This five-year research programme aims to:
- identify the essential employment skills that people will need for work in the future;
- project the demand and supply of essential employment skills for 2035, drawing on findings from a new survey of essential employment skills amongst young people and adults aged 16-65 in England;
- establish who is most at risk of not acquiring the necessary skills and being excluded from the labour market; and examine the potential welfare implications;
- investigate how these skills can be developed through the education system and other mechanisms.
Throughout the five-year programme, NFER and its co-investigators will work with employers, policy makers, and education leaders to provide practical insights and evidence which will inform longer-term planning for how to meet future demand for essential employment skills.
This is a strategic research partnership funded by the Nuffield Foundation with a variety of other organisations. More information on our co-investigators can be found 
here.
From Spring 2023 to Summer 2023, NFER ran a survey to measure the key skills of the UK workforce. We prepared for this survey by running a pilot survey in Autumn 2022, preceded by one-to-one informal trialling activities.
Privacy notices for these activities can be found at the bottom of this page.
Findings will be published as they emerge in a series of working papers from March 2022. We will also be holding events to discuss the findings and recommendations during the five year programme, focusing on practical insights and evidence that will inform planning for how to meet the future demand for essential employment skills.
We are not currently recruiting participants for this project, but we will be holding events to discuss the findings and recommendations during the five year programme, focusing on practical insights and evidence that will inform planning for how to meet the future demand for essential employment skills.
If you have any questions or would like further information about the test, please contact the Principal Investigator for this project, Jude Hillary, at [email protected].
We have also set up a Strategic Advisory Board to provide independent advice, support and challenge to The Skills Imperative 2035 programme team on strategic issues or risks.
