Responding to higher technical skills needs

Economic change, including advances in technology, automation and the transition to net zero, is impacting on the jobs available and skills required. With 80% of the 2035 workforce having already left full-time education and people working longer, it is vital that workers can upskill and reskill throughout their careers. Only one in ten adults currently have a level 4 or 5 qualification as their highest level of qualification, with people who don’t opt to go to higher education often struggling to progress at work. This project aimed to better understand employer and employee decision making about training and the development of higher technical skills, providing insights to inform how national and regional policy can support changing skills needs and drive productivity.