Overview
Several issues were identified under this topic.
Short articles have been written on six of the topics to help parliament identify what action it may wish to take. Other topics identified by contributors are also listed and may be explored in future research projects.
Other topics identified by the scan
Several other topics were identified by contributors to the horizon scan. These topics may be explored in future research projects. Sub-topics were identified by contributors to the scan and may not address all aspects of the topic:
- Industrial strategy and skills
- The role of industrial strategy in helping to link skills policy with workforce needs.
- A need for rapid upskilling in AI, digital and wider business skills across a wide range of sectors, regions and in small and medium-sized enterprises.
- The role of skills in developing a flexible workforce that can respond to changes in the labour market.
- Aligning immigration policy and industrial priorities.
- Lifelong learning and an ageing population
- How to provide lifelong learning in the context of a rapidly ageing population, both for employment purposes and to support older people in adopting new technology.
- The role of employers in supporting lifelong learning.
- The potential impact of flexible employment on providing training, particularly among older workers.
- Understanding the role of skills and training in supporting adults over 50 to remain in the workforce or to return to it.
- Barriers to employment
- The role that innovations in the workplace and social care could play in supporting people back to work.
- Addressing barriers to employment among people with protected characteristics.
- Exploring disincentives in the welfare system that may hinder access to training opportunities.
- Family-centred work policy to support parents into work.
- Worker wellbeing and engagement
- Vocational training
- Education and the economy
- Inequality in educational opportunities
- The impact of deprivation and poverty on educational attainment, participation in higher education and the resulting long-term pay gap.
- The impact of geographical factors on learning opportunities. For example, the impact of inadequate public transport on young people’s access to education and work, especially in rural areas.
- The role that additional targeted resources for schools and colleges in socioeconomically deprived and geographically remote areas can play in reducing inequalities.
- The role of further education and vocational training in reducing inequality.
- The potential of new technologies to improve student attainment and access to education, especially for disadvantaged pupils.
- Diversity, equality and inclusion issues in education
- Teacher training and support for understanding and addressing racism.
- Improving representation of scientists from minority ethnic groups in STEM education.
- Support for young migrants, such as recognition of qualifications, language skills, and access to guidance and support.
Acknowledgements
POST would like to thank consultation respondents and peer reviewers for kindly giving up their time to support this work, including:
- Professor Nicola Dandridge, University of Bristol*
- Professor Nicola Pitchford, University of Nottingham
- Dina Nayeri, University of St Andrews
- Professor Deborah Robinson, University of Derby*
- Chris Smethurst, University of Chichester
- Professor Sharon Gewirtz, King’s College London
- Professor Anthony Maher, Leeds Beckett University*
- Professor Alpesh Maisuria, University of the West of England
- Dr Agnieszka Rydzik, University of Lincoln
- Dr Robert de Vries, University of Kent*
- Professor Agnes Kukulska-Hulme, Institute of Educational Technology
- Professor Christian Bokhove, University of Southampton
- Professor David Putwain, Liverpool John Moores University*
- Professor Simon McGrath, University of Glasgow
- Dr Tim Dickinson, Arts University Plymouth
- Professor Don Passey, Lancaster University
- Professor Tanya Ovenden-Hope, Plymouth Marjon University
- Professor Irena Grugulis, University of Leeds
- Professor Amanda Taylor-Beswick, University of Cumbria
- Professor Birgitta Rabe, University of Essex*
- Professor Roger Penlington, Northumbria University
- Dr Richard Nicholls, University of Worcester
- Professor Olga Tregaskis, University of East Anglia
- Professor Patricia Findlay, University of Strathclyde
- Professor Alison Shaw, Newcastle University
- Professor Mike Seal, St Mary’s University
- Professor Farzana Shain, Goldsmiths University of London*
- Emily Woodruff, University of Warwick
- Professor Michael Thomas, Birkbeck University of London
- Professor Charles Hulme, Oxford Brookes University
*denotes people and organisations who acted as external reviewers of the briefing.