Join our Employer Panel
About the panel
The St Martin’s Group (SMG) is launching a new Employer Insights Panel, bringing together employers from across the UK to provide regular insight on skills, apprenticeships and employment policy.
The panel will be supported by Learning and Work Institute (L&W), which will manage the survey process and independently analyse the findings.
We are inviting employers to join the panel and help ensure that employer experiences and priorities are reflected in national policy discussions.
What does participation involve?
Four times a year, panel members will be invited to complete a short online survey covering current skills and employment issues.
Each survey will:
- Consist of up to six questions
- Include an opportunity to comment on how other businesses responded to the same four questions, drawing on findings from an independent YouGov survey of 1,000 businesses.
- Take up to 10 minutes to complete
Your contributions will help build a richer understanding of employer perspectives and provide valuable evidence to support engagement with policymakers, government and wider stakeholders.
Why join?
As a member of the Employer Insights Panel, you will:
- Help shape national conversations on skills, apprenticeships and workforce development
- Ensure employer experiences inform policy discussions
- Receive early access to independent survey findings and analysis
- Receive regular updates on key trends and emerging issues
- Join a growing network of employers committed to improving the skills system
- Be invited to an annual Employer Forum to discuss findings and priorities
Participating organisations can choose whether their involvement is publicly recognised in The St Martin’s Group reports and communications or remain anonymous.
FAQs
The Employer Insights Panel is a new initiative from The St Martin’s Group, supported by Learning and Work Institute, designed to gather timely employer feedback on skills, workforce and employment policy issues.
The panel will provide an agile way of capturing employer perspectives throughout the year and ensuring these views inform policy conversations and decision-making.
The skills and employment landscape is changing rapidly.
Employers are often asked to engage with formal consultations, but there are fewer opportunities to provide quick feedback on emerging issues as they arise.
The panel has been created to provide a simple mechanism for capturing employer views on a quarterly basis, helping to ensure that policy discussions are informed by real-world employer experience.
Panel members will be invited to complete a short online survey once every quarter. Dates will be scheduled as follows:
- Mid-August 2026
- Mid-November 2026
- Mid-February 2027
- Mid-May 2027
Each survey will:
- Contain up to six questions.
- Focus on current skills, workforce or employment policy topics.
- Take no more than 10 minutes to complete.
- Include findings from an independent YouGov survey of 1,000 businesses for your commentary
No meetings or additional commitments are required.
Topics may include:
- Apprenticeships and technical education
- Workforce development
- Skills shortages
- Recruitment challenges
- Productivity and growth
- AI and digital skills
- Employment support programmes
- Labour market trends
- Emerging government policy proposals
The Employer Insights Panel is managed by The St Martin’s Group, with research support provided by the Learning and Work Institute.
Survey invitations may be distributed either directly by The St Martin’s Group or by the Learning and Work Institute on our behalf.
Where necessary for the administration of the panel, participant contact details may be shared with the Learning and Work Institute solely for the purposes of managing survey invitations, reminders and panel communications.
All personal information will be handled in accordance with relevant data protection requirements and will not be used for any other purpose without permission.
Insights from the panel will be analysed and reported alongside findings from an independent YouGov employer panel.
The evidence gathered will be used to:
- Inform The St Martin’s Group’s policy development and engagement.
- Support discussions with policymakers and stakeholders.
- Identify emerging employer priorities and concerns.
- Strengthen the employer voice in skills and employment debates.
We recommend that surveys are completed by the individual with responsibility for skills, workforce development or talent planning within your organisation.
This may include:
- Heads of Apprenticeships
- HR Directors
- Learning and Development Leaders
- Early Careers Leads
- Workforce Planning Managers
- Skills Leads
- Senior operational leaders
Yes.
Individual responses will be treated confidentially and reported in aggregate form unless explicit permission has been given to attribute comments or case studies.
Contact details provided for participation in the Employer Insights Panel may be shared with the Learning and Work Institute for the administration of surveys and panel activities. Data will not be shared outside of The St Martin’s Group and the Learning & Work Institute.
No.
Participation is entirely voluntary and free of charge.
Yes, if you wish.
Organisations may choose to have their participation acknowledged as members of The St Martin’s Group Employer Insights Panel. This may include inclusion in:
- Panel participant listings
- Reports and publications
- Communications relating to the programme
Participation can also remain anonymous if preferred.
The panel is intended to be an ongoing programme, with participation requested on a quarterly basis.
Organisations are welcome to remain involved for as long as they wish.
We are building the panel progressively to ensure representation from employers of different sizes, sectors and regions across the UK.
Our ambition is to create a robust and influential employer insight network that provides a trusted evidence base for skills and employment policy discussions.
Panel members will receive:
- Regular summaries of survey findings
- Insight into emerging employer trends
- Opportunities to contribute to evidence-led policy discussions
- Recognition as part of a growing employer voice network (if desired)
In addition, panel members will be invited to an annual employer forum, providing an opportunity to come together, discuss emerging findings, share experiences and help shape future areas of focus for the panel.
