OECD Skills Strategy Northern Ireland (United Kingdom)

Annex B. Pre-workshop survey outcomes

During this project, we asked participants in workshops on two occasions to complete an online survey. The surveys helped participants to familiarise themselves with the project, its priority areas, and the draft opportunities and recommendations. The outcomes of the surveys were also used as input for discussions in the workshops.

For the Assessment Mission, the survey was completed by 69 respondents, and the focus was on participants’ views on the importance of, and opportunities for improvement in, each of the four priority areas. In the Recommendations Mission, the survey was completed by 50 respondents, and the focus was on participants’ views on the relative importance for Northern Ireland of the selected opportunities for each priority area, and the draft recommendations within each opportunity.

This annex summarises the main outcomes of these two online surveys.

Importance of priority areas

After the priority areas were selected by the OECD and the Project Team, participants in the Assessment Mission were given the opportunity to express their views on this selection, by scoring their importance for Northern Ireland on a scale of 0 to 10. The 69 respondents gave all priority areas a high average score (see Figure A B.1), ranging from a 8.4 for effectively using skills in workplaces to a 9.1 for creating a culture of lifelong learning.

Figure A B.1. Importance of the four priority areas (scale 1-10) (N=69)

Source: Assessment Mission Survey.

Statlink

Priority area 1: Reducing skills imbalances in Northern Ireland

For the Recommendations Mission, four preliminary opportunities were selected to reduce skills imbalances in Northern Ireland. Respondents showed overall strong support for all opportunities (see Figure A B.2). The two opportunities that stood out were improving career advice (43% considered this to be essential for Northern Ireland) and strengthening the responsiveness and flexibility of education and training systems (38% considered this to be essential).

Figure A B.2. Relative importance of preliminary opportunities to reduce skills imbalances (N=50)

Source: Recommendations Mission Survey.

Note: This list of opportunities was developed before the Recommendations Mission. These findings, combined with outcomes of discussions in this mission, resulted in the final list of opportunities.

Statlink

Participants in the Recommendations Mission were also asked to indicate the importance of recommendations for the four opportunities. Recommendations for Opportunity 1 on career advice were considered to be especially important – four of the five highest ranked recommendations for the priority area were for this opportunity (see Figure A B.3). In particular, a recommendation on enhancing the relevance of career advice through increased engagement with employers (e.g. by organising talks to students and enhanced provision/uptake of internships) stood out, with 54% considering it to be essential.

Figure A B.3. Top-five recommendations to reduce skills imbalances (N=50)

Source: Recommendations Mission Survey.

Note: Ranking based on share of respondents indicating recommendation to be "essential".

Statlink

Priority area 2: Creating a culture of lifelong learning in Northern Ireland

While the share of respondents that considered the opportunities ‘essential’ is overall slightly lower than for priority area 1, all four preliminary opportunities were still considered to be at least important by more than 9 out of 10 respondents (see Figure A B.4). The opportunity on starting the development of a culture of lifelong learning early in life especially received strong support – 36% of respondents found it essential.

Figure A B.4. Relative importance of preliminary opportunities to create a culture of lifelong learning (N=50)

Source: Recommendations Mission Survey.

Note: This list of opportunities was developed before the Recommendations Mission. These findings, combined with outcomes of discussions in this mission, resulted in the final list of opportunities.

Statlink

The top-five recommendations include recommendations from three opportunities, with only recommendations for improving financing arrangements for adult learning opportunities not making it into the top-five. Overall there was very strong support for all recommendations. A recommendation on making the compulsory school curriculum future-proof, by placing an emphasis on the development of the foundational skills required in the context of megatrends (e.g. digital and data literacy) and strong attitudes to lifelong learning, received most support (39% ‘essential’).

Figure A B.5. Top-five recommendations to create a culture of lifelong learning (N=50)

Source: Recommendations Mission Survey.

Note: Ranking based on share of respondents indicating recommendation to be "essential".

Statlink

Priority area 3: Transforming workplaces to make better use of skills in Northern Ireland

Throughout the project, stakeholders expressed most support for opportunities and recommendations linked to leadership and management. Outcomes from the survey for the Recommendations Mission were consistent with this finding – an opportunity to strengthen leadership and management in businesses was given the highest rank in importance, with 44% of respondents considering it to be essential (see Figure A B.6). In addition, opportunities on empowering and engaging the workforce, as well as raising demand for skills received a lot of support.

Figure A B.6. Relative importance of preliminary opportunities to transform workplaces to make better use of skills (N=50)

Source: Recommendations Mission Survey.

Note: This list of opportunities was developed before the Recommendations Mission. These findings, combined with outcomes of discussions in this mission, resulted in the final list of opportunities.

Statlink

Only one recommendation for strengthening management and leadership stood out, which concerned developing a new strategy and long-term vision for management and leadership (see Figure A B.7). Other recommendations that were considered to be especially important concerned strengthening the overall governance of skills and innovation policies, as well as the role for the public sector in changing strengthening skills use, by becoming a leader in the adoption of new technologies.

Figure A B.7. Top-five recommendations to transform workplaces to make better use of skills (N=50)

Source: Recommendations Mission Survey.

Note: Ranking based on share of respondents indicating recommendation to be "essential".

Statlink

Priority area 4: Strengthening the governance of skills policies in Northern Ireland

To strengthen the governance of skills policies in Northern Ireland, all opportunities were considered to be essential by a very large share of respondents, with the whole-of-government approach standing out in particular (see Figure A B.8). It should be noted that this result could be driven by the comparatively large share of respondents representing government.

Figure A B.8. Relative importance of preliminary opportunities to strengthen the governance of skills policies (N=50)

Source: Recommendations Mission Survey.

Note: This list of opportunities was developed before the Recommendations Mission. These findings, combined with outcomes of discussions in this mission, resulted in the final list of opportunities.

Statlink

Almost all recommendations received very strong support from respondents. Recommendations related to sustainable funding arrangements and the development of an overarching strategy were considered to be especially important – four out of the top-five recommendations were for this opportunity (see Figure A B.9). However, a recommendation for increasing co‑ordination across government through a central co‑ordinating body stood out, with 42% of respondents considering it to be essential.

Figure A B.9. Top-five recommendations to strengthen the governance of skills policies (N=50)

Source: Recommendations Mission Survey.

Note: Ranking based on share of respondents indicating recommendation to be "essential".

Statlink