The UK Commission’s Employer Skills Survey 2015: UK results

In examining the experiences and practices of over 91,000 employers, the UK Commission’s Employer Skills Survey (ESS) is the definitive source of intelligence on the skills challenges employers across the UK are facing and their response in terms of investment in skills and training. The survey was first conducted at UK wide level in 2011 and was developed from a series of surveys conducted in each of the countries of the UK during the 1990s and the 2000s. The UK survey has been conducted biennially, and the 2015 survey represents the third edition in the series. This period of time coincides with the UK economy leaving recession and experiencing relatively sustained economic growth. It explores the skills challenges that employers face both within their existing workforces and when recruiting, their use of the skills of their staff, the levels and nature of investment in training and development, and the relationship between skills challenges, training activity and business strategy. The study reports on the experiences of employers at the establishment level, rather than at the enterprise level. The survey covers establishments with at least two people on the payroll.