Employability
This work consisted of two phases. Phase 1 offered a common template for defining employability skills, identified best practice, and called for the delivery of employability skills to be at the heart of mainstream learning. Phase 2 investigated how to incentivise the effective development of employability skills by using some of the key levers: practitioner training, assessment and funding
Phase 1. The Employability Challenge (2009)
The report from Phase 1 of the Employability Challenge was published in February 2009. The report offered a common template for defining employability skills, identified best practice in delivery through a series of case studies, and called for the delivery of employability skills to be at the heart of mainstream learning.
The Employability Challenge – Full Report (PDF, 506 Kb)
The Employability Challenge – Executive Summary (PDF, 151 Kb)
The Employability Challenge – Case Studies (PDF, 433 Kb)
In phase 1 we found that many learning providers do help learners develop employability skills, but this is not sufficiently widespread. We concluded that individuals with employability skills should have a range of attributes – they should be able to:
- demonstrate self-management
- solve problems
- work with others in a team and communicate well in the team
- understand the business environment
- use numbers effectively
- use language effectively
- use IT effectively
- have a positive approach to work.
This was just the first step. The report highlighted three areas that needed further investigation and it is these issues that Employability Phase 2 addressed:
- Funding
- Training for teachers, trainers and lecturers
- Assessment of individuals and providers.
Phase 2. Employability: Incentivising Improvement (2010)
The report from phase 2 was published in June 2010. It builds on the 2009 report ‘The Employability Challenge’ and investigated how we incentivise the effective development of employability skills by using some of the key levers at our disposal: practitioner training, assessment and funding. The report is wide in scope; employability skills themselves cover a broad range of skills and attributes and our investigation covers England, Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. It also considers a range of settings – further education, higher education, 14-19 and provision to support people from welfare into work.
To help build an evidence base for this work we commissioned Deloitte to carry out three projects, one to support each of the three strands. Deloitte’s reports have informed our findings along with further evidence gathered from our own research and regular engagement with employers, learners and those in the education and training community.
Employability: Incentivising Improvement - Final report (PDF, 524 Kb)
Deloitte's training report (PDF, 732 Kb)
Deloitte's funding report (PDF, 960 Kb)
Deloitte's assessment report (PDF, 572 Kb)
