Employment
Research Topic
Language: English
This is a research topic created to provide authors with a place to attach new problem publications.
Research problems linked to this topic
- What are the barriers faced by founders outside of London and the South East in accessing finance, talent and support?
- What solutions, and scale of solutions, should be implemented to increase diversity (i.e. depending on demographic groups/ intersectionality considerations)? What works for different groups? Which are expected to gain maximum impact? What needs to be improved in the working environment and working culture?
- How do we define digital skills and occupations, ensuring this keeps pace with the fast-changing sector?
- What productivity benefits can businesses expect from investing in tech upskilling?
- What are our long term and future digital skills needs? How do we visualise these skills and workforce needs across sectors considering UK dynamics? What does the global landscape look like in this space?
- What solutions, and scale of solutions, can improve the upskilling of digital skills capabilities, and wider digitisation, of UK businesses? How can we incentivise the private sector to play their role in upskilling the UK labour market?
- What solutions, and scale of solutions, can improve recruitment, retention and progression in the digital and technology workforce? What are the main forces at play?
- Analyse and evaluate the pathways into digital and technology jobs, identifying the barriers to recruitment, retention and progression, and how this differs in underrepresented groups. How do we define and understand these roles? How can talent be retained within the UK’s universities and the wider educational sector?
- What digital facilities do UK citizens need to have access to in order to take part in education, work, and social life?
- How can diversity in the cyber security workforce be improved? What can be done to have immediate impact and what should be done to affect long-term change?
- Evidence on the gap between the skills required by employers in the sector and those currently provided through various forms of education and training.
- Evidence and data on the current composition of the workforce in the sector.
- We need to understand the type and volume of new entrants required to meet the needs of growing sectors, and where these people might come from.
- Looking at skills across the space sector – what is needed, what is being provided, identifying shortages and developing proposals for addressing those shortages. Strengthening our understanding of what attracts graduates towards/ drives them away from choosing to work in the space sector. What is the role of government in this context?
- Local benefits/patterns: What is the local impact of different RDI interventions?
- Agile and responsive skills system: What changes in the skills system are required to meet government ambitions to support and grow critical technologies set out in the Science and Technology Framework? How can we future proof the workforce by giving them the right skills to fully embrace AI and its potential?
- Talent: What is the role of international AI talent in UK prosperity? What are the AI talent flows into and out of the UK?
- Skills: How do we make sure the right skills are available to maintain a world-leading position in AI? And how do we ensure the labour force has the right skills to support individual opportunities?
- Wages: What would be the impact of AI deployment at work on wages and costs for employees and employers?
- Indicators: What are the rapid indicators of AI impact on the labour market?
- Inequalities: What is the likelihood of impacts on different demographic groups and how that will affect equality of opportunity? Will this exacerbate/mitigate existing inequalities in the workforce?
- Sectors: Which sectors are more likely to benefit from AI and which are more at risk from the downsides?
- Occupations: What are the characteristics of occupations that put them more at risk of replacement/change or give them a comparative advantage? Over what time frame will they be impacted?
- What are the likely effects of measures to increase quality in HE on applicant perceptions and graduate labour market outcomes?
- What are the determinants of demand and quality for technical education, apprenticeships and adult training? How do they vary (e.g. geographically, demographically) and how it can they be influenced?
- How has apprenticeship funding reform affected employer engagement in apprenticeships and other forms of training?
- What are the most effective non-pay related solutions for addressing FE workforce shortages? What are the potential impacts of improved pay and financial incentives compared to non-pay solutions in tackling barriers?
- What are the characteristics of the specialist care workforce (e.g. social workers, children's homes, and early help providers)? What are the barriers to specialist staff recruitment and retention, and how can we overcome these?
- What are the characteristics of the SEND and AP workforce? What are the barriers to SEND and AP staff recruitment and retention, and how can we overcome these?
- What are the barriers to early years staff (including childminders) recruitment and retention and how can they be addressed?
- What offers would further incentivise parents, particularly from disadvantaged communities, to take up childcare and get back into work? This should include building a local level understanding of supply and demand, costs, and provider profit margins.
- Are current adult training and skills programmes, including adult community learning, effective at giving people the skills needed for employment, and the skills that business needs?
- What are the impacts of teacher workload on graduate career decisions and staff retention? What are the potential impacts of improved flexible working, pay and financial incentives for graduates?
- What are the barriers and opportunities for recruiting and retaining teachers, and how does this vary by subject, school type, area, and region?
- Which disabled people are supported by the benefit system and which are not? How do policy choices impact this?
- What are the range of modelling approaches and tools for forecasting resource requirements? What are the strengths and limitations of these?
- What will be the future level and mix of demand for different DWP services through different channels, (digital/online and video, phone, face-to-face)? Does effectiveness vary for different groups? How effective are digital/virtual services (for example labour market support, drug and alcohol interventions, parenting interventions) compared to face-to-face provision, in helping people move into work?
- How do employers view pension obligations within overall costs and benefits packages or legal obligations? What evidence is there of employer cost mitigation through, for example, wage suppression?
- What new and better arrangements could be made to deliver effective health and employment support? What is the evidence base for effective joint working arrangements involving support delivered through, and beyond, the benefit system in partnerships involving DWP, the NHS, local authorities, the voluntary sector and other organisations?
- How can DWP support carers in their caring roles? Including any return to work or progression in the labour market?
- In what ways have homeworking, hybrid and flexible working arrangements helped or hindered employment for key groups, for example older workers, parents, disabled people, people living in remote areas?
- What are the most effective ways to engage employers, health professionals, employees and other relevant stakeholders to retain and support disabled people and people with health conditions in employment? What policies and processes do employers have in place that could influence employee health, well-being and productivity (such as sick pay, access to occupational health services, health insurance provision)?
- What are the distributions and drivers of psychosocial and cultural factors that affect employment and health outcomes (for example, illness perceptions, health beliefs, workplace cultures)?
- Which interventions for disabled people are most effective in supporting movements into work? What barriers prevent disabled people and/or people with health conditions from moving into, and progressing in, work?
- To what extent could increased progression help to move individuals out of poverty? How should in-work progression support be targeted?
- How do the characteristics, needs and experiences of older workers vary in relation to work and health? What factors affect whether older workers continue in employment? What approaches work best to maximise employment options for older workers?
- What additional labour market barriers do those from disadvantaged groups (such as ex-offenders, homeless people), face? How can DWP best support those with multiple, complex needs to gain and retain employment?
- How can Work Coaches most effectively use available support to promote movement into work and progression in work? How can DWP most effectively learn from, and promote, best practice across the Work Coach network?
- How might employers optimise job design and hybrid and flexible working arrangements to manage risks, accommodate employee care needs and build soft skills and team working to maintain attachment to the labour market?
- What are the causes/drivers of the ethnic minority employment gap? What are the barriers to entry and progression in the labour market for ethnic minorities?
- What are the different ways to define and measure labour market progression and sustainable work? How does this vary by life stage and group? What are the implications for targeted policy measures in terms of health, employment and wellbeing outcomes?
- In what ways do housing circumstances affect the way people move into, and remain in, work? What role is played in labour market outcomes by temporary accommodation, housing affordability, poor quality housing, insecure accommodation and the private and social rented sectors?
- What is most effective in preventing people from falling out of the labour market? Does this differ for different groups? Who is best placed to deliver support?
- What are the most effective ways for government to work with employers and other partners to support people into sustained work? How are employers reshaping workplace organisation to support the health and wellbeing of their employees? How can further evidence-based practice be encouraged? How can effective evidence-based tools influence best practice?
- How can DWP best support places, regions and sectors in levelling up? What approaches work best in addressing employment skills development, employment skills shortages and employment skills mismatches across the UK?
- How do economic cycles affect employment, unemployment, economic activity and wages? How do any effects vary for different groups?
- What is most effective in ensuring employment support operates in a joined-up way with other forms of support?
- What are the longer-term impacts and consequences on the labour market and on productivity of policies introduced to address the challenges of COVID-19?
- What sort of interventions are required to address barriers to employment, to reduce inactivity and support in-work progression?
- How do employment support programmes contribute to DWP objectives to maximise employment and support economic growth? How can DWP best assess value for money in different labour market programmes?
- How can we support businesses and employers to take action on decarbonising the commute?
- What has the overall impact of Covid-19 been on sustainable travel behaviour? And what are the implications of more flexible/hybrid working and reduced commuting patterns; how can this work best for part-time commuters?
- How is the transition to net zero transport impacting the jobs market and how can we ensure the Government continues to maximise the employment opportunities available, including through monitoring green jobs as they are delivered and providing the workforce with the necessary skills to drive progress?
- How do new or improved rail services and stations affect employment, numbers of businesses, and property prices? What are the impacts of new or improved rail services for towns and smaller cities?
- What works in terms of increasing the diversity of people choosing maritime careers? Which are the most valuable and transferable lessons from other STEM led sectors in identifying barriers and solutions to make maritime careers highly desirable for all?
- What conditions need to be in place for transport investments to transform local economies? These conditions may relate to demographic factors, complementary investments, or government policies for example. What are the micro mechanisms that underpin how workers move across space due to better transport connections?
- How does investment and export promotion engage with varied supply chains, given small and medium enterprise internationalisation?
- What factors make countries and regions attractive as destinations for investment in high potential, early stage, technology-based entrepreneurs?
- What role does trade play in variation in sub-regional growth productivity and employment in the UK?
- What is the role of inward and outward investment in economic performance indicators, for example national and regional growth, employment, and macroeconomic stability?
- To what extent are trade remedies effective in protecting domestic production and employment? How regionally specific is this relationship?
- To what extent do the impacts of market access barriers have varying effects according to the size of firm? How does this vary by the type of barrier?
- What role should government play in encouraging upskilling or reskilling for those in the labour market to make skills supply more responsive to local economic needs? What barriers do working individuals face when retraining?
- How do skills needs in the national and local economy and qualifications of our labour force match up? Can careers advice policies, the Teaching Excellence Framework and spending decisions improve effectiveness?
- What are the influences on young people’s decision making at key education transition points, including subject and qualification choice at key stage 4 and 5? How do these choices influence their later economic outcomes?
- What impact do further education, technical education and apprenticeships have on improving earnings and career progression for learners? What is the best way to assess the longevity/durability of impact and how does it vary by qualification and learner demography?
- How have different sectors (aerospace, financial services, telecoms), sizes of business, regions and the self-employed been impacted by the COVID-19 crisis, and how might they be impacted differently by the recovery phase?
- How diverse and inclusive is the media workforce at all levels and how is this changing over time? What interventions could improve diversity and inclusion in the media workforce?
- What initiatives are in place to prevent or address BHD and how effective are these in tackling BHD in the sector.
- How does career progressions differ for those with different protected characteristics and across socio-demographic backgrounds?
- What evidence is there for the effectiveness of interventions for increasing recruitment and retention across CI sectors?
- How much training do creative employers provide employees, what are they spending and how are they measuring the returns to training?
- What are the perceptions of young people of creative careers opportunities?
- What are the impacts of skills issues on creative businesses?
- What are skills development issues facing freelance workers?
- What future skills are needed to support creative industries growth? How do these vary by sub-sector? How do education pathways meet these needs?
- What is affecting future access to training and employment in AHT sectors for lower socioeconomic and protected groups and sector skills gaps?
- What are the barriers to entry into the digital market faced by freelance workers and smaller creative organisations?
- What is the impact on the new location and CIs growth from moving the location of a large media or CI business? For example, BBC Media City in Salford or the Cardiff BBC centre. What other spillover effects result? How do large businesses support local creative industries supply chains and skills development?
- How does career progressions differ for those with different protected characteristics and across socio-demographic backgrounds?
- What works in terms of improving diversity (defined as representation of protected characteristics and socio-demographic background to the UK population) within the media workforce to bring it closer to being representative of the UK workforce and audiences?
- What works in improving the skills, employability and wellbeing of young people?
- What are the benefits of and opportunities to improve youth outcomes?
- What are the impacts of lack of skills, employability and wellbeing among young people?
- What are the challenges and issues facing young people? What are the costs of not addressing these issues/risks, or improving youth outcomes?
- What works in addressing barriers and increasing engagement of specific groups?
- What are the benefits of greater equality of access?
- What sources and methodological approaches can be developed to allow for more consistent and granular data on freelancers?
- What is the additional value beyond wages (e.g. wellbeing) that can be used to show the welfare impact of cultural and creative employment and therefore the non-wage impact of cultural education?
- What is the proportion working in the sector that have undertaken creative courses? Is this a predictor of those that go on to work in the culture and creative Industries sectors?
- How can lower earnings of arts and design graduates be explained in the context of the higher rate of gross value added (GVA) growth in the creative industries?
- How do wages of creative Higher Education graduates progress over time and what factors determine short and long-term wages? For example what factors can explain why arts and design graduates have some of the lowest earnings one and five years after graduation?
- Assess the effectiveness of interventions that can promote a resilient and adaptable workforce and the degree to which these need to protect or promote freelancers and under-represented groups in the workforce.
- Analyse and explain the effectiveness of interventions for increasing recruitment and retention across AHT sectors.
- How can skills gaps and the impacts of workforce skill gaps be measured?
- Analyse and explain what works in terms of workforce development mechanisms, interventions and governance models on improved workforce participation of lower socioeconomic and protected groups.
- What are the barriers to AHT sector employment for lower socioeconomic and protected groups and what works or could work in terms of increasing access and engagement for AHT sectors?
- What are the barriers to FE staff recruitment and retention, particularly in areas of existing shortage and predicted need?
- What are the root causes of complaints and disputes? What issues cause customers to be most dissatisfied with DWP?
- What is the expected growth of the UK's maritime autonomy and remote operations sector and what impact will this technical change have on the workforce?
- How many employees and freelancers are experiencing bullying, harassment and discrimination (BHD) in the sector at all seniority levels? What measurement techniques are being used in the creative industries and how do these compare with those in other sectors?
- What knowledge, skills and techniques are required for good school estate management? Are they available in the employment market and how can they be developed?
- What data, evidence and analytical tools (preventative analytics) are required to identify populations at risk of homelessness, such as families facing eviction, victims of domestic abuse, or individuals with precarious work conditions? What are the best means of outreach and engagement with at-risk populations?
- • How can we ensure staff maintain stable relationships with the children and families that they work with where appropriate to counter disruption in other aspects of their lives?
- What can we do to reduce barriers to take-up of childcare and to work, particularly for parents from disadvantaged communities?
- How can parental engagement in their children's early education best be enhanced, especially for those parents in disadvantaged households, and how does this vary for mothers and fathers?
- What is the optimal amount and type of early education in formal settings? How does this vary for different groups of children?
- What are the most effective ways to provide robust and effective early education, to ensure sufficiency of provision with a motivated and good quality workforce?
- • What is the experience of those outside mainstream education (whether being home schooled, excluded from school, in Alternative Provision, attending special schools or Young Offender Institutions) and their parents? Where relevant: how and when could/should these children be helped back into mainstream education?
- • What contribution can education make to the resilience of the nation’s future workforce (for example, by reducing absence caused by ill health)?
- • How can the Skills and Growth Levy be used to widen opportunity?
- How do we ensure access to rich and engaging opportunities in and outside of pre-school and school settings, particularly for disadvantaged children? Which are the most cost-effective in helping children to achieve and thrive?
- How do we design and implement systems that promote understanding, and support the best decisions, by learners (of all ages) and parents (where appropriate) regarding the options and pathways available?
- How can careers advice have maximum impact in signposting people from disadvantaged backgrounds into further and higher education (including apprenticeships and T levels) and more rewarding careers? What is the optimum mode of delivery of information, advice, and guidance for disadvantaged groups and at what age should this start?
- • How can we maximise the benefits of work experience for those students who lack social capital?
- • What is the impact of funding and understanding of student finance on decisions to study, course type and mode of study (both for UK and foreign students? How are the debt, cost and value of student finance understood and experienced, by different social groups?
- What works to get disadvantaged students onto the pathways that are proven to lead to upwards mobility and to stay on those pathways (including helping those who are not in education, employment, or training - NEET) and raising ambition where needed? At what age are interventions most effective?
- How can the skills system best support disadvantaged students into sustainable employment?
- • What works best in the skills system to support underrepresented groups into higher-paid occupations, sectors, and levels of seniority?
- • How do local availability of courses and transport infrastructure impact on disadvantaged groups’ opportunities and choices, and what works to improve them?
- • What works in driving successful HE participation and positive destinations post HE, for disadvantaged groups (including care experienced students), and other groups such as those with SEND?
- • What incentives to both employer and potential apprentice will facilitate more individuals entering the workforce via apprenticeships?
- How do we best create collaborations with industry to increase training opportunities, to ensure learners are as prepared as possible for work, and to reduce barriers to those from disadvantaged backgrounds, particularly in areas of high need and priority (e.g. Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths - STEM)?
- What are the barriers and challenges within the labour market that prevent adults from disadvantaged backgrounds having good outcomes, even if they have the same attainment outcomes (e.g. networks, local labour market factors, social capital etc)? How does this vary for different groups (e.g. adult offenders)? What are the most cost-effective ways to address them?
- To what extent will existing and planned educational provision meet identified future skills gaps in key areas of national importance?
- • How can we best ensure appropriate availability of educational opportunities to meet future needs? How do solutions vary over the short, medium, and long term?
- "• How can we help the UK HE sector to be internationally competitive and financially secure while meeting key domestic needs?"
- What are the wider non-salary benefits of HE and FE for individuals, communities and society? • What are the benefits of HE and FE on individual wellbeing, physical and mental health, societal engagement, and long-term employment? • What are the wider societal benefits of HE and FE study and provision (including the local and national benefits generated by HE/FE providers)?
- • Are the benefits of FE and HE shared equally or do some groups benefit more than others? • Do these benefits vary by the type of HE or FE study e.g. full degree or short courses, institution (university or FE college) or mode of study?
- What are the most cost-effective ways to recruit and retain our workforces? How does this vary across the education and children’s social care workforces (including relevant local authority staff such as educational psychologists), and at all stages of their careers (including recruitment into initial teacher training courses and late career recruitment)?
- How can we best develop and inspire our workforces across all our sectors to improve children’s outcomes, informed by the best available evidence?
- How and when are our specialist and support workforces (such as Specialist Educational Needs Coordinators, Educational Psychologists, and finance professionals) deployed? How does this vary and why (for example across regions, for different specialist workers such as children’s home staff), and between the state and independent school sectors)?
- • What underpins and drives workforce performance across our sectors, including teaching quality, quality of leadership and quality of delivery by specialist staff?
- How can we best measure quality and effectiveness within our workforces (taking account of the range of outcomes we want to deliver)? How does this vary for different types of workers and at different stages in their careers?
- What factors influence labour market choices and how do they vary for different groups, parts of the workforce, including at a sub-national level? This includes the role of non-pay factors such as workload, wellbeing and flexible working and their relative importance .
- • What influence do practices such as professional supervision/reflective practice have on staff retention and how widespread are these practices?
- • How can we promote resilience and wellbeing among our workforce cost-effectively?
- • What are the drivers, barriers, costs, and benefits of movements across our workforces?
- • What are the characteristics and motivations of returners to the education and social care workforces?
- • What are the features of the design and delivery of cost-effective professional development, at scale? Why are these features effective?
- What professional development is most appropriate at different career stages? How does it vary between different parts of the workforce and for different groups?
- • What new or additional knowledge and skills (including what level of knowledge and skills) do our workforces need (including in equipping our workforces to support children with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities)?
- • What development opportunities are available for our workforces, how well do they meet our needs, and how attractive and accessible are they? Given the importance of professional development to retention, what are the best ways to ensure there are sufficient attractive and accessible development opportunities which engage the right people?
- What difference does professional development of our workforces (including for specialist and support workforces and early years practitioners) make to children’s outcomes?
- What can we learn from other parts of the public sector, other sectors, and other programmes (e.g. NHS, parenting programmes) about professional training to develop knowledge and skills (e.g. about child development, on behaviour management, on how to improve leadership skills, how to improve workforce wellbeing, and how to use evidence)?
- • Are there barriers affecting the availability of specialists (including for example, subject specialist teachers)? How might they be addressed?
- How can the impact of digital technology be robustly measured, and implemented in a way that supports teachers and learners? • How can we adapt research methodologies to robustly measure the impact of technology in education, given its fast-moving nature?