Talent Survey – Employers 2024/25

Introduction
This survey is being conducted by the IOL on behalf of the outdoor learning sector. The assimilated results will be published by IOL and all respondents will remain anonymous. Only answer this survey on behalf of your organisation if you have been directly asked to do so by IOL or if your senior management team has asked for you to represent the organisation.

The survey will close on January 31st.

PROFILE

Question Title

* 1. Type of employing organisation (please select all that apply)

School

College or University

Outdoor Centre based organisation

Non-centre based organisation

Public sector body

Charity or not for profit organisation

Private sector organisation

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 2. Main areas of provision
(select all that apply to more than 5% of all work)

Centre based residential programmes

Centre based non-residential programmes

Field studies/ earth sciences based

Other curriculum based outdoor learning

Expedition based outdoor learning

Youth work based outdoor learnin

Early careers development training

Outdoor learning professional development

Forest School or Bushcraft

Corporate team building

Management development

Leisure activities

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 3. Scale of organisation
(annual number of students/beneficiaries days)

	Pre-school	School to Year 6	School Year 7 to Year 13	Young adult	Other
Less 1,000	Less 1,000 Pre-school	Less 1,000 School to Year 6	Less 1,000 School Year 7 to Year 13	Less 1,000 Young adult	Less 1,000 Other
1,000 - 5,000	1,000 - 5,000 Pre-school	1,000 - 5,000 School to Year 6	1,000 - 5,000 School Year 7 to Year 13	1,000 - 5,000 Young adult	1,000 - 5,000 Other
5,000 – 10,000	5,000 – 10,000 Pre-school	5,000 – 10,000 School to Year 6	5,000 – 10,000 School Year 7 to Year 13	5,000 – 10,000 Young adult	5,000 – 10,000 Other
10,000 – 20,000	10,000 – 20,000 Pre-school	10,000 – 20,000 School to Year 6	10,000 – 20,000 School Year 7 to Year 13	10,000 – 20,000 Young adult	10,000 – 20,000 Other
20,000 – 50,000	20,000 – 50,000 Pre-school	20,000 – 50,000 School to Year 6	20,000 – 50,000 School Year 7 to Year 13	20,000 – 50,000 Young adult	20,000 – 50,000 Other
50,000 – 100,000	50,000 – 100,000 Pre-school	50,000 – 100,000 School to Year 6	50,000 – 100,000 School Year 7 to Year 13	50,000 – 100,000 Young adult	50,000 – 100,000 Other
100,000 +	100,000 + Pre-school	100,000 + School to Year 6	100,000 + School Year 7 to Year 13	100,000 + Young adult	100,000 + Other

Question Title

* 4. Main geographic service focus (select all that apply)

England

Scotland

Wales

Northern Ireland

International expeditions

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 5. Permissions to be approached.
Yes / No

Yes

Question Title

* 6. If you answered YES to Q5. Contact details for follow-up questions

Name

Company

Email Address

Phone Number

Question Title

* 7. Are you interested in contributing to a further study into Equality, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging (EEDIB) in the Outdoor Sector?
If YES please provide contact details, name, organisation, phone and email.

QUESTIONS

Question Title

* 8. How long has your organisation been engaged in outdoor learning?
Years....

Question Title

* 9. What minimum level of formal qualification do you target when recruiting new delivery staff?
(% split across all areas totalling 100%)

GCSE

A-Level

Qualified apprentice

Degree

Post-degree

Other...

Question Title

* 10. What is the age split of annual delivery staff recruitment?
(% split across all areas totalling 100%)

Under 18

18-25

26-35

36-45

45+

Question Title

* 11. How do you attract / advertise for new talent?

IOL jobs pages

Non-sector specific platforms

Own web presence

Social media-based promotions

Local outdoor retailers

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 12. How long to do you expect the majority of new talent to stay with your organisation?

Maximum of 2 years

Up to 5 years

Up to 10 years

More than 10 years

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 13. How much time do you expect your delivery staff to spend on professional training and other forms of CPD?

	Up to 3 hrs a month	Up to 1 day a month	Up to 2 days a month	More than 2 days amonth
Reading/researching	Reading/researching Up to 3 hrs a month	Reading/researching Up to 1 day a month	Reading/researching Up to 2 days a month	Reading/researching More than 2 days amonth
Attending training workshops	Attending training workshops Up to 3 hrs a month	Attending training workshops Up to 1 day a month	Attending training workshops Up to 2 days a month	Attending training workshops More than 2 days amonth
Attending university or college course	Attending university or college course Up to 3 hrs a month	Attending university or college course Up to 1 day a month	Attending university or college course Up to 2 days a month	Attending university or college course More than 2 days amonth
Preparing/delivering training	Preparing/delivering training Up to 3 hrs a month	Preparing/delivering training Up to 1 day a month	Preparing/delivering training Up to 2 days a month	Preparing/delivering training More than 2 days amonth
Networking with other professionals	Networking with other professionals Up to 3 hrs a month	Networking with other professionals Up to 1 day a month	Networking with other professionals Up to 2 days a month	Networking with other professionals More than 2 days amonth
Receiving coaching or mentoring	Receiving coaching or mentoring Up to 3 hrs a month	Receiving coaching or mentoring Up to 1 day a month	Receiving coaching or mentoring Up to 2 days a month	Receiving coaching or mentoring More than 2 days amonth
Coaching or mentoring others	Coaching or mentoring others Up to 3 hrs a month	Coaching or mentoring others Up to 1 day a month	Coaching or mentoring others Up to 2 days a month	Coaching or mentoring others More than 2 days amonth

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 14. What forms of support for personal & professional development for delivery staff do you provide or directly support?
(tick all that apply)

Employer provided workshops

Employer provided coaching & mentoring

Apprenticeships

Employer supported further or higher education

IOL professional accreditation

Other professional accreditation

Other (please specify)

Question Title

* 15. What tends to attract delivery staff or cause them to leave?
1 = rewarding/attracting. 5 = frustrating/makes career less attractive

	1	2	3	4	5
Remuneration	Remuneration 1	Remuneration 2	Remuneration 3	Remuneration 4	Remuneration 5
Job satisfaction	Job satisfaction 1	Job satisfaction 2	Job satisfaction 3	Job satisfaction 4	Job satisfaction 5
Perceived job security	Perceived job security 1	Perceived job security 2	Perceived job security 3	Perceived job security 4	Perceived job security 5
Mental stimulus & wellbeing	Mental stimulus & wellbeing 1	Mental stimulus & wellbeing 2	Mental stimulus & wellbeing 3	Mental stimulus & wellbeing 4	Mental stimulus & wellbeing 5
Physical fitness & wellbeing	Physical fitness & wellbeing 1	Physical fitness & wellbeing 2	Physical fitness & wellbeing 3	Physical fitness & wellbeing 4	Physical fitness & wellbeing 5
Levels of rules and regulations	Levels of rules and regulations 1	Levels of rules and regulations 2	Levels of rules and regulations 3	Levels of rules and regulations 4	Levels of rules and regulations 5
Variety of learners/beneficiaries/clients	Variety of learners/beneficiaries/clients 1	Variety of learners/beneficiaries/clients 2	Variety of learners/beneficiaries/clients 3	Variety of learners/beneficiaries/clients 4	Variety of learners/beneficiaries/clients 5
Opportunities for professional progression	Opportunities for professional progression 1	Opportunities for professional progression 2	Opportunities for professional progression 3	Opportunities for professional progression 4	Opportunities for professional progression 5
Team based working	Team based working 1	Team based working 2	Team based working 3	Team based working 4	Team based working 5
Connection to nature	Connection to nature 1	Connection to nature 2	Connection to nature 3	Connection to nature 4	Connection to nature 5
Levels of outdoor adventure	Levels of outdoor adventure 1	Levels of outdoor adventure 2	Levels of outdoor adventure 3	Levels of outdoor adventure 4	Levels of outdoor adventure 5
Living/accommodation accessibility	Living/accommodation accessibility 1	Living/accommodation accessibility 2	Living/accommodation accessibility 3	Living/accommodation accessibility 4	Living/accommodation accessibility 5

What role can other sector stakeholders play to make a career in outdoorlearning more attractive?

Talent Survey – Employers 2024/25

Question Title

* 1. Type of employing organisation (please select all that apply)

Question Title

* 2. Main areas of provision(select all that apply to more than 5% of all work)

Question Title

* 3. Scale of organisation (annual number of students/beneficiaries days)

Question Title

* 4. Main geographic service focus (select all that apply)

Question Title

* 5. Permissions to be approached.Yes / No

Question Title

* 6. If you answered YES to Q5. Contact details for follow-up questions

Question Title

* 7. Are you interested in contributing to a further study into Equality, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging (EEDIB) in the Outdoor Sector? If YES please provide contact details, name, organisation, phone and email.

Question Title

* 8. How long has your organisation been engaged in outdoor learning?Years....

Question Title

* 9. What minimum level of formal qualification do you target when recruiting new delivery staff?(% split across all areas totalling 100%)

Question Title

* 10. What is the age split of annual delivery staff recruitment?(% split across all areas totalling 100%)

Question Title

* 11. How do you attract / advertise for new talent?

Question Title

* 12. How long to do you expect the majority of new talent to stay with your organisation?

Question Title

* 13. How much time do you expect your delivery staff to spend on professional training and other forms of CPD?

Question Title

* 14. What forms of support for personal & professional development for delivery staff do you provide or directly support? (tick all that apply)

Question Title

* 15. What tends to attract delivery staff or cause them to leave?1 = rewarding/attracting. 5 = frustrating/makes career less attractive

* 2. Main areas of provision
(select all that apply to more than 5% of all work)

* 3. Scale of organisation
(annual number of students/beneficiaries days)

* 5. Permissions to be approached.
Yes / No

* 7. Are you interested in contributing to a further study into Equality, Equity, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging (EEDIB) in the Outdoor Sector?
If YES please provide contact details, name, organisation, phone and email.

* 8. How long has your organisation been engaged in outdoor learning?
Years....

* 9. What minimum level of formal qualification do you target when recruiting new delivery staff?
(% split across all areas totalling 100%)

* 10. What is the age split of annual delivery staff recruitment?
(% split across all areas totalling 100%)

* 14. What forms of support for personal & professional development for delivery staff do you provide or directly support?
(tick all that apply)

* 15. What tends to attract delivery staff or cause them to leave?
1 = rewarding/attracting. 5 = frustrating/makes career less attractive