examples of what might fall into each occupational band are as follows: 

Occupational group 
Service sectors (retail, business, finance, transport etc) 
Public sector (Public Admin, Health, Education etc) 
Primary sectors (Agriculture, manufacturing, construction etc) 
Managers, Directors and Senior Officials 
Site managers, Department Heads, Shift Managers (not supervisors) 
Directors, Managers / Branch/site managers, shift managers (not supervisors 
Police inspectors and above, department heads, Head teachers, Senior Officials 
Professionals 
Doctors, nurses, midwives, teachers, social workers, librarians  
Professional engineers, software and IT professionals, accountants, chemists, scientific researchers 
Solicitors, lawyers, accountants, IT professionals, economists, architects, actuaries 
Associate 
Professionals 
Science and engineering technicians, lab technicians, IT technicians, accounting 
technicians 
Insurance underwriters, finance/investment analysts and advisers, writers/journalists, 
buyers, estate agents 
Junior police/fire/prison officers, therapists, paramedics, community workers, H&S officers, 
housing officers 
Administrative staff 
Secretaries, 
receptionists, PAs, 
telephonists, bookkeepers 
Secretaries, 
receptionists, PAs, 
communication operators, market research interviewers, 
clerks 
Secretaries, 
receptionists, PAs, local 
government officers and assistants, office assistants, library and 
database assistants 
Chefs 
Skilled Trades 
Motor mechanics, printers, TV engineers, butchers 
Farmers, electricians, machine setters / tool makers, carpenters, plasterers 
Care assistants, nursery 
nurses 
Travel agents, travel 
assistants, hairdressers, 
housekeepers 
Caring, Leisure and Other Service Occupations 
Care assistants, home 
carers, nursery nurses, 
ambulance staff, pest 
control, dental nurses, caretakers 
Customer facing roles: 
sales staff and call 
Customer care 
operations 
Sales assistants and 
retail cashiers, telesales, call centre 
Sales and customer service 
occupations 
centre agents 
agents HGV, van, fork-lift, bus and taxi drivers 
Drivers, vehicle inspectors  
Process, plant and machine operatives  
Routine operatives, drivers, machine operators, sorters and assemblers 
Elementary occupations 
Labourers, packers, goods handling and storage staff 
Bar staff, shelf fillers, catering assistants, waiters/waitresses, cleaners 
Labourers, cleaners, road sweepers, traffic wardens, security guards 


## Appendix G: Sampling Error And Statistical Confidence

Sampling error for the survey results overall and for different sub-groups by which analysis is presented in the report is shown in Table G.1. Figures have been based on a survey result of 50 per cent (the 'worst' case in terms of statistical reliability), and have used a 95 per cent confidence level. Where the table indicates that a survey result based on all respondents has a sampling error of +/- 0.32 per cent, this should be interpreted as follows: 'for a question asked of all respondents where the survey result is 50 per cent, we are 95 per cent confident that the true figure lies within the range 49.68 per cent to 
50.32 per cent'.  
These confidence intervals are based on the assumption of a normal distribution of responses. 

50 per cent  
(Maximum) 
 
Number of 
interviews 
Sampling Error 
Overall  
74,156 
+/-0.36 
By size of establishment 
 
 
1-4  
15,457 
+/-0.79 
5-24 
41,136 
+/-0.48 
25-99  
13,550 
+/-0.84 
100+ 
4,013 
+/-1.55 
By sector 
 
 
Agriculture 
703 
+/-3.7 
Mining & Quarrying 
124 
+/-8.8 
Manufacturing 
6,667 
+/-1.2 
Electricity, Gas and Water 
1,160 
+/-2.88 
Construction 
5,485 
+/-1.32 
Wholesale and Retail 
13,060 
+/-0.86 
Hotels & Restaurants 
7,202 
+/-1.15 
Transport and Communications 
6,861 
+/-1.18 
Financial Services 
1,452 
+/-2.57 
Business Services 
12,656 
+/-0.87 
Public Administration 
1,214 
+/-2.81 
Education 
4,582 
+/-1.45 
Health and Social Work 
6,872 
+/-1.18 
(Maximum) 
 
Number of 
interviews 
Sampling Error 
Community, Social and Personal 
Services  
6,118 
+/-1.25 
By region 
 
 
East of England 
8,372 
+/-1.07 
East Midlands 
7,253 
+/-1.15 
London 
9,925 
+/-0.98 
North East 
5,529 
+/-1.32 
North West 
8,735 
+/-1.05 
South East 
10,592 
+/-0.95 
South West 
8,377 
+/-1.07 
West Midlands 
7,851 
+/-1.11 
Yorkshire & Humber 
7,522 
+/-1.13 

## Appendix H: Weighted Base Sizes

Throughout this report figures have been reported next to their unweighted base sizes to demonstrate statistical reliability. For reference, the following table shows the weighted number of employers this represents for the key measures in the report. 

|                                                        | Weighted base    |
|--------------------------------------------------------|------------------|
| Overall                                                |                  |
| 1,491,749                                              |                  |
|                                                        |                  |
| Chapter 3: Work-readiness of those leaving education   |                  |
| Taking on leavers from education in the last 2-3 years | 446,281          |
| 16 year-olds from school                               | 140,404          |
| 17-18 year-olds from school                            | 168,304          |
| 17-18 year-olds from FE College                        | 158,434          |
| From university                                        | 183,342          |
| Chapter 4: Employers, Recruitment and Skills shortages |                  |
|                                                        |                  |
| With a vacancy                                         | 219,855          |
| With a hard-to-fill vacancy                            | 71,407           |
| With a skill-shortage vacancy                          | 54,772           |
| Chapter 5: Internal Skills Mismatch                    |                  |
|                                                        |                  |
| With at least one skills gap                           | 261,696          |
| Chapter 6: Employer Investment in Training and Skills  |                  |
|                                                        |                  |
| Providing any training                                 | 981,288          |
| On-the-job training only                               | 283,039          |
| Off-the-job training only                              | 189,227          |
| Both on- and off-the-job training                      | 509,022          |
| Providing no training for staff                        | 510,458          |
| Providing training towards nationally recognised       |                  |
| qualifications                                         |                  |
| 453,719                                                |                  |


## Appendix I: Unweighted Base Sizes

This annex shows a reference table of the key unweighted base sizes used in this report. 

Note that throughout the report, figures are not reported where the base is under 25 and are highlighted in italics where the base is 25 to 49. 

|              |         | Establishments with…     |
|--------------|---------|--------------------------|
|              | Overall | Vacancies                |
| Hard-to-fill |         |                          |
| vacancies    |         |                          |
| Skills gaps  |         |                          |
| Estab's that |         |                          |
| train        |         |                          |
| England      | 74,156  | 14,749                   |
| Size         |         |                          |
|              |         |                          |
| 1-4          | 15,457  | 1,219                    |
| 5-24         | 41,136  | 6,907                    |
| 25-99        | 13,550  | 4,462                    |
| 100-199      | 2,201   | 1,142                    |
| 200-499      | 1,359   | 744                      |
| 500+         | 453     | 275                      |
Sector 
Agriculture 
703 
67 
25 
101 
434 
Mining and Quarrying 
124 
27 
9 
15 
95 
Manufacturing 
6,667 
1,232 
495 
1,647 
4,586 
Electricity, Gas and Water 
1,160 
169 
49 
227 
883 
Construction 
5,485 
481 
178 
982 
3,658 
Wholesale and Retail 
13,060 
2,206 
541 
3,747 
9,434 
Hotels and Restaurants 
7,202 
1,777 
571 
2,391 
5,290 
Transport and Communications 
6,861 
1,219 
437 
1,302 
4,738 
Financial Services 
1,452 
279 
59 
316 
1,122 
Business Services 
12,656 
2,638 
844 
2,746 
9,899 
Public Administration  
1,214 
313 
74 
302 
1,104 
Education 
4,582 
1,264 
255 
1,149 
4,316 
Health and Social Work 
6,872 
1,724 
452 
1,755 
6,388 
Community, Social and Personal 
Service activities 
6,118 
1,353 
397 
1,363 
4,766 

## Region

| East of England    | 8,372    | 1,782    |   642  | 2,178    | 6,571    |
|--------------------|----------|----------|--------|----------|----------|
| East Midlands      | 7,253    | 1,361    |   376  | 1,518    | 5,388    |
| London             | 9,925    | 2,437    |   691  | 2,263    | 7,584    |
| North East         | 5,529    | 806      |   225  | 1,124    | 4,019    |
| North West         | 8,735    | 1,755    |   501  | 2,281    | 7,030    |
| South East         | 10,592   | 2,678    |   910  | 2,988    | 8,559    |
| South West         | 8,377    | 1,525    |   405  | 2,165    | 6,467    |
| West Midlands      | 7,851    | 1,156    |   328  | 1,646    | 5,263    |
| Yorkshire & Humber | 7,522    | 1,249    |   308  | 1,880    | 5,832    |
|                                    |         | Establishments with…     |
|------------------------------------|---------|--------------------------|
|                                    | Overall | Vacancies                |
| Hard-to-fill                       |         |                          |
| vacancies                          |         |                          |
| Skills gaps                        |         |                          |
| Estab's that                       |         |                          |
| train                              |         |                          |
|                                    |         |                          |
| Occupation                         |         |                          |
| Managers                           |         |                          |
| 70,647                             | 834     | 237                      |
| Professionals                      |         |                          |
| 13,809                             | 2,589   | 857                      |
| Associate Professionals            |         |                          |
| 11,795                             | 2,807   | 804                      |
| Administrative/ Clerical staff     |         |                          |
| 42,972                             | 2,243   | 336                      |
| Skilled Trades occupations         |         |                          |
| 17,264                             | 1,884   | 853                      |
| Caring, Leisure and Other services |         |                          |
| 10,716                             | 2,233   | 555                      |
| Sales and Customer services        |         |                          |
| 23,192                             | 1,964   | 406                      |
| Machine Operatives                 |         |                          |
| 11,204                             | 941     | 279                      |
| Elementary staff                   |         |                          |
| 25,914                             | 2,422   | 528                      |
|                                    |         |                          |
|                                    |         |                          |
|                                    |         |                          |

## Appendix J: Bibliography Inter Departmental Business Register (March 2010). Ons.

Felstead, A., Green, F. and Jewson, N. (2012a) The impact of the 2008-09 recession on 
training at work (First interim report from February 2010 to September 2010). 
Briefing Paper, May 2012. UKCES, Wath-upon-Dearne 
Felstead, A., Green, F. and Jewson, N. (2012b) The impact of the 2008-09 recession on 
training at work (Second interim report from October 2010 to October 2010). Briefing Paper, May 2012. UKCES, Wath-upon-Dearne 
Garrett, R., Campbell, M. And Mason, G. *The Value of Skills: An Evidence Review* 
UKCES Evidence Report 22, UK Commission for Employment and Skills, Wathupon-Dearne and London 

## Labour Force Survey, Uk, October-December 1993 And 2010. Ons.

Roper, S. And Malshe, A. (2012) Leading from the Middle: The Untold Story of British 
Businesses.  GE Capital and ESSEC Business School. 
Shury J., Vivian, D., Davies, B., Gore, K. (2011) Employer Perspectives Survey 2010. 
UKCES Evidence Report 25, UK Commission for Employment and Skills, London. 
Shury, J, Winterbotham, M, Carter, K and Schäfer, S (2006) National Employer Skills 
Survey 2005: Main Report. Learning and Skills Council, Coventry. 
Shury, J., Winterbotham, M., Davies, B., Oldfield, K. (2010) National Employer Skills 
Survey for England 2009: Key findings report. UKCES Evidence Report 23, UK 
Commission for Employment and Skills, London. 
UKCES (2009) Ambition 2020: World class skills and jobs for the UK - The 2009 Report. 
UK Commission for Employments and Skills, Wath-upon-Dearne and London 
UKCES (2011) Employer ownership of skills: securing a sustainable partnership for the 
long term. UK Commission for Employments and Skills, Wath-upon-Dearne and 
London. 
Winterbotham, M., Shury, J., Carter, K. and Schäfer, S. (2008) National Employer Skills 
Survey 2007: Main Report: Learning and Skills Council, Coventry. 

List of previous publications 
Executive summaries and full versions of all these reports are available from 
www.ukces.org.uk 
Evidence Report 1 
Skills for the Workplace: Employer Perspectives Evidence Report 2 
Working Futures 2007-2017 Evidence Report 3 
Employee Demand for Skills: A Review of Evidence & Policy Evidence Report 4 
High Performance Working: A Synthesis of Key Literature Evidence Report 5 
High Performance Working: Developing a Survey Tool Evidence Report 6 
Review of Employer Collective Measures: A Conceptual Review from a Public Policy Perspective Evidence Report 7 
Review of Employer Collective Measures: Empirical Review Evidence Report 8 
Review of Employer Collective Measures: Policy Review Evidence Report 9 
Review of Employer Collective Measures: Policy Prioritisation Evidence Report 10 
Review of Employer Collective Measures: Final Report 
Evidence Report 11 
The Economic Value of Intermediate Vocational Education and 
Qualifications 
 
Evidence Report 12 
UK Employment and Skills Almanac 2009 
 
Evidence Report 13 
National Employer Skills Survey 2009: Key Findings 
Evidence Report 14 
Strategic Skills Needs in the Biomedical Sector: A Report for the National Strategic Skills Audit for England, 2010 
Evidence Report 15 
Strategic Skills Needs in the Financial Services Sector: A Report for the National Strategic Skills Audit for England, 2010 
Evidence Report 16 
Strategic Skills Needs in the Low carbon Energy generation Sector: A Report for the National Strategic Skills Audit for England, 2010 
Evidence Report 17 
Horizon Scanning and Scenario Building: Scenarios for Skills 2020 
 
Evidence Report 18 
High Performance Working: A Policy Review 
 
Evidence Report 19 
High Performance Working: Employer Case Studies 
Evidence Report 20 
A Theoretical Review of Skill Shortages and Skill Needs Evidence Report 21 
High Performance Working: Case Studies Analytical Report 
Evidence Report 22 
The Value of Skills: An Evidence Review Evidence Report 23 
National Employer Skills Survey for England 2009: Main Report 
Evidence Report 24 
Perspectives and Performance of Investors in People: A Literature Review Evidence Report 25 
UK Employer Perspectives Survey 2010 
 
Evidence Report 26  
UK Employment and Skills Almanac 2010 
Evidence Report 27  
Exploring Employer Behaviour in relation to Investors in People 
Evidence Report 28 
Investors in People - Research on the New Choices Approach 
 
Evidence Report 29 
Defining and Measuring Training Activity Evidence Report 30 
Product strategies, skills shortages and skill updating needs in England: New evidence from the National Employer Skills Survey, 2009 
Evidence Report 31 
Skills for Self-employment 
 
Evidence Report 32 
The impact of student and migrant employment on opportunities for low skilled people 
Evidence Report 33 
Rebalancing the Economy Sectorally and Spatially: An Evidence Review 
 
Evidence Report 34 
Maximising Employment and Skills in the Offshore Wind Supply Chain 
Evidence Report 35 
The Role of Career Adaptability in Skills Supply 
 
Evidence Report 36 
The Impact of Higher Education for Part-Time Students 
 
Evidence Report 37 
International approaches to high performance working 
Evidence Report 38 
The Role of Skills from Worklessness to Sustainable Employment with Progression 
Evidence Report 39 
Skills and Economic Performance: The Impact of Intangible Assets on UK Productivity Growth Evidence Report 40 
A Review of Occupational Regulation and its Impact 
Evidence Report 41 
Working Futures 2010-2020 
 
Evidence Report 42 
International Approaches to the Development of Intermediate Level Skills and Apprenticeships 
Evidence Report 43 
Engaging low skilled employees in workplace learning 
Evidence Report 44 
Developing Occupational Skills Profiles for the UK 
Evidence Report 45 
UK Commission's Employer Skills Survey 2011: UK Results 
Evidence Report 46 
UK Commission's Employer Skills Survey 2011: England Results 
 
Evidence Reports present the key findings of the research produced by the UK Commission for Employment and Skills. More detailed analytical results are presented in Evidence Reports and all outputs are accessible on the UK Commission's website www.ukces.org.uk UKCES Renaissance House Adwick Park Wath-upon-Dearne Rotherham S63 5NB T +44 (0)1709 774 800 F +44 (0)1709 774 801 UKCES 28-30 Grosvenor Gardens London SW1W 0TT T +44 (0)20 7881 8900 F +44 (0)20 7881 8999 This document is available at www.ukces.org.uk under 'Publications' ISBN 978-1-908418-16-6 © UKCES 1st Ed/07.12