News & Press

IES is pleased to announce the launch of a new Trials Unit, dedicated to supporting organisations to test and evaluate new approaches and apply evidence of what works.

As we launch our IES Trials Unit, Anneka Dawson details what we mean by trials and how they can add an essential evidence base for making important business decisions.

This morning’s Labour Market Statistics are disappointing overall (again). The further sharp fall in unemployment disguises an unexpectedly large rise in the number of people out of work and not looking for work.

Rosie Gloster reflects on recently published IES evaluations of the Construction Skills Funds, assessing the quality of employment outcomes, the cost effectiveness of the programme, and drawing on lessons learned for skills and employment support policy.

In an extract from Campaign for Learning's Post-16 Education and Skills: Levelling Up Everyone, Everywhere, Becci Newton calls for a clear vision connecting apprenticeships to social and economic outcomes and the need to achieve a new apprenticeship-led renaissance if we are to level up opportunities for every 16-18 year-old in England.

This morning’s Labour Market Statistics, covering October 2021 to January 2022, continue to disappoint. A further sharp fall in unemployment, now close to its pre-pandemic record, has masked a further growth in ‘economic inactivity’ as the labour force has continued to shrink overall.

Abbie Winton argues that if policy makers and organisations fail to invest in good quality employment, training and new technologies, the impact on productivity and social inequalities will be far more costly in the longer term.

This blog details the findings from IES' implementation and process evaluation (IPE) into the Coaching Early Conversation Interaction and Language (CECIL) project, which explored approaches designed to help early years practitioners support speech and language outcomes for 2- to 3-year-olds.