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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
Evaluation of Individual Placement and Support (IPS) Service
RAND Europe is evaluating the implementation and delivery of Individual Placement and Support (IPS), an evidence-based intervention to support people into employment.
21 Nov 2023
Project
Refugee Employability Programme Evaluation
The UK Home Office (HO) commissioned a consortium led by Ipsos UK with RAND Europe and Renaisi to undertake a process, impact and economic evaluation of the Refugee Employability Programme.
06 Nov 2023
Project
Evaluating England's youth employment infrastructure
The youth employment space 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 studied the role of infrastructure organisations in strengthening the space.
25 Apr 2023
Commentary
Green Jobs and Skills Development for Disadvantaged Groups
Many countries have plans to increase green job opportunities. To make sure that everyone can benefit from this promised green transition, it is important to understand how people with low qualifications, and other marginalised groups, might be able to access green jobs.
08 Nov 2022
Joanna Hofman @JoannaBHofman, Katrin Feyerabend, et al.
Project
‘Green’ jobs and skills development for disadvantaged groups
People who face disadvantages, including those with low qualifications, may miss out on the opportunities presented by the transition to a greener economy. To ensure this is not the case, more targeted action is needed from relevant stakeholders, such as investing in skill-building among these populations.
27 Oct 2022
Project
Assessing labour market and skills demand via horizon scanning and future scenarios
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.
31 May 2022
Project
Perspectives on factors most affecting quality of life in Greater Cambridge
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.
01 Mar 2022
Essay
The Digital Skills Gap: What Workers Need for the Jobs of the Future
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.
01 Mar 2022
Project
The economic value to the UK of speaking other languages
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.
21 Feb 2022
Project
Examining the digital skills gap
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.
15 Dec 2021
Project
Reviewing the work and health research landscape
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.
29 Oct 2021
Project
Improving working conditions using artificial intelligence
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.
08 Jun 2021
Project
Evaluating individual placement and support (IPS) and the IPS Grow initiative
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.
24 Mar 2021
Commentary
Helping Mothers Return to Work Is a Gender Equality Issue
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.
21 Jan 2021
Michaela Bruckmayer, Joanna Hofman @JoannaBHofman
Project
Incentivising parents to return to the labour market after parental leave
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.
25 Nov 2020
Project
Examining the quality of career guidance in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough
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.
21 Jul 2020
Project
How quality of life informs local decision making
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.
20 Jul 2020
Project
How Middle Eastern SMEs are coping with COVID-19
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.
06 Jul 2020

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