Known Unknowns: the demand for higher level skills
Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) & East Midlands Universities Association (EMUA)

In 2007, CFE embarked on a programme of research to establish the extent and nature of demand for higher level skills from businesses in the East Midlands.

The research involved a quantitative telephone survey of businesses in the East Midlands to establish:  

  • The extent of demand for higher skills from businesses in the East Midlands  
  • The nature of existing demand (e.g. preferences regarding the content and delivery of training)  
  • The impact of higher level skills  
  • Why some businesses do not invest in higher level skills
The research report; ‘Known unknowns: the demand for higher level skills from business’ was published in March 2008 (revised in November 2008).

The research has been continued in 'Beyond Known Unknowns' with the use of focus groups to further explore employers’ perceptions and attitudes to a range of relevant issues relating to higher level skills in the East Midlands.