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Londonderry Chamber of Commerce Member Skills and Workforce Survey 2026
This 8-10 minute survey will directly shape the Chamber's skills lobbying and support prioritised.
Responses are anonymised.
A summary of findings will be shared with participants, pending requests.
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Section 1: About Your Business
1.
Which sector best describes your business? (Select one.)
Construction
Engineering
Health & Life Sciences
Hospitality & Tourism
Logistics / Transport
Manufacturing
Professional & Financial Services
Retail
Technology / Digital / Creative
Other (please specify)
2.
How many employees does your business have?
1-5
6-10
11-25
26-50
51-100
101-250
251-499
500+
3.
How would you describe your number of employees over the next 12 months?
Expect to increase
Expect to remain the same
Expect to reduce
Unsure
Section 2: Skills Impact
4.
Which THREE skills-related issues are currently having the greatest negative impact on your business?
(Select up to three)
Difficulty recruiting suitably skilled staff
Skills gaps within existing workforce
Staff retention/ turnover
Cost of employing staff
Time and cost of training staff
Lack of management or leadership capability
Digital or IT capability gaps
Regulatory, compliance or technical certification gaps
Other (please specify)
5.
Specific Skills in Short Supply
(Select up to three)
Engineering/ technical trades
Construction skills
Electrical/ mechanical
Digital basics (general IT, systems use)
Software, data or AI skills
Cybersecurity
Project management
Finance/ accounting
Sales and Marketing
Customer service
Management & Leadership
Green/ sustainability/ energy skills
Health or care related skills
Other (please specify)
6.
To what extent do these skills gaps affect your business?
Not at all
Slightly
Moderately
Significantly
Severely
Ability to grow
Not at all
Slightly
Moderately
Significantly
Severely
Ability to deliver work
Not at all
Slightly
Moderately
Significantly
Severely
Operating costs
Not at all
Slightly
Moderately
Significantly
Severely
Staff workload/ burnout
Not at all
Slightly
Moderately
Significantly
Severely
Reliance on contractors
Not at all
Slightly
Moderately
Significantly
Severely
Section 4: Recruitment vs Upskilling
7.
Over the past 12 months, how has your business mainly responded to skills gaps?
Recruiting new staff
Upskilling existing staff
Using contractors or outsourcing
Delaying or scaling back activity
Not applicable
Other (please specify)
8.
What prevents your business from investing more in training and upskilling?
(Select up to three)
Cost of training
Time away from work
Training not relevant to business needs
Limited local availability
Complexity of funding or schemes
Staff leaving after training
Not aware of what is available
None of the above
Other (please specify)
Section 5: Training, Apprenticeships & Workforce Developments
9.
Which of the following has your business engaged with in the past three years?
Apprenticeships (Level 2-3)
Higher Level Apprenticeships (Level 4-6)
Further Education (College Courses)
University Placements or graduates
Private training providers
In house training only
None
10.
How well do existing training and education options meet your business needs?
Very Poorly
Poorly
Adequately
Well
Very Well
Very Poorly
Poorly
Adequately
Well
Very Well
11.
What would make training more useful for your business?
(Select up three)
Short, modular courses
Flexible or part time delivery
Training delivered in the workplace
Employer designed content
Quicker inductions to fully train staff
Better funding support
Clearer information and signposting
12.
How familiar is your organisation with Higher Level Apprenticeships (Level 4-6 - equivalent to foundation degree)?
Very familiar
Somewhat familiar
Aware but unclear on details
Not Aware
13.
Would your organisation consider recruiting or upskilling through an apprenticeship or HLA in the next 2-3 years?
Yes
Possibly
No
Unsure
14.
What is the main barrier preventing greater engagement with apprenticeships or HLAs?
Lack of Awareness
Unclear process
Administrative burder
Duration commitment
Supervision/ internal capacity
Cost
Uncertainity about candidate quality
Not relevant to our sector
Already engaged
Other (please specify)
Section 6: Artificial Intelligence
15.
How would you describe your business' current use of AI?
Not using AI
Exploring AI
Using AI in limited areas
Using AI across multiple functions
AI is core to our business model
16.
What are the main barriers preventing greater adoption of AI in your business?
Lack of in house expertise
Uncertainity about practical use cases
Data protection/ compliance concerns
Cyber security risks
Cost of implementation
Lack of time to explore properly
Concerns about staff resistance
Lack of trusted local advice or support
Infrastructure limitations (connectivity, systems)
Unclear return on investment
No perceived business need
Other (please specify)
17.
Would your business invest more in AI adoption if practical, locally delivered support was available?
Yes
Possibly
No
Section 7: Role of the Chamber
18.
What would need to happen to address skills issues within your business?
19.
Have skills shortages caused your business to turn down work or opportunities in the past 12 months? (Single choice)
Yes
No
Not sure
If so please explain the impact and solution
20.
Are skills and workforce constraints a risk to future investment or growth in the North West?
Not a risk
Minor risk
Moderate risk
Major risk
Not a risk
Minor risk
Moderate risk
Major risk
Thank you for taking the time to complete this survey.
Your input will directly inform the Chamber’s skills priorities, engagement with education providers, and advocacy with government on behalf of North West businesses.
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