Workforce, Skills and Employment

Helping businesses and policymakers to understand what works in employment policy, from employment support, employee health and wellbeing to organisational structure.

Research, commentary, and events

Project
Assessing labour market and skills demand via horizon scanning and future scenarios
31 May 2022

A horizon scan of the UK labour market identified key drivers and emerging trends, and created scenarios of what the labour market could look like in the future. Researchers found that education and training systems need to teach broad concepts and foundation skills and that digital skills are critical to the future of most jobs.
Project
Perspectives on factors most affecting quality of life in Greater Cambridge
01 Mar 2022

Results of a survey and interviews of community stakeholders in the Greater Cambridge area found the factors that most affect quality of life in the region include personal relationships, public transport, and a sense of community.
Essay
The Digital Skills Gap: What Workers Need for the Jobs of the Future
01 Mar 2022

Business leaders have warned for years that what they see on job applications does not match what they need in new employees. There are not enough workers with the right digital skills. And as the world economy struggles to its feet after COVID-19, that skills gap threatens to keep pushing it down.
Project
The economic value to the UK of speaking other languages
21 Feb 2022

Languages play a significant role in international trade, and not sharing a common language acts as a non-tariff trade barrier. Investing in Arabic, French, Mandarin or Spanish languages education in the UK will most likely return more than the investment cost, even under conservative assumptions.
Project
‘Green’ jobs and skills development for disadvantaged groups
04 Jan 2022

While much has been written about employment for vulnerable groups, and employment in the green economy, little research exists that bridges these two areas. RAND Europe, with philanthropic support from JP Morgan Chase, is working to remedy that.
Project
Examining the digital skills gap
15 Dec 2021

Researchers assessed the evidence associated with the digital skills gap. The study analysed the key trends driving the gap at a global level and articulated some practical steps to address this challenge and potentially ‘close’ the gap.
Project
Reviewing the work and health research landscape
29 Oct 2021

Researchers mapped the funding landscape for work and health research in the UK for the first time. They examined how much has been spent in the area since 2015, what types of research topic are funded and what the priorities for future work and health research should be.
Project
Improving working conditions using artificial intelligence
08 Jun 2021

Increasing investment in technology and computer literacy, and updating existing labour market and employment rules and regulations, could enable AI to reduce human exposure to harmful and hazardous workplace conditions and create more quality and decent jobs.
Project
Evaluating England's youth employment infrastructure
25 May 2021

The youth employment sector in England has gone through substantial changes over the last several years, in part due to underfunding, structural changes and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. RAND Europe is studying the role of infrastructure organisations in strengthening the sector.
Project
Evaluating individual placement and support (IPS) and the IPS Grow initiative
24 Mar 2021

IPS Grow aims to speed the implementation of high-quality individual placement and support for people with serious mental illness to find employment. A programme evaluation found that the support provided by IPS Grow Regional Leads and networking available through Communities of Practice were particularly helpful.
Commentary
Helping Mothers Return to Work Is a Gender Equality Issue
21 Jan 2021
Michaela Bruckmayer, Joanna Hofman @JoannaBHofman

Employers and policymakers play a crucial role in ensuring that women are not unnecessarily disadvantaged when they have children. Policies such as access to family leave, job protection, and childcare options can play a large role.
Project
Incentivising parents to return to the labour market after parental leave
25 Nov 2020

Employers in the EU have a wide range of options to incentivise parents of young children to return to work. Government policies addressing the unequal distribution of unpaid (care) work and reducing the gender pay gap would also help increase the employment of mothers.
Project
Examining the quality of career guidance in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough
21 Jul 2020

Surveying 54 secondary schools and colleges and interviewing 10 career guidance service providers, researchers produced a comprehensive picture of how career guidance is provided in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, and how these services meet the needs of children and young people.
Project
How quality of life informs local decision making
20 Jul 2020

Quality of life measures have shaped decision making when planned and implemented early, but there is little evidence to suggest that quality of life measures are being used by local policymakers in Cambridge, UK.
Project
How Middle Eastern SMEs are coping with COVID-19
06 Jul 2020

A survey of small and medium-sized enterprises in the Middle East and Turkey, targeted particularly at businesses owned by migrants, women and young people, sought to understand the impact of COVID-19 on their work and what can be done to support them during the pandemic.
Project
Assisting SMEs with skills management
02 Jul 2020

RAND Europe is conducting a series of interviews with relevant stakeholders to examine if it is feasible to develop a data driven tool or service that would help small and medium sized businesses with skills management.
Project
Britain's Healthiest Workplace survey findings
25 Nov 2019

Absence and presenteeism accounts for an average of 38 days' lost productivity per employee per year, marking an upward trend in lost productivity since 2014, when the number was only 23 days.
Project
How technology may change services sectors
26 Jun 2019

Researchers explored how 'game-changing' tech like robotics, autonomous transport, blockchain, virtual and augmented reality, and wearable devices will impact the EU's services sectors, and their wider socio-economic implications.