Skills are key in delivering economic performance of an organisation as well as social mobility. In the UK, there is a focus on the supply of skills rather than the skills that employers need.

Explore our resources for further information about skills strategies, ‘T’ levels and graduates in the workplace.

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Factsheets

Regularly-updated factsheets provide overviews and information on a topic

One Factsheet about Skills development
Factsheet
Skills development in the UK workplace
Understand what we mean by skills in the workplace, UK skill levels and the government’s skills policy.

Guides

Designed for practitioners, our guides provide recommendations and advice on how to apply good practice in the workplace.

One Guide about Skills development
Guide
Using and deploying skills effectively in the workplace
This guide offers advice on assessing skills, planning skills development and deploying and redeploying staff
For Members

Reports

Research and analysis by experts from CIPD and partner organisations

10 Reports about Skills development
Report
CIPD Good Work Index: Northern Ireland
A Northern Ireland summary of the CIPD Good Work Index 2024 survey report
Report
CIPD Good Work Index: Wales
A Wales summary of the CIPD Good Work Index 2024 survey report
Report
CIPD Good Work Index: North of England
A North of England summary of the CIPD Good Work Index 2024 survey report
Report
Learning and skills at work
Our survey report and case studies, produced in partnership with Accenture, examine current practices and trends in learning and development (L&D)
Report
Building HR capability in small UK firms
An evaluation of the People Skills HR business support pilots programme
Report
Attitudes to employability and talent
Explore individuals’ and employers' attitudes towards employability and responsibilities for career development in the UK
Report
Employee Outlook: skills and careers
A third of employees are disappointed with their career progression. Discover the underlying causes of this dissatisfaction
Report
The role of employers in unlocking workplace skills
Examines what the concept of employer ownership of skills means and the implications of a shift towards greater employer ownership
Report
Over-qualification in the graduate labour market
Examines the evidence of graduate over-qualification in the UK and Europe, questioning the size of the higher education sector in relation to labour market needs
Report
The business case for investing in young people
How to successfully recruit young people, the kind of employer support required and the benefits of doing so

Case studies

Learn from real world examples of how other people professionals and organisations work with the CIPD to approach key challenges and objectives.

Three Case studies about Skills development
Case study
Being an effective employer: Bupa Arabia
A case study on how Bupa Arabia developed a range of strategic objectives to attract, develop and retain talent
Case study
Familiarising workers with technology before implementation: MTR Elizabeth Line (MTREL)
A case study on investment in augmented reality and mobile technologies to humanise training and better prepare train drivers for work
Case study
Transferring recruitment responsibilities to managers: Natura & Co
A case study on the implementation of technology in a recruitment module to reduce costs, shifting recruitment responsibly to line managers and removing the recruitment function

Thought leadership

Insight and foresight from our experts in people and the world of work

11 Thought leadership about Skills development
Thought leadership
How L&D can create value: Focusing on skills development
How can L&D teams create value and impact and improve performance through focusing on skills development?
Thought leadership
COVID-19 has reduced investment in skills and learning but also prompted organisations to be more future focused
Lizzie Crowley examines the results from CIPD’s Learning and Skills at Work Survey 2021, and discusses how the world of work will change after the pandemic
Thought leadership
Protecting young people from unemployment
Lizzie Crowley focuses on how the current pandemic will affect youth employment
Thought leadership
Upskilling and reskilling now to prepare for the post-pandemic economy
Lizzie Crowley discusses the importance of training and development of employees during the pandemic, and what the Government can be doing to support organisations through online courses
Thought leadership
Tackling the future ‘human’ skills deficit together
As technology drives a revolution in the workplace - transforming the way we work and the job opportunities available - Lizzie Crowley argues that it is human skills and capabilities that will always be important to how people work
Thought leadership
'Human' skills to be included in new 'essential skills framework'
Amie Evans argues that the skills we will need for the future are human
Thought leadership
Breaking down the barriers
Katherine Garrett discusses the important role employers have to play in helping young people reach their potential, even before they leave school
Thought leadership
AI can be used to free up staff to focus on the softer skills that machines can’t replicate
You could say we’ve entered a golden age of computers, where the sheer volume of data and vastly improved computing power have created the perfect conditions for developing artificial intelligence
Thought leadership
Digital skills are in short supply in GCC
Improved academic preparation for the digital world of work could help boost the number of jobs in the sector by 1.3 million
Thought leadership
Wanted: Creativity and empathy hubs
Preparing students adequately for a world of work where the landscape will be all but unrecognisable by the time they get there is a massive undertaking
Thought leadership
Valuing your talent: Thought pieces
Discover expert opinion of how HR analytics and the reporting of human capital is changing the world of work

Podcasts

Listen to episodes from our podcast series on a range of topical workplace, HR and L&D issues.

Three Podcasts about Skills development
Podcast
Skilling up your organisation now and for the future
Many organisations are upskilling their workforce to address skills gaps and hard-to-fill vacancies. But while organisations focus on immediate priorities, are they overlooking the chance to holistically upskill their workforce and prepare for future demands?
Podcast
Leading from the heart: making an impact through soft skills
Episode 166: Nurturing and developing soft skills are essential for business, but how can a greater emphasis on utilising and measuring ‘softer’ skills can benefit your organisation?
Podcast
Critical thinking
Episode 154: How to think well and reflect objectively on the ideas, opinions and arguments of others.

Bitesize research

Your regular overview of current research, inspiring insights and cutting-edge ideas in bitesize

Six Bitesize research about Skills development
Bitesize research
Addressing skills gaps and poor job quality among disadvantaged groups
Employers and job seekers alike can benefit when they collaborate to develop training and employment opportunities through local skills eco-systems
For Members
Bitesize research
Six steps to upskilling your people
Help your organisation meet today’s skill-demands
For Members
Bitesize research
Looking beyond degrees – the case for competency-based hiring
The arguments for revisiting your talent strategy
For Members
Bitesize research
Working together to bridge the skills gap
Read summaries of these case studies
For Members
Bitesize research
Transforming talent at AT&T
Read how AT&T created a new blueprint for sourcing future skills
For Members
Bitesize research
Green skills – an opportunity wasted?
How realistic are expectations around extensive job creation and upskilling proving to be?
For Members

CIPD Viewpoints

Our collected point of view on the key issues impacting work, from the perspective of employers and policy makers.

One CIPD Viewpoint about Skills development
CIPD Viewpoint
Essential skills
Explore the CIPD’s point of view on essential skills, including recommendations for employers

Policy engagements

Our calls for action.

Six Policy engagements about Skills development
Policy engagement
Call for evidence on skills and training - The House of Lords Industry and Regulators Committee
Read our response to the call by the House of Lords Industry and Regulators Committee for evidence on skills policy
Policy engagement
Calling for a comprehensive economic strategy to help the UK out of recession
Read our submission to the UK’s Chancellor, ahead of the March 2024 budget statement
Policy engagement
Calling for an Autumn Statement that drives economic growth and supports better work and working lives in the UK
Read the CIPD’s November 2023 submission to His Majesty’s Treasury
Policy engagement
CIPD Manifesto for Good Work
We’re calling on the UK Government to create a long-term workforce strategy centred on skilled, healthy and fair work
Policy engagement
A revitalised industrial strategy to boost innovation and productivity across all sectors of the UK's economy
We’ve been engaging with key stakeholders and policy makers to make the case for changes to a range of policy areas including skills development and labour market enforcement
Policy engagement
Comprehensive Spending Review
Read the CIPD's submission to Her Majesty's Treasury

Learning

We offer a range of evidence-based courses tailored to suit you and your needs.
Our Essential Insights courses are free as part of the CIPD membership.

Essential People Skills for Line Managers

Develop your people management skills, so that you can inspire your team to perform at their best and drive maximum value for your organisation. This course will cover the fundamentals of how to be a good people manager.

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