United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland

Policymakers consider digital skills to be a top priority for investment. They are seen as offering people greater employability and job resilience. But are all digital skills created equal?

The analysis provided in this publication shows that not all digital skills will be equally important in the future. In fact, occupations which we are more certain will have poor prospects, are more likely to require a digital skill than the occupations that are most likely to grow by 2030. This is because the relationship between the digital intensity of an occupation and its potential for growth is not straightforward: there are occupations that are currently not digitally intensive, but are expected to grow in the next 10-15 years, as varied as teachers and chefs. The type of digital skills needed in a job also makes a difference: the digital skills most likely to be needed in growing occupations are ones that are used in non-routine tasks, problem-solving and the creation of digital outputs. This is exploratory analysis that takes a novel approach.

This Youth Voice Census report, the third of its kind, is a much anticipated look at how young people are feeling on a range of issues related to education, work and the areas in which they live. Open to 14-24 year olds across the UK, it captures the voice of young people within the Youth Employment UK network and allows them the chance to be heard.

This year’s census findings tell the story of those in education, work and seeking work just as the landscape is set to change in an unprecedented way.

Independent Training Providers (ITPs) are an integral part of the TVET landscape. They play an increasingly important role in delivering government policy priorities in the development of TVET systems, however their role is often under-researched and their significance overlooked. The first research in the series, conducted in partnership with the Association of Employment and Learning Providers (AELP), puts the ITP sector in the spotlight.

The research begins by outlining the distinctive characteristics of the ITPs in the UK which enable them to respond to government priorities. Examples of the successes and challenges that UK ITPs face are presented through mini case studies. Further on, the research examines the role of the ITPs in six countries – Botswana, South Africa, Uganda, India, Nepal and Sri Lanka and the different models they operate within.

This research aims to prompt national policy makers to consider whether they are making the best use of ITPs by highlighting their distinct characteristics that make them suitable and effective in delivering government skills objectives. It also aims to raise awareness among ITPs about the work undertaken by counterpart organisations in other countries and to encourage international collaboration.

Intermediary organizations in apprenticeships are those which act on behalf of, link, or mediate between the main parties – apprentices and employers. An intermediary organization in apprenticeship systems is thus one that undertakes one or more of the following activities: employs apprentices as a third-party employer; trains apprentices as part of a specific arrangement with groups of employers; or undertakes other apprentice support activities on behalf of an employer or a specified group of employers. This discussion paper highlights different ways of classifying intermediary organizations, provides examples of different types of intermediary organisations and examines the different roles they can play to support the effective operation of apprenticeship systems. In particular, the report includes brief case studies of intermediary organisations in Australia, India, England.