This summer, Workplus is launching two major early talent surveys: Apprentice Pulse and Employer Pulse.
Supported by NIE Networks, the surveys will build on previous Workplus research and help create a stronger evidence base around apprenticeships, early talent and workforce development in Northern Ireland.
The findings will be launched at NI Chamber’s Future Workforce Summit in October 2026.
Why this research matters
Apprenticeships and early talent programmes are increasingly important to how businesses attract, develop and retain the skills they need. At the same time, employers are navigating a changing labour market, new technologies, shifting entry-level pathways and growing pressure to build future-ready workforces.
For apprentices, the experience of finding, starting and progressing through an apprenticeship can shape long-term confidence, career direction and skills development.
Through Apprentice Pulse and Employer Pulse, Workplus wants to listen carefully to both groups: the apprentices building their careers and the employers investing in future talent.
The research will explore what is working well, where the system remains difficult to navigate, and what support is needed to help more businesses invest in early talent.
Apprentice Pulse 2026
The 2026 Apprentice Pulse survey will retain core questions from previous research, including how apprentices find opportunities, their experience with employers and learning providers, mentoring, pay, working patterns and confidence about the future.
This year, the survey will also explore new areas of focus, including:
how apprentices are using AI and technology in their day-to-day work
confidence in digital skills
exposure to sustainability and green skills
gaps in training or support
whether apprentices feel prepared for future changes in the labour market
These insights will help build a clearer picture of the apprentice experience in Northern Ireland and how apprenticeships can continue to evolve.
Employer Pulse 2026
Employer Pulse will look at how apprenticeships and early talent programmes contribute to business performance, productivity, workforce planning and long-term skills development.
The survey will move beyond broad return-on-investment questions and explore how apprenticeships are supporting business outcomes and workforce transformation.
It will also examine the wider early talent landscape, including whether employers are reducing or reshaping entry-level roles because of AI, whether apprenticeships are becoming more important as graduate pathways change, and what support businesses need to make early talent programmes work more effectively.
Employers will also be asked about the skills they believe will be most important over the next three to five years, and whether current apprenticeship frameworks are keeping pace with industry need.
Building evidence for the future workforce
Richard Kirk, Founder and CEO of Workplus, said:
“Apprenticeships and early talent programmes have a vital role to play in Northern Ireland’s future workforce. The 2025 research showed clear evidence of the value apprenticeships create for both employers and apprentices, but it also highlighted areas where the system can be improved.
“Our aim for 2026 is to build on that evidence, listen carefully to employers and apprentices, and provide practical insights that can shape policy, improve employer practice and support future investment in early talent.”
Julie Henderson, Senior HR Business Partner at NIE Networks, said:
“Supporting the development of Northern Ireland’s future workforce is hugely important to us at NIE Networks and more widely for the future of Northern Ireland. We are pleased to partner with Workplus on this research, which will help provide a clearer understanding of the value of apprenticeships and the support employers and apprentices need to succeed.
“Having significantly invested in and developed our Investors in People Platinum award-winning Apprentice Academy over the last 50 years, we understand the value that can be delivered through apprenticeship pipelines.
“We are proud to be working towards the Department for the Economy’s Green Skills delivery programme. With approximately 58,000 jobs in the green skills sector predicted over the next 10 years, it is imperative that we understand the future workforce landscape.
“The outputs from the 2026 surveys will provide policymakers with a credible, employer-led and apprentice-informed evidence base. The findings will help identify what is working, where the system remains difficult to navigate, what support employers need to expand provision, and how early talent programmes can play a greater role in Northern Ireland’s future workforce strategy.”
Take part in the surveys
Workplus is encouraging apprentices and employers across Northern Ireland to take part in the research this summer.
About Workplus
Workplus is a Northern Ireland-based early talent and apprenticeship platform that connects employers, learning providers and applicants. Workplus supports employers to attract, recruit and develop early talent through apprenticeships, work experience and wider workforce development initiatives.
About NIE Networks
NIE Networks owns and maintains the electricity transmission and distribution network across Northern Ireland, connecting homes, businesses and communities to the electricity they need.
