Skills are key in delivering economic performance of an organisation as well as social mobility. In the UK, there is a focus on the supply of skills rather than the skills that employers need.

Explore our resources for further information about skills strategies, ‘T’ levels and graduates in the workplace.

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Factsheets

Regularly-updated factsheets provide overviews and information on a topic

One Factsheet about Skills development
Factsheet
Skills development in the UK workplace
Understand what we mean by skills in the workplace, UK skill levels and the government’s skills policy.

Guides

Designed for practitioners, our guides provide recommendations and advice on how to apply good practice in the workplace.

One Guide about Skills development
Guide
Skills matching: Using and deploying people’s skills effectively in the workplace
Guide and skills audit checklist to assess and plan skills development
For Members

Reports

Research and analysis by experts from CIPD and partner organisations

19 Reports about Skills development
Report
Lifelong learning in the reskilling era: From luxury to necessity
Population ageing, generative AI and the green transition are reshaping job markets and skills needs, creating risks and opportunities that require policy action to support lifelong learning and career development
Report
Changing face of the youth labour market
We examine the changes the youth labour market has undergone over the last two decades and call on the UK Government to increase support to help young people into quality work
Report
CIPD Good Work Index: Northern Ireland
A Northern Ireland summary of the CIPD Good Work Index 2024 survey report
Report
CIPD Good Work Index: Wales
A Wales summary of the CIPD Good Work Index 2024 survey report
Report
CIPD Good Work Index: North of England
A North of England summary of the CIPD Good Work Index 2024 survey report
Report
Apprenticeships and the case for a flexible skills levy
Analysis of the current Apprenticeship Levy and policy recommendations for how it can be adapted to provide a better apprenticeships system and workforce training support
Report
Devolution and evolution in UK skills policy
A report seeking common ground in skills policy across the UK’s four nations
Report
Migrant workers and skills shortages in the UK
This report looks at the role of immigration in the context of the post-Brexit skills challenges
Report
What is the scale and impact of graduate overqualification in Scotland?
Our report explores how Scottish graduate employment outcomes have changed over the past three decades and shines a light on job quality of overqualified graduates
Report
What is the scale and impact of graduate overqualification in the UK?
Our report explores how UK graduate employment outcomes have changed over the past three decades and shines a light on job quality of overqualified graduates
Report
People Profession 2022: UK and Ireland survey report
This year's report explores how global challenges have impacted people professionals in 2022
Report
Employer views on skills policy in the UK
An analysis of the effectiveness of the skills system and whether it meets current and future needs
Report
Skills policy in the North: recommendations for 'levelling up'
We explore the reforms needed to improve workforce productivity in Northern England
Report
Gaps and opportunities: Employer views on skills policy in Scotland
Our survey report considers the challenges of Scotland’s skills and labour shortages, as well as the skills development system more broadly, and how employers and policy-makers can bridge the identified gaps
Report
Youth employment in the UK
Analysis of young people’s experiences of education and accessing employment
Report
Addressing skills and labour shortages post-Brexit
CIPD research reveals need for both short-term interventions and longer-term investment from the UK Government and employers to tackle skills and labour shortages
Report
Unlocking business improvement
Policy recommendations to ensure long-term workplace productivity growth
Report
Learning and skills at work
Our survey report and case studies, produced in partnership with Accenture, examine current practices and trends in learning and development (L&D)
Report
Skills to grow: the case for enhanced ILAs in Scotland
How enhanced individual learning accounts can support economic recovery and tackle long-term skills challenges

Case studies

Learn from real world examples of how other people professionals and organisations work with the CIPD to approach key challenges and objectives.

Two Case studies about Skills development
Case study
Familiarising workers with technology before implementation: MTR Elizabeth Line (MTREL)
A case study on investment in augmented reality and mobile technologies to humanise training and better prepare train drivers for work
Case study
Transferring recruitment responsibilities to managers: Natura & Co
A case study on the implementation of technology in a recruitment module to reduce costs, shifting recruitment responsibly to line managers and removing the recruitment function

Thought leadership

Insight and foresight from our experts in people and the world of work

36 Thought leadership about Skills development
Thought leadership
Briefing | Refining guidance on AI and growing digital expertise
As AI use by organisations increases, we highlight the need for practical government guidance on its use in recruitment and for an AI skills development framework that should be informed by people professionals
Thought leadership
Briefing | Overview of key policy and political issues in devolved nations
With elections due for both the Scottish and Welsh Parliaments in 2026, Fraser Welsh examines the key areas the CIPD will be engaging on in both nations to help influence policy affecting the world of work
Thought leadership
Briefing | CIPD urges UK Chancellor to focus on skills
The CIPD calls on Chancellor Rachel Reeves to use the Spring Statement and Spending Review as an opportunity to focus attention and investment on skills, management practice and business support
Thought leadership
Briefing | Engaging the UK Government on what matters to the profession
We outline the key public policy areas on work and employment in the UK and explain how the CIPD has been informing and influencing policy-making on behalf of members and the wider profession
Thought leadership
Analysis | How L&D can create value: Role of line managers in supporting skills development
We examine the evidence for smarter line management engagement to improve learning impact and performance
Thought leadership
Briefing | Skills and industrial strategy: Recent changes and future direction
We look at the progress of the reforms and strategies the UK Government is putting in place to boost job creation and skills development
Thought leadership
Briefing | How HR can use organisational development to boost skills development
As organisations look for new ways to grow the skills base of their workforce, we examine the role that organisational development (OD) can play in driving up productivity and improving business outcomes
Thought leadership
Analysis | How L&D can create value: Focusing on skills development
How can L&D teams create value and impact and improve performance through focusing on skills development?
Thought leadership
Skills, better jobs and business partnership key to UK growth agenda
Ben Willmott explores the new Labour Government strategies to enhance skills and employment to boost economic growth
Thought leadership
Job quality challenges in Scotland in 2024
We outline the challenges impacting job quality in Scotland as revealed in the CIPD's Working Lives Scotland 2024 report
Thought leadership
UK party manifestos: Skills and employment agenda
The CIPD examines the main UK-wide party manifestos and outlines key implications for skills and employment
Thought leadership
Stormont is back - but what should it focus on?
What are the priorities for Northern Ireland as its devolved government makes a full return after two years?
Thought leadership
Unlocking economic growth in upcoming UK Autumn Statement
Ben Willmott outlines the CIPD’s calls to the UK Government for long term investment in people management, skills and technology
Thought leadership
Engaging with the UK’s main political parties
Carl Quilliam recounts the CIPD’s activities at the UK’s three main political party conferences in 2023
Thought leadership
NI Skills Council: Public policy in the absence of institutions
In September 2023, the CIPD attended the first formal meeting of the Northern Ireland Skills Council in Belfast. Marek Zemanik highlights its importance to public policy, despite the recent challenges to policy-making in Northern Ireland
Thought leadership
UK Government pledges “crackdown on rip-off degrees”
Are some degrees worth it? Lizzie Crowley discusses the latest UK Government policy cracking down on ‘rip-off degrees’ and explores alternatives to support more people getting into work
Thought leadership
Technical skills for the future workforce: New support and flexibilities on T Level placements
Are T Levels worth having? Lizzie Crowley, the CIPD's Senior Policy Adviser on skills, raises this question, while looking at the advantages of the T Levels and the UK Government’s new programme
Thought leadership
How to boost the UK labour supply
Jon Boys, the CIPD’s senior labour market economist, investigates potential sources of labour and public policy changes to maximise labour market participation
Thought leadership
Growth of graduates in low-skilled work suggests a fundamental rethink of skills policy is needed
Why are more graduates taking on non-graduate roles when entering the labour market? Lizzie Crowley addresses this question in her Voice article by analysing our latest report on the subject.
Thought leadership
The cost of living crisis – what next?
Marek Zemanik’s CIPD Voice article examines the cost of living crisis and the impact it will have on employees
Thought leadership
Skills policy – the employer's view
Does the UK Government need to reform its current skills policy? Lizzie Crowley discusses this question by looking into CIPD’s latest analysis ‘Employer views on skills policy in the UK’
Thought leadership
Gaps and opportunities: Employer views on skills policy in Scotland
Marek Zemanik’s CIPD Voice article analyses the findings from CIPD’s recent report, gaps and opportunities: employer views on skills policy in Scotland
Thought leadership
Planning tax for training
Mark Beatson’s article discusses the Chancellor’s latest Spring Statement and the impact it has on employers and employees.
Thought leadership
What does the levelling up white paper mean for skills?
Lizzie Crowley discusses the implications of the UK Government’s recently released levelling up white paper
Thought leadership
What the UK needs for Christmas is a coherent productivity strategy
Head of Public Policy, Ben Willmott discusses the upcoming levelling-up white paper and the on-going productivity challenge in the UK
Thought leadership
Responding to the skills strategy for Northern Ireland
Marek Zemanik’s CIPD Voice article discusses our response to the recently published consultation from the Northern Irish Department for the Economy: Skills for a 10x Economy. .
Thought leadership
One election down, one to go- what does it mean for CIPD members?
Marek Zemanik discusses the public policy decisions being made in Scotland and Northern Ireland and how people professionals can get involved to help shape the future world of work
Thought leadership
COVID-19 has reduced investment in skills and learning but also prompted organisations to be more future focused
Lizzie Crowley examines the results from CIPD’s Learning and Skills at Work Survey 2021, and discusses how the world of work will change after the pandemic
Thought leadership
Enhanced individual learning accounts in Scotland
Marek Zemanik discusses CIPD Scotland's recent Skills to Grow report, looking at how individual learning accounts can be so beneficial in meeting the challenges posed by a changing economy and evolving skills needs
Thought leadership
The HR community are stepping up to support young people during the pandemic
Lizzie Crowley's article looks into how government schemes such as Kickstart, as well as the CIPD's own Steps Ahead programme, can help in relation to rising youth unemployment
Thought leadership
Urgent need to boost employer awareness of new technical qualifications
Lizzie Crowley discusses employers' perceptions of T-Levels and how they have been affected by COVID-19
Thought leadership
Protecting young people from unemployment
Lizzie Crowley focuses on how the current pandemic will affect youth employment
Thought leadership
Politics can wait – Scotland's coronavirus response
Marek Zemanik looks at how the UK Government and the Scottish Government are supporting businesses, and what can be done differently during the pandemic
Thought leadership
Upskilling and reskilling now to prepare for the post-pandemic economy
Lizzie Crowley discusses the importance of training and development of employees during the pandemic, and what the Government can be doing to support organisations through online courses
Thought leadership
Devolution and public policy: Scotland leading the way
Marek Zemanik – Senior Public Policy Adviser in Scotland, looks into the key areas of work CIPD Scotland will be delving into this year, examining fair work, skills and productivity
Thought leadership
The role of apprenticeships in workforce development: Is a fundamental rethink required?
Lizzie Crowley reflects on a recent roundtable event on apprenticeship reform and how to improve the system

Podcasts

Listen to episodes from our podcast series on a range of topical workplace, HR and L&D issues.

Four Podcasts about Skills development
Podcast
Are apprenticeships the forgotten key to building talent pipelines?
Why do apprenticeships seem undervalued and underused? Employers in the know say a good programme can provide skilled, engaged workers who progress and are likely to stay
Podcast
Skilling up your organisation now and for the future
Are organisations overlooking the chance to holistically upskill their workforce and prepare for future demands?
Podcast
Leading from the heart: making an impact through soft skills
Episode 166: Nurturing and developing soft skills are essential for business, but how can a greater emphasis on utilising and measuring ‘softer’ skills can benefit your organisation?
Podcast
Critical thinking
Episode 154: How to think well and reflect objectively on the ideas, opinions and arguments of others.

Bitesize research

Your regular overview of current research, inspiring insights and cutting-edge ideas in bitesize

Six Bitesize research about Skills development
Bitesize research
Addressing skills gaps and poor job quality among disadvantaged groups
Employers and job seekers alike can benefit when they collaborate to develop training and employment opportunities through local skills eco-systems
For Members
Bitesize research
Six steps to upskilling your people
Help your organisation meet today’s skill-demands
For Members
Bitesize research
Looking beyond degrees – the case for competency-based hiring
The arguments for revisiting your talent strategy
For Members
Bitesize research
Working together to bridge the skills gap
Read summaries of these case studies
For Members
Bitesize research
Transforming talent at AT&T
Read how AT&T created a new blueprint for sourcing future skills
For Members
Bitesize research
Green skills – an opportunity wasted?
How realistic are expectations around extensive job creation and upskilling proving to be?
For Members

Policy engagements

Our calls for action.

10 Policy engagements about Skills development
Policy engagement
CIPD consultation response: Spending Review 2025
Submission to HM Treasury
Policy engagement
CIPD consultation response: Curriculum and assessment review
Our response to the Department for Education’s call for evidence to review the existing national curriculum and statutory assessment system in England.
Policy engagement
CIPD consultation response: Industrial strategy
Our response to the Department for Business and Trade’s consultation on the UK’s modern industrial strategy
Policy engagement
CIPD consultation response: Call for evidence on skills and training
Read our response to the call by the House of Lords Industry and Regulators Committee for evidence on skills policy
Policy engagement
CIPD consultation response: Post-school education and skills reform legislation
Submission to the Scottish Government’s Lifelong Learning and Skills Directorate
Policy engagement
Calling for a comprehensive economic strategy to help the UK out of recession
Read our submission to the UK’s Chancellor, ahead of the March 2024 budget statement
Policy engagement
Calling for an Autumn Statement that drives economic growth and supports better work and working lives in the UK
Read the CIPD’s November 2023 submission to His Majesty’s Treasury
Policy engagement
CIPD Manifesto for Good Work
We’re calling on the UK Government to create a long-term workforce strategy centred on skilled, healthy and fair work
Policy engagement
A revitalised industrial strategy to boost innovation and productivity across all sectors of the UK's economy
We’ve been engaging with key stakeholders and policy makers to make the case for changes to a range of policy areas including skills development and labour market enforcement
Policy engagement
Comprehensive Spending Review
Read the CIPD's submission to Her Majesty's Treasury

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