Responding to the Department for Education’s announcement on Technical Excellence Colleges on 12 August 2025, Stephen Evans, Chief Executive of Learning and Work Institute (L&W), said:
“New funding to support construction training in ten colleges in England is welcome. But it comes alongside cuts to other funding like the Adult Skills Fund and Shared Prosperity Fund. Overall investment in skills is still £1 billion lower in real terms than in 2010 so this can only realistically make a modest difference. It does, however, show the Government plans to take a more active approach directing funding to sectors it sees as a priority, with similar sector plans likely. In doing so it should also look at how to increase employers’ investment in training too, given this has fallen 36% per worker since 2005.”
Contact our press office7 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.
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.
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.
12 Awst 2026
Small employers, big opportunities: apprenticeships for young people
Olly Newton, Executive Director at Edge Foundation, reflects on key messages from the Edge Foundation-sponsored workshop at Learning and Work Institute’s Employment and Skills Convention, exploring how small employers and local partners can support more young people into apprenticeships.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
