Learning and Work Institute and IFF Research were commissioned by the Department for Education to better understand employers’ capacity and likelihood to offer T level industry placements. The research also aimed to establish any challenges and barriers that employers may face in offering placements and any additional support that they may require.

A qualitative approach was used for a detailed exploration of the key research questions and the views and experiences of a wide variety of employers across different business sizes and sectors. it involved 120 interviews with employers, and the sample was structured to ensure coverage of all relevant T level routes and pathways.

The T level programme covers 11 technical routes with 27 occupational pathways sitting within these. T levels will generally be studied over 2 years, and will include a new technical qualification, combined with a substantial industry placement of 45-60 days. Industry placements will enable young people to put into practice and further develop the knowledge, practical skills and behaviours that they have learnt in the classroom.

7 September 2026

UK must make training the ‘go-to’ response to skills needs, or risk holding back growth, new report warns

The Government’s plans to get the economy growing risk falling short unless it takes action to reverse sharp falls in the training employees get at work, new analysis warns.

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7 September 2026

Understanding employer investment in skills

This is the third and final report of our project funded by the Nuffield Foundation looking at employer investment in skills, and how employees are responding to the need to upskill and retrain in a transitioning economy.

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27 August 2026

Responding to the latest NEET data, August 2026

Learning and Work Institute Deputy Director Elizabeth Gerard responds to the NEET data released on 27 August 2026.

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18 August 2026

Labour market dashboard

Every month, Learning and Work Institute produces detailed and timely analysis of the latest labour market statistics from ONS. Explore our interactive charts.

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12 August 2026

Small employers, big opportunities: apprenticeships for young people

Olly Newton, Executive Director at Edge Foundation, reflects on key messages from the Edge Foundation-sponsored workshop at Learning and Work Institute’s Employment and Skills Convention, exploring how small employers and local partners can support more young people into apprenticeships.

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10 July 2026

Building trust before jobs: supporting NEET young people in East Finchley 

Andrew Potter, Project Manager of the JobsPlus pilot in East Finchley, outlines a different approach to supporting young people into employment and training.

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23 June 2026

VocTech Challenge: Skills for an Economy in Transition

The VocTech Challenge aims to accelerate the adoption and deployment of technology to help every adult in the UK get the skills they need to participate and benefit from our transitioning.

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17 June 2026

Evaluation of Central London Forward’s Youth Guarantee Trailblazer 

Learning and Work Institute has evaluated the first year of delivery of Full Potential, the Youth Guarantee Trailblazer delivered by Central London Forward.

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9 June 2026

Final report: Evaluation of the JobsPlus Pilot

This evaluation of JobsPlus builds on the interim findings published in September 2025 to provide evidence on whether the model can be adapted to the UK context and effectively implemented to improve employment outcomes.  

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