Confidential Survey of Skillnet Ireland Member Companies

Introduction

The purpose of this questionnaire is to collate information on Skillnet Ireland programmes in the period 2019-2020.

As a valued member of a Skillnet Network, we would appreciate your input into this questionnaire to help Skillnet Ireland improve their programme offerings over the coming years.

We would be most appreciative if you could complete all questions below, and submit your response as soon as possible or by no later than 22^nd May 2022. This survey should only take around 12 minutes to complete.

Please ensure to select "Done" when you have completed the questionnaire, so that your response will be submitted successfully.

All responses will be collated directly by Indecon Consultants, who are conducting this evaluation on behalf of Skillnet Ireland, and will be treated in strict confidence.

Thank you very much for your valuable inputs to this evaluation of Skillnet Ireland programmes in 2019-2020.

Background Details

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* 1. Business name (optional):

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* 2. Please indicate below the average number of persons employed in your business over the last three years:

1-9

10-49

50-250

>250

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* 3. What is the main sector of focus of your business? Please select from the list below:

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* 4. When was the first year your business participated in a Skillnet programme?

2020

2019

2018

2017

2016 or earlier

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* 5. How did you become aware of Skillnet training?

My Skillnet Ireland network made contact with my business

My business became aware of the network through advertising

My business became aware of the network through another business in the sector

An employee had previously engaged with the network

Can't remember

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* 6. Please select from the drop-down box below the Skillnet network from which you availed of training during 2020 or 2019:

If engaged with more than one network please specify here:

Relevance of Skillnet Ireland to the Needs of your Business

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* 7. To what extent would you agree or disagree with the following statements.

	Strongly Agree	Agree	Neither Agree nor Disagree	Disagree	Strongly Disagree
We were happy with the level of engagement prior to design of training/learning programme	We were happy with the level of engagement prior to design of training/learning programme Strongly Agree	We were happy with the level of engagement prior to design of training/learning programme Agree	We were happy with the level of engagement prior to design of training/learning programme Neither Agree nor Disagree	We were happy with the level of engagement prior to design of training/learning programme Disagree	We were happy with the level of engagement prior to design of training/learning programme Strongly Disagree
Network effectively supported us to understand our talent development needs	Network effectively supported us to understand our talent development needs Strongly Agree	Network effectively supported us to understand our talent development needs Agree	Network effectively supported us to understand our talent development needs Neither Agree nor Disagree	Network effectively supported us to understand our talent development needs Disagree	Network effectively supported us to understand our talent development needs Strongly Disagree
Network has helped us to develop a training plan specifically to address the needs of our business and industry	Network has helped us to develop a training plan specifically to address the needs of our business and industry Strongly Agree	Network has helped us to develop a training plan specifically to address the needs of our business and industry Agree	Network has helped us to develop a training plan specifically to address the needs of our business and industry Neither Agree nor Disagree	Network has helped us to develop a training plan specifically to address the needs of our business and industry Disagree	Network has helped us to develop a training plan specifically to address the needs of our business and industry Strongly Disagree
Supports provided by the network adequately met our talent development needs	Supports provided by the network adequately met our talent development needs Strongly Agree	Supports provided by the network adequately met our talent development needs Agree	Supports provided by the network adequately met our talent development needs Neither Agree nor Disagree	Supports provided by the network adequately met our talent development needs Disagree	Supports provided by the network adequately met our talent development needs Strongly Disagree
Our business regularly engages with the network for guidance on future learning and development	Our business regularly engages with the network for guidance on future learning and development Strongly Agree	Our business regularly engages with the network for guidance on future learning and development Agree	Our business regularly engages with the network for guidance on future learning and development Neither Agree nor Disagree	Our business regularly engages with the network for guidance on future learning and development Disagree	Our business regularly engages with the network for guidance on future learning and development Strongly Disagree
Network has helped our business to respond to challenges resulting from Brexit	Network has helped our business to respond to challenges resulting from Brexit Strongly Agree	Network has helped our business to respond to challenges resulting from Brexit Agree	Network has helped our business to respond to challenges resulting from Brexit Neither Agree nor Disagree	Network has helped our business to respond to challenges resulting from Brexit Disagree	Network has helped our business to respond to challenges resulting from Brexit Strongly Disagree
Network has helped our business to respond to challenges related to Climate Change	Network has helped our business to respond to challenges related to Climate Change Strongly Agree	Network has helped our business to respond to challenges related to Climate Change Agree	Network has helped our business to respond to challenges related to Climate Change Neither Agree nor Disagree	Network has helped our business to respond to challenges related to Climate Change Disagree	Network has helped our business to respond to challenges related to Climate Change Strongly Disagree
Membership of the network has helped us to collaborate with other businesses	Membership of the network has helped us to collaborate with other businesses Strongly Agree	Membership of the network has helped us to collaborate with other businesses Agree	Membership of the network has helped us to collaborate with other businesses Neither Agree nor Disagree	Membership of the network has helped us to collaborate with other businesses Disagree	Membership of the network has helped us to collaborate with other businesses Strongly Disagree
Network’s offering is relevant given the challenges my industry is facing.	Network’s offering is relevant given the challenges my industry is facing. Strongly Agree	Network’s offering is relevant given the challenges my industry is facing. Agree	Network’s offering is relevant given the challenges my industry is facing. Neither Agree nor Disagree	Network’s offering is relevant given the challenges my industry is facing. Disagree	Network’s offering is relevant given the challenges my industry is facing. Strongly Disagree

Business Impacts

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* 8. To what extent has your business’s engagement with the network contributed, directly or indirectly, to achieving the following Innovation-related impacts on your business?

	Very Significant Impact	Significant Impact	Neither Significant nor Insignificant Impact	Insignificant Impact	No Impact	Don’t Know / Not Relevant to our Business
Contributed to innovations in the products/services we deliver to our customers	Contributed to innovations in the products/services we deliver to our customers Very Significant Impact	Contributed to innovations in the products/services we deliver to our customers Significant Impact	Contributed to innovations in the products/services we deliver to our customers Neither Significant nor Insignificant Impact	Contributed to innovations in the products/services we deliver to our customers Insignificant Impact	Contributed to innovations in the products/services we deliver to our customers No Impact	Contributed to innovations in the products/services we deliver to our customers Don’t Know / Not Relevant to our Business
Contributed to innovations in the processes we apply in manufacturing/delivering our products/services	Contributed to innovations in the processes we apply in manufacturing/delivering our products/services Very Significant Impact	Contributed to innovations in the processes we apply in manufacturing/delivering our products/services Significant Impact	Contributed to innovations in the processes we apply in manufacturing/delivering our products/services Neither Significant nor Insignificant Impact	Contributed to innovations in the processes we apply in manufacturing/delivering our products/services Insignificant Impact	Contributed to innovations in the processes we apply in manufacturing/delivering our products/services No Impact	Contributed to innovations in the processes we apply in manufacturing/delivering our products/services Don’t Know / Not Relevant to our Business
Fostered a greater focus on the benefits of innovation for our business	Fostered a greater focus on the benefits of innovation for our business Very Significant Impact	Fostered a greater focus on the benefits of innovation for our business Significant Impact	Fostered a greater focus on the benefits of innovation for our business Neither Significant nor Insignificant Impact	Fostered a greater focus on the benefits of innovation for our business Insignificant Impact	Fostered a greater focus on the benefits of innovation for our business No Impact	Fostered a greater focus on the benefits of innovation for our business Don’t Know / Not Relevant to our Business
Contributed to the development of a formal ‘innovation strategy’ for our business	Contributed to the development of a formal ‘innovation strategy’ for our business Very Significant Impact	Contributed to the development of a formal ‘innovation strategy’ for our business Significant Impact	Contributed to the development of a formal ‘innovation strategy’ for our business Neither Significant nor Insignificant Impact	Contributed to the development of a formal ‘innovation strategy’ for our business Insignificant Impact	Contributed to the development of a formal ‘innovation strategy’ for our business No Impact	Contributed to the development of a formal ‘innovation strategy’ for our business Don’t Know / Not Relevant to our Business

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* 9. To what extent has your business's engagement with the network helped deliver, directly or indirectly, the following performance and productivity-related impacts on your business?

	Very Significant Impact	Significant Impact	Neither Significant nor Insignificant Impact	Insignificant Impact	No Impact	Don’t Know / Not Relevant to our Business
Helped to lower our business costs	Helped to lower our business costs Very Significant Impact	Helped to lower our business costs Significant Impact	Helped to lower our business costs Neither Significant nor Insignificant Impact	Helped to lower our business costs Insignificant Impact	Helped to lower our business costs No Impact	Helped to lower our business costs Don’t Know / Not Relevant to our Business
Helped to enhance our competitiveness in the marketplace	Helped to enhance our competitiveness in the marketplace Very Significant Impact	Helped to enhance our competitiveness in the marketplace Significant Impact	Helped to enhance our competitiveness in the marketplace Neither Significant nor Insignificant Impact	Helped to enhance our competitiveness in the marketplace Insignificant Impact	Helped to enhance our competitiveness in the marketplace No Impact	Helped to enhance our competitiveness in the marketplace Don’t Know / Not Relevant to our Business
Contributed to increased turnover	Contributed to increased turnover Very Significant Impact	Contributed to increased turnover Significant Impact	Contributed to increased turnover Neither Significant nor Insignificant Impact	Contributed to increased turnover Insignificant Impact	Contributed to increased turnover No Impact	Contributed to increased turnover Don’t Know / Not Relevant to our Business
Assisted our business to develop new markets (domestic and/or export)	Assisted our business to develop new markets (domestic and/or export) Very Significant Impact	Assisted our business to develop new markets (domestic and/or export) Significant Impact	Assisted our business to develop new markets (domestic and/or export) Neither Significant nor Insignificant Impact	Assisted our business to develop new markets (domestic and/or export) Insignificant Impact	Assisted our business to develop new markets (domestic and/or export) No Impact	Assisted our business to develop new markets (domestic and/or export) Don’t Know / Not Relevant to our Business
Contributed to enhancing our service/product quality	Contributed to enhancing our service/product quality Very Significant Impact	Contributed to enhancing our service/product quality Significant Impact	Contributed to enhancing our service/product quality Neither Significant nor Insignificant Impact	Contributed to enhancing our service/product quality Insignificant Impact	Contributed to enhancing our service/product quality No Impact	Contributed to enhancing our service/product quality Don’t Know / Not Relevant to our Business
Helped our business to utilise Digital Technologies	Helped our business to utilise Digital Technologies Very Significant Impact	Helped our business to utilise Digital Technologies Significant Impact	Helped our business to utilise Digital Technologies Neither Significant nor Insignificant Impact	Helped our business to utilise Digital Technologies Insignificant Impact	Helped our business to utilise Digital Technologies No Impact	Helped our business to utilise Digital Technologies Don’t Know / Not Relevant to our Business
Helped in improving customer care	Helped in improving customer care Very Significant Impact	Helped in improving customer care Significant Impact	Helped in improving customer care Neither Significant nor Insignificant Impact	Helped in improving customer care Insignificant Impact	Helped in improving customer care No Impact	Helped in improving customer care Don’t Know / Not Relevant to our Business
Helped to strengthen the resilience of our business in the face of economic and market challenges	Helped to strengthen the resilience of our business in the face of economic and market challenges Very Significant Impact	Helped to strengthen the resilience of our business in the face of economic and market challenges Significant Impact	Helped to strengthen the resilience of our business in the face of economic and market challenges Neither Significant nor Insignificant Impact	Helped to strengthen the resilience of our business in the face of economic and market challenges Insignificant Impact	Helped to strengthen the resilience of our business in the face of economic and market challenges No Impact	Helped to strengthen the resilience of our business in the face of economic and market challenges Don’t Know / Not Relevant to our Business
Helped our business become more environmentally sustainable	Helped our business become more environmentally sustainable Very Significant Impact	Helped our business become more environmentally sustainable Significant Impact	Helped our business become more environmentally sustainable Neither Significant nor Insignificant Impact	Helped our business become more environmentally sustainable Insignificant Impact	Helped our business become more environmentally sustainable No Impact	Helped our business become more environmentally sustainable Don’t Know / Not Relevant to our Business
Helped to enhance the long-term performance and sustainability of our business	Helped to enhance the long-term performance and sustainability of our business Very Significant Impact	Helped to enhance the long-term performance and sustainability of our business Significant Impact	Helped to enhance the long-term performance and sustainability of our business Neither Significant nor Insignificant Impact	Helped to enhance the long-term performance and sustainability of our business Insignificant Impact	Helped to enhance the long-term performance and sustainability of our business No Impact	Helped to enhance the long-term performance and sustainability of our business Don’t Know / Not Relevant to our Business

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* 10. To what extent has your business's engagement with the network helped deliver the following workforce development impacts for your business?

	Very Significant Impact	Significant Impact	Neither Significant nor Insignificant Impact	Insignificant Impact	No Impact	Don’t Know / Not Relevant to our Business
Increased our ability to attract staff	Increased our ability to attract staff Very Significant Impact	Increased our ability to attract staff Significant Impact	Increased our ability to attract staff Neither Significant nor Insignificant Impact	Increased our ability to attract staff Insignificant Impact	Increased our ability to attract staff No Impact	Increased our ability to attract staff Don’t Know / Not Relevant to our Business
Increased our ability to retain staff	Increased our ability to retain staff Very Significant Impact	Increased our ability to retain staff Significant Impact	Increased our ability to retain staff Neither Significant nor Insignificant Impact	Increased our ability to retain staff Insignificant Impact	Increased our ability to retain staff No Impact	Increased our ability to retain staff Don’t Know / Not Relevant to our Business
Positively impacted on staff morale and engagement	Positively impacted on staff morale and engagement Very Significant Impact	Positively impacted on staff morale and engagement Significant Impact	Positively impacted on staff morale and engagement Neither Significant nor Insignificant Impact	Positively impacted on staff morale and engagement Insignificant Impact	Positively impacted on staff morale and engagement No Impact	Positively impacted on staff morale and engagement Don’t Know / Not Relevant to our Business
Increased availability of skills required for the success of our business	Increased availability of skills required for the success of our business Very Significant Impact	Increased availability of skills required for the success of our business Significant Impact	Increased availability of skills required for the success of our business Neither Significant nor Insignificant Impact	Increased availability of skills required for the success of our business Insignificant Impact	Increased availability of skills required for the success of our business No Impact	Increased availability of skills required for the success of our business Don’t Know / Not Relevant to our Business
Enhanced Digital Skills within our business	Enhanced Digital Skills within our business Very Significant Impact	Enhanced Digital Skills within our business Significant Impact	Enhanced Digital Skills within our business Neither Significant nor Insignificant Impact	Enhanced Digital Skills within our business Insignificant Impact	Enhanced Digital Skills within our business No Impact	Enhanced Digital Skills within our business Don’t Know / Not Relevant to our Business
Contributed to improved productivity within our workforce	Contributed to improved productivity within our workforce Very Significant Impact	Contributed to improved productivity within our workforce Significant Impact	Contributed to improved productivity within our workforce Neither Significant nor Insignificant Impact	Contributed to improved productivity within our workforce Insignificant Impact	Contributed to improved productivity within our workforce No Impact	Contributed to improved productivity within our workforce Don’t Know / Not Relevant to our Business

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* 11. Has participation in Skillnet Ireland’s training contributed directly or indirectly to an expansion in the size of your business's workforce since 2019/2020, compared to what otherwise would have been the case? Please select one option below:

Yes, number of employees has increased since 2019/2020 as a result of Skillnet Ireland supports

We are likely to increase staff numbers within the next 6 to 12 months as a result of Skillnet Ireland supports

No, we do not observe any existing or likely impact on our workforce levels arising from our participation in Skillnet Ireland programmes

COVID-Specific Training

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* 12. Did your business avail of Skillnet Ireland supports to help you respond to the Covid-19 pandemic?

Yes