These top tips share practical lessons on designing, delivering and evaluating local work and health programmes. They are designed for local and regional policy, delivery, data and evaluation teams, and senior decision makers.
The top tips are based on an evidence review of programmes and interventions delivered in a region, local authority, mayoral strategic authority, or integrated care board area, in England, Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland. The programmes all included:
- Clear elements of local tailoring and flexibility
- A target population of people aged 16 to state pension age
- A focus on both work and health outcomes
- An evaluation completed between 2017 and January 2026
These tips are informed by a limited body of evidence and so highlight promising practice rather than proving direct impact.
11 August 2026
Delivering local work and health programmes: Top Tips
These top tips share practical lessons on designing, delivering and evaluating local work and health programmes. They are designed for local and regional policy, delivery, data and evaluation teams, and senior decision makers.
24 July 2026
Welsh Government: Skills Audit for Wales
Learning and Work Institute Cymru has been commissioned by Welsh Government to undertake a Skills Audit for Wales to identify the skills needed now and in the coming years to support and grow the Welsh economy. What is the Skills Audit for Wales? The last formal skills audit in Wales took place in 2012 and since then the skills landscape has changed […]
18 March 2026
Challenging times? Time for a challenging curriculum.
Post-16 education in Wales is going through a period of innovation and change.
14 January 2026
ESOL Forum
Our work includes building the evidence of English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) potential to have positive impacts on people’s health, employment, education and participation in communities.
13 January 2026
Labour Market Evidence Programme
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has commissioned the Institute for Employment Studies, in partnership with Learning and Work Institute, to deliver evidence reviews and practical resources on key labour market issues to help inform local policymakers.
26 November 2025
Final report: A Work, Health and Skills Plan for Wales
This research delivered by Learning and Work Institute (L&W), and funded by Serco, comes at a pivotal moment to inform a significant new era for employment support in Wales. The commitment from the UK Government to devolve non-Jobcentre Plus support is part of a broader strategy, outlined in the recently released Get Britain Working White Paper, which aims to streamline and enhance employment support mechanisms across the UK.
26 November 2025
Bold new plan needed to help 60,000 more people into work in Wales and tackle economic inactivity.
Wales should set a bold ambition for at least three quarters of working-age people to be in work, closing the employment gap with the rest of the UK, argues a new report from Learning and Work Institute (L&W). The report finds this would boost the Welsh economy by £1.4 billion and save taxpayers up to £500 million per year.
6 November 2025
A Work, Health, and Skills Plan for Wales
This research delivered by Learning and Work Institute, and funded by Serco, comes at a pivotal moment to inform a significant new era for employment support in Wales. The commitment from the UK Government to devolve non-Jobcentre Plus support is part of a broader strategy, outlined in the recently released Get Britain Working White Paper, which aims to streamline and enhance employment support mechanisms across the UK.
21 October 2025
Delivering a more inclusive Welsh labour market
Employment support in Wales is changing, with the UK Labour Government committing to the devolution of all non-Jobcentre Plus employment support programmes. Learning and Work Institute (L&W) analysis indicates an estimated £47 million will be provided through devolution to deliver additional employment support in Wales. This is a key moment for Welsh Government to design and deliver employment support tailored to the needs of communities across the country.
