Latest Publications
Work, Skills & Education
We research all aspects of education and work, but we focus particularly on aspects that political debate often neglects: further education; vocational and technical education; apprenticeships and lifelong learning; in-work poverty.
Latest Publications:
Publication
Too much of a good thing? International students and the financial stability of English higher education
International students benefit the UK, but the speed of the increase in their numbers since 2019 has diluted these benefits and created pressures on student housing. This briefing lays out how to manage their numbers to reduce these pressures without creating a financial stability risk for the higher education sector.
| Published: | 25 June 2024 |
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| Author: | Zeki Dolen |
Publication
Crazy for you: What just happened, and where next, for the UK’s switchback policy on international students?
The debate around international students has taken a more negative tone both in the UK and in other major host countries over the past year. This report sets out the competing priorities around the policies – which lie at the intersection of higher education, immigration and trade – governing questions of the UK’s offer to and admission of international students.
| Published: | 25 June 2024 |
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| Author: | Jonathan Thomas |
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Testing patience: Reducing the burden of the English school curriculum
Nearly a decade on from the last major reforms, politicians are again turning their attention to the national curriculum. This briefing assesses claims that the curriculum is ‘too packed with content’, and sets out how curriculum and assessment reform can improve secondary level education in England.
| Published: | 07 May 2024 |
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| Author: | John Asthana Gibson |
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Investing in the future: The case for universal financial education in the UK
Politicians across the spectrum are keen for education to provide young people with key life skills, yet financial literacy among young people in the UK remains inadequate. This report looks at how financial education can be delivered more effectively in the UK.
| Published: | 16 April 2024 |
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| Author(s): | John Asthana Gibson, Dani Payne |
Publication
Character building: Why character is essential for career readiness
New technologies and new challenges mean that young people today will need more than just technical skills and knowledge to be prepared for the careers of tomorrow. Baroness Morgan outlines the importance of character development in education, and considers what policymakers can do to ensure it is prioritised appropriately.
| Published: | 22 January 2024 |
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| Author: | Rt Hon the Baroness Morgan of Cotes |
Publication
Towards better science: More innovative and robust academic research
The productivity of scientists has been stalling, risking economic growth with it. This briefing explores ways in which government policy can address two great challenges facing academic science: falling research productivity and the trustworthiness of its findings.
| Published: | 31 July 2023 |
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| Author: | Will Henshall |
Publication
A duty of care: In-work poverty in London’s public sector
In-work poverty is not just a problem experienced by workers in the private sector. In this report, we explore the experiences of Londoners who work in the public sector and are living in poverty.
| Published: | 07 June 2023 |
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| Author(s): | Jake Shepherd, Richard Hyde |
Publication
Learning from experience: How to make high quality work experience for all a reality
The past decade has brought a decline in the number of school students in England participating in work experience. Far too many have to rely on their parents’ connections to get worthwhile and beneficial experiences. Amidst growing calls for work experience to be accessible for all, in this report we provide a roadmap for rolling out high quality, universal work experience to students in England, in a way that is both equitable and does not compromise quality.
| Published: | 02 March 2023 |
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| Author(s): | Niamh O Regan, Aveek Bhattacharya |
Publication
Working lives: Experiences of in-work poverty in London
In the debate over in-work poverty, the human costs of living on low incomes often get lost. Our in-depth interviews with people in work and living below the poverty line present new insight into the experience of in-work poverty in London.
| Published: | 27 July 2022 |
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| Author(s): | Richard Hyde, Jake Shepherd |