This Cedefop’s initiative explored the potential of employers’ survey as a tool to identify skill needs and skill gaps at workplace level. The aim was to develop a tool or instrument to reliably identify future needs of skills, competences, occupations and qualifications in public and private enterprises in Europe as input for broader skill needs analyses.

The dynamics of change in the workplace implies that timely and reliable information is needed on how skill needs develop. Information on future skill and competence needs in Europe is essential for employers and also effective labour market policy making at national and European levels. Such information should ideally be obtained by different methods and sources. Employers’ surveys are one of the possible – more qualitative – sources of information.

The main objective of this Cedefop initiative was to explore the potential of employers’ surveys as a tool to identify skill needs and skill gaps at workplace level and eventually, to develop a survey tool or instrument to reliably identify future needs of skills, competences, occupations and qualifications in public and private enterprises in Europe as input for broader skill needs analyses. Pilot fieldwork was completed in April 2012. A project report with recommendations on possibilities to expand the study into a full-scale survey was delivered to the European Commission in 2013. A detailed report on the piloted survey instrument is available upon request for possible use by other organizations.

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