{
  "title": "Upskilling the UK Workforce: United Kingdom",
  "publication": "Selected Issues Papers, July 24, 2024",
  "sourceUrl": "https://www.imf.org/en/publications/selected-issues-papers/issues/2024/07/24/upskilling-the-uk-workforce-united-kingdom-552424",
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  "summary": "The UK workforce has larger and more chronic skills gaps than in most peer countries, with surveys reporting widespread recruitment difficulties, with implications for output, in high-skill sectors like digital and software, manufacturing, medicine and life sciences, teaching, and construction.",
  "sections": [
    {
      "heading": "Summary",
      "content": "- Authors: Pragyan Deb, Gloria Li\n- Date: July 24, 2024\n- The UK workforce has larger and more chronic skills gaps than in most peer countries, with surveys reporting widespread recruitment difficulties, with implications for output, in high-skill sectors like digital and software, manufacturing, medicine and life sciences, teaching, and construction.\n- This partly reflects declines in primary and post-secondary education outcomes (particularly science scores, over the past two decades) and in workplace training and apprenticeships, particularly for the young.\n- The recent increase in non-EU migrants has not fully offset the adverse impact from Brexit on the availability of needed skills, including because smaller firms face more recruitment hurdles with regard to non-EU hires.\n- There is an urgent need to upskill the UK workforce, both by building on ongoing efforts, as well as additional concrete measures to: (i) encourage students and young workers to join and excel in STEM; (ii) ensure adequate vocational and on the job training, particularly for the young; (iii) retain the talent produced by UKs world leading universities; (iv) upskill the existing labor force; and (v) facilitate attraction and retention of in-demand skills through adjustments to the visa regime."
    },
    {
      "heading": "Key findings and drivers",
      "content": "- Larger and more chronic skills gaps in the UK compared with most peer countries.\n- Widespread recruitment difficulties reported in surveys, affecting output in high-skill sectors: digital and software, manufacturing, medicine and life sciences, teaching, and construction.\n- Declines in primary and post-secondary education outcomes, with particular emphasis on science scores over the past two decades.\n- Declines in workplace training and apprenticeships, particularly for the young.\n- Post-Brexit shifts: recent increase in non-EU migrants has not fully offset adverse impacts from Brexit on availability of needed skills.\n- Smaller firms face more recruitment hurdles for non-EU hires."
    },
    {
      "heading": "Policy recommendations and priority measures",
      "content": "- Encourage students and young workers to join and excel in STEM (as stated: (i) encourage students and young workers to join and excel in STEM).\n- Ensure adequate vocational and on the job training, particularly for the young (as stated: (ii) ensure adequate vocational and on the job training, particularly for the young).\n- Retain the talent produced by UKs world leading universities (as stated: (iii) retain the talent produced by UKs world leading universities).\n- Upskill the existing labor force (as stated: (iv) upskill the existing labor force).\n- Facilitate attraction and retention of in-demand skills through adjustments to the visa regime (as stated: (v) facilitate attraction and retention of in-demand skills through adjustments to the visa regime).\n\n---\n\n Content in this bundle\n\n- Upskilling the UK Workforce; United Kingdom; Selected Issues Paper No. 2024/030; June 14, 2024\n  - Upskilling the UK Workforce; United Kingdom; Selected Issues Paper No. 2024/030; June 14, 2024 (Markdown version){rel=\"alternate\" type=\"text/markdown\"}\n  - Upskilling the UK Workforce; United Kingdom; Selected Issues Paper No. 2024/030; June 14, 2024 (PDF){rel=\"external\" type=\"application/pdf\"}\n\n---\n\nSource: https://www.imf.org/en/publications/selected-issues-papers/issues/2024/07/24/upskilling-the-uk-workforce-united-kingdom-552424"
    }
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    "Authors: Pragyan Deb, Gloria Li",
    "Published: July 24, 2024",
    "Series: Selected Issues Papers",
    "DOI: https://doi.org/10.5089/9798400283741.018",
    "Authors: Pragyan Deb, Gloria Li",
    "Date: July 24, 2024",
    "The UK workforce has larger and more chronic skills gaps than in most peer countries, with surveys reporting widespread recruitment difficulties, with implications for output, in high-skill sectors like digital and software, manufacturing, medicine and life sciences, teaching, and construction.",
    "This partly reflects declines in primary and post-secondary education outcomes (particularly science scores, over the past two decades) and in workplace training and apprenticeships, particularly for the young.",
    "The recent increase in non-EU migrants has not fully offset the adverse impact from Brexit on the availability of needed skills, including because smaller firms face more recruitment hurdles with regard to non-EU hires.",
    "There is an urgent need to upskill the UK workforce, both by building on ongoing efforts, as well as additional concrete measures to: (i) encourage students and young workers to join and excel in STEM; (ii) ensure adequate vocational and on the job training, particularly for the young; (iii) retain the talent produced by UKs world leading universities; (iv) upskill the existing labor force; and (v) facilitate attraction and retention of in-demand skills through adjustments to the visa regime.",
    "Larger and more chronic skills gaps in the UK compared with most peer countries.",
    "Widespread recruitment difficulties reported in surveys, affecting output in high-skill sectors: digital and software, manufacturing, medicine and life sciences, teaching, and construction.",
    "Declines in primary and post-secondary education outcomes, with particular emphasis on science scores over the past two decades.",
    "Declines in workplace training and apprenticeships, particularly for the young.",
    "Post-Brexit shifts: recent increase in non-EU migrants has not fully offset adverse impacts from Brexit on availability of needed skills.",
    "Smaller firms face more recruitment hurdles for non-EU hires.",
    "Encourage students and young workers to join and excel in STEM (as stated: (i) encourage students and young workers to join and excel in STEM).",
    "Ensure adequate vocational and on the job training, particularly for the young (as stated: (ii) ensure adequate vocational and on the job training, particularly for the young).",
    "Retain the talent produced by UKs world leading universities (as stated: (iii) retain the talent produced by UKs world leading universities).",
    "Upskill the existing labor force (as stated: (iv) upskill the existing labor force).",
    "Facilitate attraction and retention of in-demand skills through adjustments to the visa regime (as stated: (v) facilitate attraction and retention of in-demand skills through adjustments to the visa regime).",
    "**Upskilling the UK Workforce; United Kingdom; Selected Issues Paper No. 2024/030; June 14, 2024**"
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