UK’s training and skills ‘tick-box culture’ puts at risk job mobility and future growth, new report warns

New analysis has identified an overreliance on mandatory and compliance training in UK workplaces compared to other countries – at the expense of more in-depth upskilling required for the jobs of the future.

Employer investment in skills has fallen 30% per employee compared with 2011. In a report published today, researchers at Learning and Work Institute (L&W), reveal that what little training remains is often of short intensity and driven by compliance. More than half of UK training episodes last a single day or less, which, at 58%, is the highest proportion in the OECD. UK employees self-report having received equivalent to less than an hour a month of training, which is less than half the figure in South Korea and Switzerland.

The research, funded by the Nuffield Foundation, reveals that nearly one in five (19%) UK employees report security and health and safety as the primary focus of their training (the largest single category). In contrast, training in areas such as advanced digital skills or project management remains smaller in scale than in many comparator countries. For example, project management is the primary focus of training for 6% of UK employees, compared to 8% in the USA, 10% in Singapore and 13% in Japan.

L&W’s findings also show a high level of inequality in access to training, which is concentrated among higher-qualified employees, those in larger firms and workers in regulated professions. Workers in industries associated with low pay and routine occupations are the least likely to benefit from investment in skills by their employers. For example, 66% of employees in professional and associate professional occupations received training in 2022, compared to 46% of process and machine operatives. Employees who are already qualified to higher education level are twice as likely to have received training in the past year than those qualified to GCSE or equivalent level.

The new report also finds training participation declines beyond the first months of employment, suggesting a core of workers lack access to ongoing development once they have settled into their role. Without a stronger framework for continuous upskilling, L&W warns, there is a risk that the current pattern of training activity will reinforce existing labour market inequalities,

This latest study forms part of a programme of work exploring employer investment in skills, and how employees are responding to the need to upskill and retrain in a transitioning economy. Case studies published in November 2025 have already highlighted international practice that could help UK firms boost their skills and development offer.

Shifts in the UK economy, including advances in technology and the transition to net zero, are impacting job types and skills demand. Employer investment in skills can enable businesses to adapt to changing circumstances and boost productivity. Existing evidence also strongly indicates that access to training enables people in lower-skilled occupations to escape the low pay – low training – low skills – low pay ‘doom loop’ into growth areas.

L&W and the Universities of Strathclyde and Ulster are working together to explore how UK employers make decisions about training, and how employees are responding to the need to upskill and retrain in a transitioning economy. This is a multi-year project, due to be completed in May 2026.

Stephen Evans, Chief Executive of Learning and Work Institute, said:

“Our economy is changing, meaning we’ll all need to update our skills regularly, and a projected 2.5 million more jobs will need higher-level skills by 2035. Yet our research shows that an over-focus on tick box training in the UK, perennial underinvestment in skills, and unequal access to training risk holding us all back. The best firms understand that investing in their workforce is essential for their future success. But too often training in the UK is patchy, unequal and light touch. There is plenty we can learn from comparator countries like Canada and Singapore, and we look forward to building this evidence base further as we continue our programme of work.”

Emily Tanner, Programme Head – Post-14 Education and Skills, said:

“Rapid changes in the labour market offer significant opportunities for those who are able to pivot their skills and develop new ones. But those in declining occupations without access to training and support are likely to struggle. This research from L&W shows the urgent need to increase access to the kind of training that supports career development, and suggests ways to achieve that.”