National Employers Skills Survey 2007

Published: 7 May 2008

The fourth National Employers Skills Survey (NESS) has revealed a steady upward trend in most areas of skills development, according to the views of over 79,000 employers.

NESS gathers and analyses data on the issues employers face in terms of recruitment, skills gaps and training.

The findings are positive with fewer employers reporting skills gaps and the percentage of all vacancies caused by skills shortage, showing a marked fall. There has been an increase in the proportion of employers providing training, holding a training plan and budget, which has led to an increase in the cost of training for employers of 15.9% compared to 2005.

Key findings:

• 67% of establishments have funed or arranged training in the last year
• Employer training spend for 2007 was £38.6bn an increase of 16%  (10% when inflation is taken into account)
• Almost half of employers have a training plan and over a third have a training budget.
• There has been a reduction in the number of vacancies caused by lack of skills (25% in 2005 compared to 21% in 2007)

The study was undertaken in collaboration with the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS) and the Sector Skills Development Agency (SSDA).