Northumberland businesses urged by council to have their say to help economic recovery

As the county continues to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, the local authority has launched this year’s Employer Skills Survey to help ensure that the right training and development programmes are put in place.

The survey is an important tool in informing the support the county council and its partners can provide employers and residents.

It asks about vocational skills, as well as more ‘soft skills’ like communication and leadership, and also explores what types of training businesses have accessed, how they ensure staff have the right skills and how their plans are affected by the current economic situation.

Coun Wojciech Ploszaj, the council’s cabinet member for business, said: “Last year’s survey was well received and dozens of businesses engaged with it, yielding invaluable insight into some of the challenges faced by employers at the time.

“We’re re-launching it to build on this success and would urge all businesses to complete the survey, which should only take around 10 minutes.

“The county council offers a wide range of support services to businesses and residents – directly and through partner organisations.

“As the economic situation changes across all sectors, it is important to understand how these changes are impacting businesses in Northumberland so we can offer support that’s relevant to current and future needs of local businesses.”

To complete the survey, employers should follow the link in an email they receive or go to https://nland.cc/skills

Employers are asked to respond to the survey by the end of September.