Drawn from interviews with employers, ESOL providers and apprenticeship providers, this guide has been designed to raise awareness of ways in which ESOL learners can benefit from and progress to employment as an apprentice. It also illustrates how a focus on meeting ESOL learners’ needs in the workplace can benefit employers and training providers.

This guide has been developed by Learning and Work Institute as part of a wider project, undertaken at the request of the Department for Education (DfE), to understand and address barriers to apprenticeships for those with English for Speakers of Other Language (ESOL) needs.

The project aimed to:

  • Establish how and to what extent providers facilitate the transition from ESOL learning to apprenticeships
  • Identify current barriers to progression to apprenticeships for learners with ESOL needs
  • Identify ways in which policy and practice could be improved, to enable more people with ESOL needs to access apprenticeships
  • Identify any current effective practice in supporting people with ESOL needs to progress into apprenticeships.

3 November 2026

The road to net zero: How far have we come?

Commissioned by NOCN Group, this report finds that the number of people being trained in green skills and jobs is rising. However, current training uptake, qualification pathways and workforce readiness still fall short of what’s required to reach net zero.

Read more

3 November 2026

UK risks missing Net Zero target owing to shortages of skills and workers

New L&W research, commissioned by NOCN Group, reveals key sectors for decarbonisation lack the workers and skills for the UK to reach Net Zero by 2050.

Read more

29 October 2026

Time to make the Youth Guarantee real: A promise and plan for every young person

Ahead of the publication of the Milburn Review, L&W’s chief executive Stephen Evans proposes five actions to reduce the number of young people not in education, employment or training.

Read more

28 October 2026

Tax bills and investment in skills: How can tax relief on training better support UK engineering and manufacturing?

A new Skills Tax Credit could unlock £2.2 billion of additional investment in skills according, to new research commissioned by Enginuity and produced by Learning and Work Institute. 

Read more

28 October 2026

A Skills Tax Credit for businesses could unlock £2.2 billion skills boost, including in sectors key to growth

Research from Learning and Work Institute (L&W) published today alongside the autumn budget finds that a Skills Tax Credit could produce a £2.2 billion boost to skills across the economy by incentivising more employer investment in training.

Read more

20 October 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.

Read more

30 September 2026

From appetite to opportunity

This report for The St Martin’s Group draws on a survey of more than 1,000 HR decision makers to examine employers’ plans to recruit young people, the routes they expect to use, the barriers they face, and the support they need.

Read more

22 September 2026

Building an AI-ready workforce: Creating a skills system that prepares UK knowledge workers for the AI transition

AI has transformative potential for the UK economy and could present a net uplift to productivity of up to £80 billion by 2035. Yet the UK workforce does not – yet – have the skills to successfully adopt and scale AI technologies in a truly transformative way.

Read more

22 September 2026

AI skills investment could add £80 billion to the UK economy

The UK can secure an £80 billion boost to its economy by 2035 if the Government and businesses act together to strengthen the technical skills system, according to a major report published today by L&W and The Rigby Foundation.

Read more