Kat joined Edge in early 2018 as a Senior Researcher in the Research & Policy Team. She has worked within the field of education for the majority of her career. She started working in the social care and education section at Sheffield City Council, analysing and monitoring the city’s education and young people’s social care outcomes.
Kat spent several years working in a higher education environment, conducting research and market intelligence around student admissions, recruitment and widening participation. More recently she taught the IB Primary Years Programme at an international school in Vietnam, using project-based learning (PBL) approaches and leading on the development of the primary STEM curriculum.
Her undergraduate research background started in Psychology with a particular focus on developmental psychology, early learning, language acquisition and memory. At postgraduate level her research particularly focused on international development, health inequalities and in particular mental health.
At Edge, Kat’s main areas of research are in higher education, vocational education, skills shortages in the economy and employability skills.
Current research projects
- Transnational education in technical and vocational education and training. Mar – July 2025
- Middle occupation skills. Jan 2024 – Mar 2025
- VET and the integration of migrants - Scoping research project. Started Jan 2024
- New Higher Education Institutions: part 2. Jan 2024 – April 2025
Externally funded completed research projects
- Graduate Apprenticeships: Developing Scotland’s Future Workforce. June – Nov 2021. Funded by Skills Development Scotland and Scottish Apprenticeship Advisory Board (SAAB)
- Drivers of technical excellence in the skills economy. December 2020 – May 2021. Funded by WorldSkills UK
- WorldSkills UK – Four Nations Project. Internal report. February - May 2019, funded by WorldSkills UK.
- Joint Dialogue: How are schools developing real employability skills? in collaboration with Education and Employers and National Education Union. October 2017 - November 2018
Other professional engagement/activities
- Leads Edge’s Innovative Higher Education (HE) Network and developing HE case studies of good practice
- Co-leading the Skills Shortages Network and series of Bulletins
- Co-convenes Edge’s Emerging Researcher’s Network
Publications and reports
- Kersh, N., Emms, K. and Laczik, N. (2025). Building bridges between higher education and employment: learning from practically-based higher education. London: The Edge Foundation.
- Laczik, A., Patel, J., Emms, K., Hordern, J., Orr, K., Dabbous, D., Polding, E., Wormald, J., James Relly, S., Newton, O., Quyoum, A. (2025). Degree Apprenticeships in England: What Can We Learn from the Experiences of Apprentices, Employers, and Education and Training Providers? London: The Edge Foundation
- D. Dabbous., J. Patel., K. Emms., A. Laczik., K. Orr., S. Gluck., H. Papworth., O. Newton. (2024). Student Voices: what are students saying about their experiences of T Levels? London: The Edge Foundation.
- Munoz-Chereau, B., Burgoyne, M., Emms, K. and Laczik, A. (2024). Ofsted inspection in the general Further Education and Skills sector in England. London: Edge Foundation
- Emms, K., Kersh, N. and Laczik, A. (2024) ‘Fostering practically based learning spaces through industry-engaged higher education models’. London Review of Education, 22 (1), 32. DOI: https://doi.org/10.14324/LRE.22.1.32
- Pullen, C., McCaig, C., Emms, K. and Laczik, A. (2024) Widening participation and degree apprenticeships. London: The Edge Foundation
- Laczik, A., Emms, K., Dabbous, D., Quyoum, A. (2024). Master Craftsperson Qualifications across Four European Countries: Austria, Germany, Slovenia and Sweden. London: Edge Foundation
- Emms, K., Laczik, A. and Patel, J. (2023). New Higher Education Institutions in England: A real chance to innovate? London: Edge Foundation
- Dabbous, D., Emms, E., Henderson H. & Laczik, A. (2022). Responding to Covid-19: Experiences of vocational learning and teaching from colleges in the British Isles. London: Edge Foundation.
- Emms, K., Laczik, A., Newton, O. and Wilson, E. (2021). Graduate Apprenticeships: Developing Scotland’s Future Workforce. London: Edge Foundation.
- Emms, K., Laczik, A. and Quyoum, A. (2023) The perspectives of learners – How are schools developing employability skills? Joint Dialogue Phase 2. London: Edge Foundation.
- James Relly, S., Killip, G., Robson, J., Emms K., Klassen, M. & Laczik, A. (2022). Greening Construction: A complex challenge for jobs, skills, and training. London: Edge Foundation.
- James Relly, S., Robson, J., Emms, K., Laczik, A., Randhawa, A. et al. (2021). Drivers of technical excellence in the skills economy: A report for the WorldSkills UK Centre of Excellence, in partnership with NCFE, by SKOPE and the Edge Foundation.
- Laczik, A. & Emms, K. (2021). Apprenticeships, England (Ch 24, p. 164-172). In Cedefop et al. (2021). Apprenticeship governance and in-company training: where labour market and education meet: Cedefop community of apprenticeship experts: short papers. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union. Cedefop working paper; No 3. https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/files/6203_en.pdf
- Kersh, N., Laczik, A., & Evans, K., Emms, K., Maslo, I. & Ertl, H. (2021). Work-based learning: Towards embedded processes and inclusive approach. In C. Nägele, N. Kersh, & B. E. Stalder (Eds.), Trends in vocational education and training research, Vol. IV. Proceedings of the European Conference on Educational Research (ECER), Vocational Education and Training Network (VETNET) (pp. 137–143). https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.541620
- Emms, K., Laczik, A. & Dabbous, D. (2021). Rethinking higher education: Case studies for the 21st Century. London: Edge Foundation
- Percy, C. & Emms, K. (2020). Drivers of early career success for UK undergraduates: An analysis of graduate destinations survey. December 2020. London: Edge Foundation
- Emms, K. & Laczik, A. (2020). Cardiff National Software Academy: A contemporary approach to employable graduates?
- Emms, K., Laczik, A., Dabbous, D. (2020). A journey to employment for young people with additional needs. London: The Edge Foundation
- Dabbous, D., Emms, K. (2020). Education Technology in Further Education Colleges: how are colleges integrating digital technologies into their practice? The Edge Foundation.
- Edge Foundation (2020). The Impact of Covid-19 on Education: evidence on the early impacts of lockdown. London: Edge Foundation
- Newton, O., Laczik, A. and Emms, K., Cohen, K. (2018). Towards a Twenty-First Century Education System. London: The Edge Foundation
- Kashefpakdel, E., Newton, O., Clark, J., Emms, K., Laczik. A., Rehill, J., Taylor, J. (2018). Joint Dialogue: How are schools developing real employability skills? London: Education and Employers
- Newton, O., Percy, C., Laczik, A. and Emms, K. (2019). Our Plans for Apprenticeships. Broader, Higher Quality, Better Prepared. London: The Edge Foundation
