Despite the challenges of the pandemic, low-skilled workers have continued to move around the labour market.

Working from home presents a new set of challenges for employees and managers alike. Our new research with the Chartered Management Institute looks at the role of managers in supporting low-skilled workers to thrive in their new workplaces and roles during the pandemic.

Our research, based on surveys with 1,000 managers, 1,300 employees, and case study interviews with both groups, found that 91% of low-skilled employees agree it’s important to have a supportive manager when taking up a new role. However, 60% of managers who have been involved in onboarding low skilled workers since the start of the first lockdown said that they have found it harder to manage these new recruits during the pandemic.

Helping new employees to succeed in their new roles is critical to the success of the Government’s Plan for Jobs and in helping low-skilled and younger employees stay and thrive in the workplace.

7 Medi 2026

UK must make training the ‘go-to’ response to skills needs, or risk holding back growth, new report warns

The Government’s plans to get the economy growing risk falling short unless it takes action to reverse sharp falls in the training employees get at work, new analysis warns.

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7 Medi 2026

Understanding employer investment in skills

This is the third and final report of our project funded by the Nuffield Foundation looking at employer investment in skills, and how employees are responding to the need to upskill and retrain in a transitioning economy.

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18 Awst 2026

Labour market dashboard

Every month, Learning and Work Institute produces detailed and timely analysis of the latest labour market statistics from ONS. Explore our interactive charts.

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29 Mehefin 2026

What enables the effective design, delivery and evaluation of local work and health programmes?

This report presents findings from an evidence review on what enables the effective design, delivery and evaluation of local health and work programmes.

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29 Mehefin 2026

Scoping report: Labour Market Evidence Programme

This scoping report as part of the Labour Market Evidence programme provides a summary of the work undertaken by IES and L&W between October 2025 and March 2026 including user consultation. It summarises the evidence needs of local policy makers and sets out how these needs can be addressed.

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9 Mehefin 2026

Final report: Evaluation of the JobsPlus Pilot

This evaluation of JobsPlus builds on the interim findings published in September 2025 to provide evidence on whether the model can be adapted to the UK context and effectively implemented to improve employment outcomes.  

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1 Ebrill 2026

Supporting the progression of low-income workers in Scotland

With funding from the Robertson Trust, Learning and Work Institute has been working in partnership with Edinburgh College to develop a pilot to support low-income workers in Scotland to progress into better jobs.

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1 Ebrill 2026

Final report: Supporting the progression of low-income workers in Scotland

This report shares findings from the second phase of our programme of work funded by the Robertson Trust and delivered in partnership with Edinburgh College. It sets out a proposed model for a new, evidence-led, in-work progression programme in Edinburgh.

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13 Mawrth 2026

UK’s training and skills ‘tick-box culture’ puts at risk job mobility and future growth, new report warns

New analysis has identified an overreliance on mandatory and compliance training in UK workplaces compared to other countries – at the expense of more in-depth upskilling required for the jobs of the future.

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