Routes to Opportunity: Addressing the non-university skills gap in England

The aim of this report is to investigate two problems brought to the attention of UCL’s Grand Challenge of Justice and Equality, namely the mid-level skills gap and the difficulties established workers over 25 can face when seeking to upskill or retrain via non-university routes in England. These two problems are interlinked, as expanding opportunities for established workers to upskill and retrain has the potential to contribute to addressing the mid-level skills gap.

The mid-level skills gap is a problem for many employers as they struggle to recruit enough employees with the right skills and/or qualifications. This can leave jobs unfilled and companies unable to expand further. While there are many routes into higher education for the over 25s, it is more difficult for established workers to undertake technical or vocational education to upskill or retrain if they are not supported by their employer or cannot self-fund.

This report is based on a literature review of academic, government, think-tank, media and other sources undertaken by the author.