2024/25 UK further education professional services staff digital experience insights survey findings
The digital experience insights survey for further education professional services staff took place between October 2024 and June 2025. Participating organisations were able to select their own survey period within these dates, typically a three to four week window.
There were 895 respondents from 15 different organisations. 14 of these were based in England and one in Scotland. A survey run by Jisc for staff who were not based in organisations that ran their own digital experience insights survey collected 77 responses. A separate analysis of the digital experience of staff in colleges in Wales was conducted in 2024/25. These 15 organisations represent 6% of all further education providers in the UK.
The highest number of responses from a single organisation was 225 staff. The mean number of responses was 55 per organisation and the median was 44 per organisation. Three of the 15 organisations contributed fewer than 10 responses.
A survey indicating the digital experience of higher education staff was run simultaneously and results can be found in our 2024/25 HE professional services staff report.
Through Jisc’s digital experience insights service, organisations can gain valuable data to inform strategic, operational and digital investment decisions, evidence year-on-year improvements and demonstrate return on investment. Organisations that take part have access to their own data to assess their unique situations as well as benchmarking data. Full information about the digital experience insights surveys is detailed on our information page.
Executive summary
Our 2024/25 digital experience insights survey for further education professional services staff explored how digital technologies were used across a wide range of professional roles. We gathered feedback on the digital working environment, the infrastructure and support provided by colleges, and the opportunities staff had to develop their digital skills. Staff from 15 organisations across the UK shared their experiences.
This year’s survey shows incremental improvement in the digital working environment, with 80% of staff rating it as above average. Staff valued the flexibility and convenience of digital technologies, particularly the ability to work remotely and collaborate across campuses. However, persistent issues remain, including unreliable wifi connectivity (47% reported problems), problems accessing the systems staff needed (35% reported problems), and issues with unsuitable computers or devices (19% reported problems).
Hybrid working continues to an established way of working for further education staff, with 30% of staff working across both campus and remote locations. While most staff (68%) still worked mainly on campus, preferences for more flexible and hybrid arrangements were evident among most staff. Collaboration tools, mainly within the Microsoft suite of tools (eg Teams and SharePoint) were widely used and appreciated for improving communication with colleagues and learners. Artificial intelligence tools including ChatGPT and Microsoft CoPilot were often cited for helping to improve productivity and creating efficiencies. However, some staff felt overwhelmed by digital communication and felt that they lacked sufficient training to use tools effectively.
Support for digital skills development has improved slightly, with 77% rating the overall support as above average. Staff reported that the training offering from colleges was mixed, with many saying that training was provided in areas like keeping data secure, but relatively low percentages reporting training in working online. Low percentages also reported having received formal recognition or accreditation of their digital skills, or assessments of their digital capabilities. Staff expressed a strong desire for more tailored training, higher specification devices, reliable systems and infrastructure, and more responsive support.
These findings complement insights from our surveys of FE learners and FE teaching staff, and highlight areas where colleges can continue to improve the digital experience for professional services staff.
Full report
Download our 2024/25 UK further education (FE) professional services staff digital experience insights survey findings [pdf].