The majority (92%) of respondents found their apprenticeship fairly or very useful. This implies that many who did not complete still found their apprenticeship useful. Only one third of those who did not find the training useful completed the course. Two out of three claim to have done some study/reading around the apprentice subject when at home. This was more likely in Electrical and Motor trades.

A high percentage of respondents (74%) completed the apprenticeship. Of the remaining 26% who did not complete, 29 out of 1000 respondents interviewed (3% of the total) are still apprentices (two thirds of those who are still apprentices after seven years are Electricians), a further 9% attended Phase 1 only and a further 6% attended up to Phase 2 only. Engineering showed the highest levels of incompletes (33%), with fall out most likely in Phase 1 or 2 for this trade family. Only 1 in 10 of those who did not complete the apprenticeship are still currently apprentices. The main reason for the delay in completion was difficulty in completing tests/exams, others dropped out for a while because of family or illness or they went travelling. Of those who dropped out 1 in 4  left the apprenticeship because they didn't like the work in the trade. However, for 1 in 8 assessments were an obstacle to completion. The remainder dropped-out because they took up better work or training opportunities. One hundred and fifty six of two hundred and fifty six (61%) apprentices who left without qualifying had no interest in returning to an apprenticeship. Six percent of those who completed all off the job phases did not receive a National Craft Certificate. Failure to reach the standard in the exam is the main reason why a cert was not received. Ten percent didn't want to take the test.

A major component of this survey was to assess the relevance of the curriculum and to examine the structure of the apprentice programme through the eyes of the participants. A series of questions on these topics was devised on attitudes to and satisfaction with apprenticeship. All were asked the questions (those who successfully completed, those who dropped out and those who are still apprentices) on the phases they had attended. The vast majority (89%) of those surveyed agreed that their skills were well developed during their apprenticeship and FÁS support services for apprentices were satisfactory (82%). Most (83%) were very optimistic about their future career and were satisfied that their earnings expectations were met (76%). While 83% agreed that the tests were examined adequately, only 64% found the technical drawing component of the programme easy.

There were differences of opinion about the length of 'off the job' and 'on the job phases', and the level of theory taught on the programme with roughly equal number agreeing and disagreeing on these aspects. The level of agreement of opinion between different trade families was very similar. Cabinet Making and Wood Machining trades appeared to have the least positive impression of the apprenticeship and Electrical and Construction had the most positive impression. Where information on individual trades was available the trends were also very similar.

Most respondents were satisfied with all aspects of the 'on the job' components of the apprentice training programme. Those still working in the trade tended to be more positive. The  Furniture trades showed lowest satisfaction levels overall, followed by the Motor trades which showed the second lowest satisfaction level. While 67% of respondents were satisfied with their contacts with the FÁS adviser 17% were not. The greatest dissatisfaction was with the level of wages during apprenticeship, where 1 in 3 were dissatisfied. There was very little difference in opinion between trade families, except for wages where Furniture, Motor and Engineering express the greatest disappointment.

FÁS training centres scored well for both physical condition (91% satisfied) and equipment and facilities (89%). FÁS training centres also scored well in relation to practical skills development (90%), the relevance of the subjects to the work environment (83%), location of the training centres (82%) and level of theory taught (81%). Somewhat lower, whilst still positive, ratings were given to the level of maths and science (73%) and technical drawing (66%).  Again, the Furniture trades appeared least satisfied, while Motor apprentices also showed lower satisfaction levels than average.

Institutes of Technology also scored highly, similar to levels of satisfaction achieved for FÁS training centres. For the Electrical trades the Institutes of Technology fell back for the level of theory taught, the level of technical drawing and the relevance of the subject to the work environment.

Over 3 in 4 were satisfied with the speed of progression through the apprenticeship training. However, this increases to over 4 in 5 of those who completed and qualified. Again the furniture trade showed lower satisfaction levels. Almost half of apprentices had no suggestion for improvement. The top suggestion was to shorten the phases, particularly from Motor and Furniture trades. Electrical trades tend to prefer more practical work and less theory.

Just over half continued to work with the same employer since receiving their qualification. When all of the qualified craftspersons were asked how much they used the skills which they learned on the apprenticeship, 78% said all or most of the time. The Construction craftspersons and Electricians required most use for these skills. Engineers and those in the Furniture trades used their apprenticeship skills less. Nearly a quarter of all craftspersons and one third in the Engineering trades surveyed said that they rarely, never or only sometimes used their skills. 

A quarter of qualified craftspersons thought that they would have been able to get their current job without their apprenticeship. Only 1 in 8 Electrical respondents thought it would be likely to get their job without their qualification. All qualified craftsperson respondents were asked whether they were working with an apprentice, 52% said that they were. The majority of craftsperson respondents work within the usual 39-40 hour week. However, 1 in 5 Electricians and Construction craftspersons are working 50+ hours a week on average. Only 2% of craftspersons who started training in 1999 are unemployed.

Eight in ten respondents have not undertaken any formal training or education since completing their apprenticeship. For those who have, those in the Motor trade were more likely to have completed a course. The majority of the courses taken were completed within a year, 8 in 10 were part-time. All who completed the apprenticeship were asked would they be interested in completing an advanced training programme to increase their skill level in their current trade. Interest in this type of training programme was high, with Electricians and Engineers expressing higher interest. When asked about future career ambitions, almost half of qualified craftspersons showed an ambition to run their own business, higher for those in the Construction trade. Six percent would like to become a teacher/trainer in their trade. Those in the Motor trade were the most likely to want to become supervisors/managers.

Electrical respondents were older than the sample average, while Motor and Furniture respondents were younger. This is due to the fact that Electrical apprentices tend to leave school later than Motor and Furniture apprentices. Seven in ten respondents in the survey had completed the Leaving Certificate. Electrical respondents were more likely to have completed the Leaving Cert, which explains their older age profile. Four per cent of those surveyed claimed that they left before Group, Junior or Intermediate examinations. Those who attained Leaving Cert or Higher were more likely to complete their apprenticeship. Seventy-eight percent of those with the Leaving Cert got the National Craft Certificate (NCC) whereas 64% of those without the Leaving Cert got the National Craft Certificate.

The respondents in this survey were asked what their net and gross weekly earnings were, 31% refused to reply. The average net weekly wage for respondent craftspersons who are still in the trade was €704 per week. The Motor trade appears least well paid, while Electrical and Construction trades command the highest wages. The average Construction trades wage was €751 and the average Electrical trades wage was €712 among qualified craftspeople who stayed in their trade. However, the average Motor wage was €493. Seven per cent of craftspersons in this survey earned more than €1,000 net per week, 10% of Construction craftspersons earned €1,000 net per week. In September 2006 the average construction gross wage was €770 and the average (Source Central Statistics Office) industrial gross wage was €600. This compares to the average craftsperson gross wage of €932. Of the individual trades in this survey, Bricklayers earned the most, €865 net per week, none earned less than €500 net per week, 12% earned more than €1000 net per week. Electricians and Metal Fabricators earned above the average. 

The final section of the report presents highlights particular to trade groups and individual trades. 

In conclusion, the survey shows very low levels of unemployment and a positive attitude with the apprenticeship system. The aspiration for self employment is at a very high level. However Motor and Furniture trades are less positive.

Survey of Employers' Usage of FÁS Services - 2007

Shay Conway

Executive Summary

This report presents the findings of a survey of private sector employers carried out on behalf of FÁS by RED C, an independent Irish market research company.

The aims of the research were to:
-Measure which FÁS services, if any, employers in Ireland are using.
-Determine how satisfied those using FÁS services are with the services used.
-Identify any issues with services that are of a concern to employers.
-Compare the results to the results of a similar survey undertaken 18 months  
  previously in July 2005.

Research was conducted via telephone with 1,000 of the estimated 140,000 private sector businesses in Ireland. Interviews were conducted with the person responsible for selecting staff in each of the companies and interviewing was completed in the last two weeks of January 2007.

Quotas were applied on the sample to provide robust base sizes within small (1-9 employees), lower medium (10-50 employees), upper medium (51-100 employees) and large (100+ employees) companies.   The final data was then weighted to ensure that the final sample was proportionally representative of companies in Ireland.

Some of the main findings of the survey are:

Awareness

Overall there was a high awareness of FÁS, with 96% of companies spontaneously aware of FÁS and all companies aware when prompted.   The best known services were FÁS training courses for the unemployed, apprenticeship, recruitment services, traineeships and advice on training.   However, many companies only recalled these services when prompted.   Just under one-third were aware of disability support grants while about one in four companies were aware of Excellence Through People, EURES, and E-college on-line training.   Fifteen percent of companies were aware of the One-Step-Up initiative.

Larger companies, those with over 50 employees, showed higher awareness of all services.  

Usage

There was limited usage of FÁS services overall, with just over six in ten companies claiming to never have used any of the services listed.   However, half of companies employing ten or more had used FÁS services and this proportion rose to two out of three for companies employing 100 or more.   Usage remained similar to 2005 with recruitment services for employers followed by apprenticeship having highest usage, both ever and in the past 12 months.   Those who used FÁS services rated them highly, with nearly half being very satisfied and another third being fairly satisfied.   Only for recruitment services was there any significant level of dissatisfaction (8%).   All ratings in 2007 were higher than in 2005.

Recruitment

The survey asked a number of questions about recruitment.   Newspapers and 'word of mouth' were the most used normal methods of recruitment.

Almost two-thirds of companies had recruited externally in the previous 12 months and 21% of these had notified FÁS of a vacancy.   FÁS filled a vacancy for half of these companies.   Ten percent of companies said that they had been unable to fill at least one of their vacancies during the year.   The main reasons why companies used FÁS was around the perceived service delivery - being able to provide suitable candidates and being easy to use.

Satisfaction with other recruitment methods was the main reason for non-use of FÁS for vacancies, but one third said that they just didn't think of using FÁS. When compared with 2005, FÁS increased its rating compared to other recruitment methods for 'speed of response', 'suitability of candidates' and 'understanding my business'.

Image

FÁS' image as being knowledgeable, customer friendly and professional scored positively
with increases against the 2005 scores.   The increase in positive measures was mirrored by the decrease in negative attitudes, with FÁS less likely to be seen as inefficient and slow to change than in the previous survey.

Companies were asked if they had any suggestions for FÁS for additional or improved services they would like to see. 'More information' was the key requirement for companies but most companies had no suggestions.

Attitudes to Disability

A special set of questions on disability  found that almost one in four claimed to have sometime employed someone with a disability and, of those who said they had never employed someone with a disability, over a third would consider employing a disabled person. For the most part employers did not see disabled employees as impacting negatively on their costs or profits. There seemed to be some desire to employ a disabled person; one in four companies agreed strongly with liking the idea of employing someone with a disability.  However, there was low awareness of the specific grants available for employing someone with a disability. Adaptation and Recruitment Grants received awareness scores of circa 15% with only one in ten aware of Retention Grants. Take-up was very low with only 1% of companies stating they had taken up the grants.

Conclusions

Companies that used FÁS services were generally satisfied with them and, overall, ratings had increased since the previous survey in 2005.   However, many companies did not use FÁS services and, indeed, many did not seem to be aware of them.   This would suggest that awareness raising and information provision might play an important role in improving FÁS' impact in providing services to employers.

National Contact Centre Employer Customer Survey: July 2005 - December 2005

Shay Conway ISBN 0 947776 64 8

National Contact Centre Employer Customer Survey: Analysis of July - December 2005 Data

Introduction

The National Contact Centre in Edenderry commenced, in June 2003, a process of making follow-up telephone contacts with a sample of employers that had earlier notified them of vacancies.  Companies were asked about their satisfaction with the service and their success in filling vacancies. The aim was to randomly sample 100 employers a month in order to obtain feedback on the service provided by FÁS Employment Services, and to determine whether employers had filled their vacancies. It was agreed at a meeting between Planning and Research and Employment Services in January 2004 that the survey would be continued on an on-going basis and analysed by Planning and Research twice yearly.   This would form an important source of customer feedback for the Employment Services quality system.  This report continues the process for the second half of 2005. The survey was carried out by the staff at the National Contact Centre, 

Data

An Excel file of the results of the survey for July to December 2005 was provided by Ms Margaret Toale to Planning and Research in February 2006.   Approximately 120 companies, which had notified their vacancies to the Contact Centre two months previously, were randomly selected in each of the six months.  Of the 722 employers selected overall, 390 could not be surveyed for one reason or another. Furthermore, of the employers that were contacted, 62 refused to participate in the survey.  The file thus contained 270 completed questionnaires, providing a response rate of 37%, which is good for a telephone survey.

Means of Notification

Companies have at their disposal a range of methods of notifying their vacancy details to the National Contact Centre. The most common method of notification used was the telephone (57%).  The internet was used widely as well (32%).  Eight percent of the sampled companies sent in their vacancy details via email and 3% by fax.

Customer Feedback

The survey questions relating to customer feedback changed in January 2005. A copy of the new survey is appended to this report.  Previously, employers were asked a range of questions on service provision, with four separate questions on various aspects of the service such as the promptness of call-answering, the level of professionalism of staff, and whether useful guidance was provided.  Due to perceived difficulties of employers in understanding the nuances held in each of the questions, they have been replaced by a single question asking the employer to rate overall service provision (from 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest).  A separate question was also asked asking employers who used the website to rate the website (again, from 1 to 5, with 5 being the highest).  

The results show a very positive level of satisfaction with the service provided by FAS. The average score was over four, and there were very few low ratings.  The overall service rating is very high, with 93% rating the service positively.  The website received positive ratings from 84% of companies. The ratings for both the website and service have improved slightly since the first half of the year.

Vacancy Filling

There were three questions asked about vacancy* filling.   These were: number of applications, was the vacancy successfully filled, and did the selected candidate come through FÁS.  Companies were asked to specify in a range.  Forty six per cent of companies received between one and ten applications for their vacancy.  Almost one in three companies received 20 applications or more.  Three percent of companies received no applications. 

In terms of vacancy filling, of the 270 companies that responded, 81% had successfully filled their vacancies by the time of the survey, while the other 19% had not.   Thirty-one of the employers interviewed had their vacancies flagged for work permits.  Of these work permit vacancies, eight had been filled by the time of the survey.

Employers who had filled their vacancies were asked whether the vacancy had been filled by a FÁS-referred candidate - 257 employers responded.  Twenty-two percent of employers did not know if the selected candidate was referred by FÁS.   Of the remainder, just over a half of the employers had filled their vacancies with FÁS-referred candidates.  While the percentage of "Don't Knows" has reduced from 28% in the first half of the year to 22% in this period, there is still a significant problem in the system in terms of gathering service statistics. Ideally, where FÁS provides a service to a company the company should be aware of it. However, it is difficult to do this without adding an extra layer of administration.

ESO Contact

A new question was added to the survey from January 2005, asking the company whether they had been contacted by FÁS in relation to their vacancy, subsequent to notification.  This question was asked to determine the level of follow-up received by companies from FÁS. 

Twenty percent of companies did not know whether they had been contacted by FÁS after notifying their vacancy.  Sixty percent stated that they were not contacted and one in five companies (20%) said they were contacted by FÁS. 

Other Questions

All companies were asked if they would use the FÁS service again, and 93% of the 270 companies that responded said that they would.   This is a very positive response.   They were also invited to make any comments on the telephone service provided by FÁS.  About 180 respondents made some comment.  The majority of comments were very positive about the service, commending in particular the efficiency of staff and the number of applications received.  Some respondents also noted that the service was better than other job-sites and appreciated that it was free.  A few negative comments were made relating to technical difficulties in using the website; the number of persons applying with no English, despite specifically requesting English language in the notification; and a number of applicants calling from all over Ireland despite the clear explanation of the location of the vacancy.   

Comparison with previous surveys

As the surveys continue to be carried out over time, long-term trends in customer feedback and vacancy filling can be monitored.  The high positive scores found in 2004 and 2005 were maintained in the second half of 2005.  Over the course of the reports, the average scores for overall service have increased slightly each time.

The percentage of vacancies filled was marginally less from 82% in the first half of 2005 to 81% in the second half of 2005.  The percentage of vacancies filled by a FÁS client (excluding companies that did not know) has remained the same as in the last report at 51% - however, compared to the first period in 2004, the percentage increased from 33%. 

Summary

The findings from the National Contact Centre Employer Survey continue to be very positive.  Satisfaction ratings with the overall service provided by the Centre are high.  Ninety-one percent of companies positively rated the overall service provided.  Eighty-four percent of companies positively rated the website.  In terms of vacancy filling, a large proportion of companies (81%) had their vacancy filled within two months of notifying it.
 
Customised Training Fund Review

Shay Conway and Roshin Sen ISBN 0 94777 59 1

Summary

The Customised Training Fund (CTF) was set up in 1999 to give Employment Services Officers greater flexibility in responding to the training needs of  caseload clients by allowing them to purchase training courses up to the value €630 (€1270 in exceptional circumstances). This reports deals with the CTF as used by Employment Services Division in FÁS.

This report presents the findings of research on the Customised Training Fund carried out in-house by FÁS Planning and Research, and includes a survey of clients who had applied to undertake Customised Training.

The overall purpose of the review was to assess the effectiveness of  the fund, its current use, administration, how it compares to other FÁS training and the future development of the fund.

Current Use of the Customised Training Fund: The fund can be used in the situation where an Employment Services Officer meets a job seeker and during the course of a guidance interview, identifies that the jobseeker has specific specialized training needs that can not be met by FÁS in the short-term or at a location convenient for the job seeker. This is in general short term training with no training allowance given. Some regions insist that the clients contribute to the cost of the training. The main kinds of training supported by the fund are Forklift Driving, Safepass, Introduction to Computers and Construction Skills Certification Scheme. The national budget increased from €200,000 in 2001 to €1,200,000 in 2004. About 3,000 clients benefited from the training fund in 2004.

Administration of the fund: The fund administration is paper based and centres around an application form which is filled in by the client and requires approval from  FÁS Training Services and Employment Services personnel in the region. Each application to the fund for a course also requires an individual invoice and payment. There are no national computerised tracking  systems in place.

Effectiveness of the Customised Training Fund: As there are no tracking systems in place, it was necessary to conduct a sample survey of clients to ascertain the outcomes of Customised Training. The survey, by Lansdowne Market Research, covered 262 persons who had applied for Customised Training.  One quarter of those who applied for Customised Training did not attend the training.  Fifty six percent of clients said that the training helped them get a job. Most agreed that the training helped improve their confidence (82%), identify job opportunities (79%), and gain new job skills (78%). The level of satisfaction with the training was very high. Employment outcomes were very positive, two-thirds of  Safepass, Forklift Driving and HGV/lorry driving course participants obtained employment after their course. In 2004 NEAP clients who completed Customised Training fared better than those who completed FÁS Employment Programmes and fared worse than those who completed FÁS Training Programmes.

Customised Training Fund Compared to Other FÁS Training:    The overheads associated with Customised Training are very low, there is normally no training allowance and the courses are short. It is also flexible and less costly compared to other forms of  training.  The Customised Training Fund is not suitable for long training courses. In some locations there is a shortage of  FÁS registered trainers this is a drawback in terms of course certification and quality control.

Recommendations for the Future Development of the Customised Training Fund: The research suggests that the Customised Training Fund is an important and useful provision that FÁS makes and it meets the needs of FÁS clients. Customised Training enables FÁS to meet the needs of clients in a flexible and low cost way. There is a need for greater clarification of the role of Customised Training in relation to issues such as eligibility, types of training to be supported, and charging. In general, however, the report suggests that there is a good case for the continued provision of the fund. 

Current information systems surrounding the Customised Training Fund are wholly inadequate; client history and training statistics are not available. There is a need to record activity under the fund within the standard FAS client and management information systems.

Where practicable, FÁS clients should be directed to trainers who are on the FÁS National Register of Approved Trainers and training should lead to a qualification within the FETAC framework. Any training using the Customised Training Fund should be part of an action plan for the client.

At present Training Services hold the budget for CTF yet in practice the service is operated by Employment Services. There is unnecessary bureaucracy due the need for line approvals in two Divisions. Employment Services should hold the budget. This would help streamline the operation of the fund and integrate it fully with other Employment Services.  Within regions, Training Services and Employment Services should establish structures that allow regular communications on the demand for specific courses.

To help rectify the issue of non-attendance a no-show fee should be arranged with the course provider as well as a payment from the client.

The Customised Training Fund is a short "off the shelf" training intervention which meets a training need and enables a client to get a job. The High Support Process requires a very high level of intervention with the client. While there is some functional overlap, the HSP should not be merged with the Customised Training Fund.

FÁS should review whether it has any liability in funding persons on training courses for which they are eligible, and whether there is a need for a disclaimer form for the Customised Training Fund.

Expansion of the CTF would be welcomed around the regions. There is scope for increasing the range of clients who are eligible for CTF. The report, therefore, endorses the value of the CTF and recommends that it should be expanded.

Survey of Employers usage of FÁS services

Shay Conway

Summary:
 
This report presents the findings from a survey carried out by REDC on behalf of FÁS.

The aims of this research were to:
-Measure the FÁS services which employers in Ireland are currently using.
-Determine how satisfied those using FÁS services are.
-Identify any issues with services that are of a concern to employers.
-Estimate FÁS' vacancy market share.

Some previous research has been undertaken, specifically with regard to employers' attitudes to, and usage of FÁS services. The  FÁS/tnsmrbi surveywas conducted in 2004. Its aim was to establish the level of awareness and services provided by FÁS. That research covered three distinct audiences, of which business users were one. Three hundred interviews were conducted with a sample of companies with 3 or more employees. Thirty per cent of businesses surveyed had used FÁS recruitment service for employers. A survey of 1000 companies each with at least 10 employees (FÁS/IMS 1996) concentrated on the manufacturing and construction sectors.
 
This 2005 survey was conducted via telephone with a representative sample of private sector businesses in Ireland.  One thousand interviews were conducted in the last two weeks of July 2005. The survey was conducted using CATI (Computer Assisted Telephone Interviewing). Where possible, standard classifications were used. This allows cross referencing with other data sources. Quotas were applied on the sample to provide robust data within small , lower medium, upper medium and large  companies. The final data was then weighted to ensure that the final sample was proportionally representative of all companies in Ireland.

Some of the main findings of the survey are

Awareness: Overall there was high awareness of FÁS, with 97% spontaneously aware and almost total awareness when prompted. When looking at Service Awareness, Recruitment Services for Employers receives the highest spontaneous mention by companies, followed by Advice on Training.  However, when prompted, it is the Training Services for the Unemployed and Apprenticeships that receive the highest total awareness. Just over one-third are aware of Disability Support Grants while one in four companies are aware of the Excellence Through People programme, EURES, and e-College on-line training. Larger companies, those with over 50 employees, show higher awareness of all services. Only one in five companies claim awareness of the National Call Centre facility, while 49% of companies are aware of FÁS recruitment web services.

Usage: Respondents were asked which  FÁS Services they had ever used, and which FÁS Services they had used over the previous 12 months? Six in ten companies surveyed never used any of the FÁS services listed. Recruitment Services for Employers received highest usage overall, having ever been used by one in four companies, and by one in eight companies in the past 12 months.  However, some services are not equally applicable to all companies, for example 30% of construction and manufacturing companies use Apprenticeship services. 

Six in ten of the companies who had used Recruitment Services did so less than once a year, while six in ten of Apprenticeship companies did so yearly or more often (i.e. continually). Those who use FÁS services rate them very highly, with 83% being very or fairly satisfied. Subsidy for Training Employees has the highest rating at 88%, followed by Apprenticeship (78%). Recruitment Services rates third among the top services ever used and receives a reasonable satisfaction score (77%), most of the dissatisfaction was attributed to unsuitable candidates being forwarded to them. 

Companies use FÁS Recruitment Services because there was a good service delivery; FÁS is seen as being able to provide suitable candidates and being easy to use.  However, one in ten  use FÁS Recruitment Services as an alternative when other methods are proving unsuccessful. Satisfaction with other recruitment methods is the key reason claimed for non-use of FÁS for vacancy filling. Not being foremost in mind is also a reason for non-use for almost one in four who had vacancies.  

Recruitment: One of the considerations for FÁS is how it compares as a recruitment tool versus the other options currently available to employers.
Newspapers are the primary tool for recruitment, receiving highest first mentions (42%) and total mentions (57%), followed by Word of Mouth (first mentions 29%, total mentions 47%), Private Recruitment (8%,18%) and then FÁS (7%,12%).
 
Usage is higher among those in manufacturing or construction, with over one in five companies in these industries claiming usage of FÁS to recruit staff.
 
Market Share: It is important to identify market share for FÁS.  This can be looked at in two ways: by companies and by vacancies.

Two thirds of companies surveyed had vacancies last year. Of these, only one in four   companies notified FÁS of the vacancies they had.  FÁS filled vacancies for three out of four companies who notified it of vacancies. 
 

The number of company vacancies filled over the year equates to 24% of employment.  FÁS is notified of just under one in five of all filled vacancies.  FÁS fills half of the filled vacancies they were notified about. 

Of the occupation categories notified to FÁS, 'Administrative and secretarial' proved most numerous, being notified by 28% of companies who had vacancies.  There was minimal usage of this service for higher ranking positions, with 'Managers and senior officials' being notified by less than 1% of companies to FÁS.

When compared to other recruitment methods ( Newspapers, Word of Mouth, Private recruitment agency) FÁS falls behind with regard to the provision of suitable candidates. FÁS is slightly ahead on value for money.  

Image: Currently among companies FÁS has a positive image and is seen as being knowledgeable, customer friendly, and professional with scores of 3.7-3.8 on a five point scale.  However, FÁS scored a little lower as being employer focused (3.5) and full of new ideas (3.2) and is also seen by some to be inefficient.  Those in the manufacturing/production industry show a more positive attitude to FÁS overall.

Suggestions: Companies were also asked if they had any suggestions regarding additional services FÁS could provide. A number of suggestions for new services were offered.  Information sessions, improved training courses, and more information on training services were the main suggestions.