On 1 August 2018, RMIT as part of the Australian Technology Network of universities (ATN), together with Price Waterhouse Coopers released the report—Lifelong Skills, Equipping Australians for the future of work. This report makes five key findings with associated recommendations. The findings include: 1. Support Australians’ lifelong learning needs 2. Equip learners with enterprise skills and competencies 3. Facilitate flexible pathways to meet the needs of future learners 4. Continue to promote industry-university collaborations by streamlining and removing barriers 5. Ensure all Australians have access to meaningful, relevant education information and data

This skills evidence base supports the Mayor’s skills strategy, ‘Skills for Londoners’. It covers the demand for and supply of skills, inequalities in skills, employer training, and the training and education system. Some of the main points from the report: London residents are highly qualified compared to the rest of the UK and the rest of Europe. In 2017, 56% of Londoners age 25-64 had degree-level qualifications, compared to 40% in the rest of the UK. In 2015, almost 200,000 people working in London were considered by their employers to be under-skilled for their job (4.4% of employment). There were also 40,000 vacancies that employers found hard to fill because of a lack of skills. Nationally, spending on adult education has fallen since 2010. This is reflected in lower participation. Between 2012/13 and 2016/17 the number of adult Londoners (age 19+) participating in classroom-based further education fell 41%, although the number of adult apprenticeships increased by 9% in this period. The level of employer training in London (and the rest of the UK) has fallen over the past 20 years, and is low compared to the rest of Europe. Employers are also now adjusting to the new apprenticeship levy.

The world is in the midst of a transformation in the nature of work, as smart machines, artificial intelligence, new technologies, and global competition remake how people do their jobs and pursue their careers. The Work Ahead: Machines, Skills, and U.S. Leadership in the Twenty-First Century focuses on how to rebuild the links among work, opportunity, and economic security for all Americans in the face of accelerating change. The United States needs to create new work opportunities, better career paths, and higher incomes for its people, while developing a highly skilled and adaptable workforce. To prosper and to lead, the United States must find new ways to meet the workforce challenges of the twenty-first century.

The onset of the Fourth Industrial Revolution – automation, robotics, artificial intelligence and digital technology – and challenges of Brexit and an ageing population are creating rising demand for those with qualifications above Level 4 (HNC/Ds, foundation, undergraduate and postgraduate degrees). This report looks at the rapid pace of change and increasing complexity of work, and highlights the need for continual skill upgrading, lifelong learning and study of higher education qualifications at all levels. The report reveals that: In 2016, 440,000 new professional jobs were created, yet there were only 316,690 first-degree UK-based graduates, leaving a recruitment gap of 123,310, more than double the gap in 2015. 65% of children entering primary schools today will ultimately work in new jobs and functions that don’t currently exist. Nearly 50% of the subject knowledge acquired during the first year of a four-year technical degree is outdated by the time students graduate. Employers have told CBI that they expect the greatest demand for skills over the next three to five years will be for people with higher level skills where there is already a much higher employment rate. By 2030, it is estimated that there will be a UK talent deficit of between 600,000 to 1.2 million workers for both our financial and business sector, and technology, media and telecommunications sector. Universities provide many professional and technical qualifications, estimated at around 41% of overall provision.

The ILO survey was designed to document initiatives and promote knowledge-sharing with a view to facilitating social dialogue on skills development, particularly on quality apprenticeships. The socio-economic contexts in which apprenticeship training takes place vary from country to country. Hence the national initiatives presented in the report may not be directly comparable. It is important to note that the aim of the survey was not to describe the differences among apprenticeships systems nor to make an international comparison of apprenticeship promotion efforts. It is thus beyond the scope of this survey to compare and gauge the effectiveness of policy interventions and actions taken by the ILO’s tripartite constituents.

In England, the topic of apprenticeships is a major issue in education policy. To address the challenges around apprenticeships and ensure that policymaking is evidence-based, the global apprenticeship expert Prof. Dr. Stefan C. Wolter explores alternative delivery models for apprenticeships in England. The report Apprenticeship training in England – a cost-effective model for firms? analyses what the benefit would be if a Swiss-style apprenticeship model were to be adopted by companies in England. The Swiss model is recognised for making the transition from school to the labour market a smoother process, and helping the country outperform most EU countries for a number of skills-related indicators. Variations of the same model were tested to check under which conditions firms in England would be able to obtain net benefits from training apprentices. The purpose of such an ex ante simulation is to provide companies with economic arguments for offering apprenticeship placements, and triggering a nuanced discussion about introducing apprenticeship training. Although the current system in England differs from the models proposed to some extent, this research has important implications for the development of an apprenticeship policy in England: 1. Large companies may be more likely to experience net benefits from hiring apprentices than SMEs. This is due to economies of scale and a difference in salary structure. 2. Apprenticeships of longer duration are likely to bring higher returns for both employers and apprentices. This is due to an increase in productivity over the course of the training. 3. The report suggests that, when it comes to apprenticeships, one size won’t fit all, as benefits vary across sectors and company sizes, and are down to parameters such as the apprentice’s salary. 4. The returns for an apprentice are greater the younger they are when they start their apprenticeship. 5. The report warns that for apprenticeships to be profitable for employers, companies need to retain a substantial number of apprentices after they complete the program. 6. In sectors dominated by low-skilled employment, the returns for apprenticeships and employers may be lower. 7. Whenever companies face net costs from hiring apprentices, the employer should assess whether an apprenticeship could be regarded as an investment in future middle management positions. This means that benefits may be reaped later, and short-run costs are acceptable.

This report checks in on an eight-year, five-site initiative launched by the Annie E. Casey Foundation in 2016. Called Generation Work, this initiative explores new ways of connecting young people — particularly youth of color — with the knowledge and experience necessary to succeed in today’s job market. Key takeaway: Generation Work is a unique initiative that equips young people, ages 18 to 29, with the skills and abilities that employers want and need. Equally important: It connects participants to emotional and motivational support — like mentoring programs — as well as work supports, such as transportation subsidies and child care. The end goal? Position young people to enter the local labor market and succeed.

The Real Economic Opportunities of Middle-Skill Work - This report studies the career advancement prospects of people entering middle-skill jobs through the unprecedented analysis of nearly 4 million resumes of middle-skill jobseekers. It highlights the types of occupations that offer the strongest opportunities for financial stability and true economic advancement.

Women are under-represented in many STEM areas, but within the engineering sector the gender imbalance is particularly stark. Just 9% of the current engineering workforce is female, contributing to wider gender pay inequalities and posing significant challenges to the supply of skills into the economy. Successfully tackling this imbalance will require the efforts of a wide range of stakeholders, including government, employers and education providers; and the effective use of all available levers. One such lever is the apprenticeship programme, where the government has made a commitment to achieve 3 million apprenticeship starts by 2020. However, while more than half of all apprentices are women; this overall figure masks significant gender segregation. In 2014/15 just 600 of 17,500+ engineering and manufacturing technologies (EMT) apprenticeship starts were female – fewer than 3.5%. Unless this is addressed, we face a significant risk that rather than widening opportunities for women and girls, the apprenticeship programme could instead further exacerbate the gender bias within the sector. In order to help better understand and tackle gender stereotypes in STEM apprenticeships, the Gatsby Charitable Foundation commissioned Learning and Work Institute (L&W) to conduct an analysis of the government’s (SFA) Find an Apprenticeship dataset. Find an Apprenticeship is the official website for searching and applying for apprenticeships in England. Although not all applications are submitted through the system, nor all opportunities advertised on it, the dataset covers a substantial number across a breadth of sectors and locations. It allows for the analysis of a large volume of records, with a combination of variables and records of unsuccessful applications not available elsewhere.