We provide five core services from our offices in Glasgow, Manchester and Sheffield:
- Economic Impact and Appraisal
- Economic and Social Research and Analysis
- Policy and Strategy Development
- Evaluation and Monitoring
- Feasibility, Business Planning and Bid Development
To find out more about our core services, click on one of the links above.
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Education and Skills
Reforming and simplifying the education and skills system is central to the current government’s drive to return the economy to sustainable economic growth and extend social inclusion. From expansions in apprenticeships and academies to reviews of vocational education, widespread change is taking place in the sector and will continue for some years to come. The current emphasis is on developing a skills system that is driven from the bottom up, able to respond to the needs of individuals, communities and the wider economy.
The funding landscape is being simplified and learners are being encouraged to select training and qualifications valued by employers. Alongside this is an expectation that learners and employers will co-invest with the government to meet the costs of training, especially at the higher levels.
ekosgen have a long history of working with central government and leading skills organisations to review the progress and impact of a broad range of skills related projects and programmes, and in doing so helping to inform skills and education policy. Our offer includes research, evaluation and consultancy in the following:
- Workforce development and employability: we have developed worklessness strategies, evaluated regional employability programmes and assessed the impact of training schemes across the UK, covering the full spectrum from basic skills to advanced leadership and management. Calculating the net economic impact and value for money of public sector investment is central to much of our work in this area.
- Education and skills reform: we have led three national evaluations of Foundation Learning and been cited in the government’s official response to the Wolf Review of Vocational Education. Our team has reviewed learner support programmes, including the Education Maintenance Allowance, and appraised funding models used by the national adult careers service. We have undertaken research into jobs without training linked to the raising of the participation age and have evaluated nationwide trials of new, unitised approaches to FE funding.
- Skills needs and forecasts: drawing upon sectoral and spatial expertise, we have undertaken skills needs assessments in the growing low carbon sector, mapped the skills needed to deliver the 2014 Commonwealth Games and identified the drivers of higher level skills development. We have written and refreshed numerous ESF frameworks and consulted widely with employers, education/training providers and policy makers to provide insightful, evidence-based forecasts.
Contact Tim Allan on 0845 644 5407or email: tim.allan@ekosgen.co.uk