Skills Evidence Review

“The most effective approach to enhance the influence of skills interventions on places is to integrate them as part of a comprehensive ‘local stimulus package’, which also includes housing, transport, job quality, economic development, business improvement, and innovation support.” 

This evidence review summarises skills policy across the UK, focusing on devolution, local skills ecosystems, and the role of higher and further education in supporting skills development. It draws key learnings from several place-based interventions related to skills, highlighting effective strategies for addressing local and regional skills challenges, such as skills shortages and skills underutilisation. Key findings illuminate the importance of aligning skills development with local economic requirements, the impact of fragmented governance and inconsistent devolution across the UK on local policy innovation, and the need for targeted interventions to address spatial disparities.

The government can advance devolution with clearly defined powers for local skills policy, while policymakers, local authorities, educational institutions, and businesses work together to build capacity for integrated planning and develop place-specific strategies. Strengthening collaboration among these stakeholders is important for addressing local skills challenges and driving sustainable growth.

Skills evidence review:

Please reference this paper as:

 Kollydas, K. (2024). Skill Evidence Review. The Local Policy Innovation Partnership Hub.

Meet the Author

Dr Konstantinos Kollydas

Kostas Kollydas is a Research Fellow who joined City-REDI in May 2021 and leads the Skills theme for the Local Innovation Policy Partnership (LPIP) Hub. As an applied economist, his research spans skills, labour economics, and the economics of education. In the “Skills and labour market” research theme of WMREDI, he explored interregional mobility patterns among recent graduates based on their socio-demographic characteristics and higher education-related factors.

Additionally, during his 50% secondment with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (2022-2023), he led analysis and co-authored reports for the “R&D Workforce and Skills” project.