Skillset's 2010 Employer Survey provided the most comprehensive profile of employers skills needs in the UK's creative media sectors ever produced. The survey covers TV, radio, film production, animation, content for computer games, interactive media, photo imaging and publishing, but excludes advertising and fashion & textiles which at the time of survey inception had only just come into Skillset's footprint.

The survey was conducted between June and August 2010 and measured: external and internal training provision and how it meets employer needs; current skills strengths, gaps and shortages within the workforce; and future skills gaps and shortages.

The information is vital and enables Skillset to work with industry to tailor skills and training initiatives and direct investment efficiently.

In summary the 2010 results show that:

• Nearly half (49%) of employers have taken on new recruits in the year leading up to the survey.
• 30% of employers say their demand for people employed on short term contracts has increased over the past year compared to just 18% for permanent employees.
• Nearly half of employers with vacancies (46%) say that some of them are hard to fill.
• 28% of employers reported skills gaps at the time of the survey. The most common skills gap reported by employers are in sales and marketing (61%),  technical skills (48%) and skills in using specific software applications (46%).
• Employers were asked in which skill areas they thought demand may be hard to meet in three to five years. The most common area cited is sales and marketing (34%), followed by skills using specific software applications (29%), technical skills (25%), multi-skilling (24%) and leadership and management skills (22%).
• Exactly half of employers say that they value formal qualifications. By some margin, the qualification valued by most employers is an undergraduate degree (25%).
• Just under one in five (18%) employers have a plan that specifies the level and type of learning and development in which they will invest over the coming year.
• Nearly half of employers (47%) say they have funded or arranged learning or development over the past twelve months.
• 59% of employers who have provided learning and development over the past year reported that they also make this available to people on short term contracts.
• 9% of employers offer Apprenticeships and a further 50% say that they would consider offering them in the future.

The full report is available to download here:

Skillset Employer Survey 2010

Click here to access employer research from previous years.

For further information please contact Skillset's Research and Evaluation Team.

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