With ongoing skills shortages across multiple sectors, The Guernsey Institute is asking employers what they want from employees of the future.
A survey’s been launched through Island Global Research asking that very question.
It’s the first time in 12 years that a skills survey of this scale has been run, with the aim of reshaping how future workers are trained.
Louise Misselke, Executive Principal at The Guernsey Institute, said: “We recognise that there’s been a massive shift in the last 12 years of the way we all work, and going forward in the future, we all know those conversations about AI changing the shape of work, and we really want to understand what employers need in terms of workforce capabilities and skills, qualifications and training, for now and also for skills for the future.”
“The survey is for every sector,” she added. “Whether that’s professional services, the finance sector, whether that’s for construction or engineering, whether that’s for early years, or some of our leisure services, whether that’s for the public sector or the third sector, we really need to get some feedback from employers about what it is they need for the Guernsey Institute to better support them, but also there are other education providers on the island. So part of that skills strategy work is understanding what the picture is now and for the future.”
Ms Misselke said the survey “puts employers at the centre of decisions about skills on our island” so it is important that as many as possible fill in the questionnaire, which she thinks will take around 10 minutes.
“The survey’s out at the moment. It’s live until the end of December,” she said.
The survey was “being delivered by Island Global Research as our partner and it’s available on social media and we’ve done some mail shots as well through the employers that we work with”.
She added: “We really, really want as many employers as we can to take the time to fill it in. It’s a real investment of time to fill it in.
“It isn’t a short survey. It’s going to be 10 minutes or so. But that 10 minutes will really make a difference to us being able to better meet our community’s needs.”
The survey findings should be published in early 2027.
That data will help inform the future curriculum at The Guernsey Institute, in particular the Adult Skills Strategy and future Level 3 Qualifications available on island, and the development of shorter, flexible courses.
Businesses of every size are encouraged to take part, including sole traders and businesses in the public, private, and not-for-profit sectors.
