The survey is the key UK data source on employer demand for and
investment in skills. It is the first UK wide employer skills survey.
In Wales, over 6,000 employers were interviewed on a wide range of
issues including investment in training and staff development, vacancies and
skills shortages, and gaps in employees’ skills.
The main findings from the report show that in Wales:
The proportion of establishments recruiting new staff is broadly in line
with the UK average, as is the number of vacancies available per employee. So
we assess that Welsh labour market demand is broadly in line with the UK.
However, there is a higher concentration of hard-to-fill vacancies in Wales
than in the UK as a whole.
Although only a small minority of businesses reported vacancies were
hard to fill because of skill shortages, nearly all business that did have a
hard-to-fill vacancy found it had an impact on the operation of the business
(97 per cent).
The survey finds concentrations of skills shortages in particular
industries and occupations (such as Associate Professional and Machine
Operative occupations, and the Manufacturing and Business Services sectors).
Around 5 per cent of employees did not have the skills required to perform
their job role (skills gaps). There were higher concentrations of skills gaps
in Electricity, Gas and Water, and Hotels and Restaurants.
Three-fifths of establishments in Wales (59 per cent) provided some form
of training for their staff in the previous year, the same proportion as in the
UK as a whole.
Training rates varied significantly between occupations and size of
employer. Those employed in Elementary or Administrative occupations, those
employed in small businesses and those who work in specific sectors (such as
Agriculture and Construction) were least likely to receive training.
The executive summary is HERE
