Jim Hillage

BA, MSc, FRSA, MBE

staff photo

Director, Employment Policy Research

+44(0)1273 763 400

Jim Hillage, MBE, BA (Cantab.), MSc (LSE), currently leads the Institute's work on UK public policy, including research into unemployment, work-related welfare, education and training, health work and well-being and employment relations.

He is able to draw on 40 years' experience of researching into labour markets and employment policy and evaluating the direct and indirect impact of a range of policy interventions on employers, individuals and intermediaries. In 2007 Birthday Honours he was awarded the MBE for services to skills and training.

Jim has led many national evaluations including the Employer Training Pilots, Train to Gain, Activity and Learning Agreements, the Fit Note, the Fit for Work service pilots the University for Industry, Investors in People and the Learner Support Fund. He has also conducted studies for the UK Commission for Employment and Skills and the Departments for Education, Work and Pensions and Business, Innovation and Skills and others on employability, young people and the labour market, information advice and guidance, student finance, higher education, workplace learning and employers' skill needs.

Education

1979

London School of Economics

MSc, Industrial Relations and Personnel Management

1978

University of Cambridge

MA, Economics, Social and Political Science

Career

2018

Director, Employment Policy Research

2016-2018

Principal Associate, Institute for Employment Studies

2004-2016

Director of Research, Institute for Employment Studies

1999‑2004

Associate Director, Institute for Employment Studies

1993‑1999

Principal Research Fellow, Institute for Employment Studies

1991‑1993

Research Fellow, Institute for Employment Studies

1989‑1991

Editorial Development Manager, Industrial Relations Services

1986‑1989

Editor: Pay and Benefits Bulletin, Industrial Relations Services

CV details

Research publications

Articles and chapters

Conference appearances

  • The role of evidence in policy-making: informing, influencing or impacting?, Hillage J, Institute of Education, University of Wolverhampton, 2015/16 public lecture and seminar series, Wolverhampton, March 2016
  • Long-term sickness absence: why it matters and what can be done, Hillage J, Long-term sickness absence: Employee, employer and the State, Eversheds, London, January 2015
  • Update on the UK graduate labour market, Hillage J, Training Day for the South East and South West, Higher Education Liaison Officers Association, Winchester, December 2014
  • Long-term sickness absence: why it matters and what can be done, Hillage J, Long-term sickness absence: Employee, employer and the State, Eversheds, Cardiff, November 2014
  • Long-term sickness absence: why it matters and what can be done, Hillage J, Long-term sickness absence: Employee, employer and the State, Eversheds, Nottingham, October 2014
  • Long-term sickness absence: why it matters and what can be done, Hillage J, Long-term sickness absence: Employee, employer and the State, Eversheds, London, October 2014
  • Young people and the labour market: today and tomorrow, Hillage J, Be inspired by labour market Information, Cambridgeshire County Council, Cambridge, July 2014
  • Advice and training: rural access to national employer skills and government business support programmes, Hillage J, Rural Enterprise Support Workshop, Enterprise Research Centre, Aston University, February 2014
  • Chair, Hillage J, The Future of Apprenticeships: Implementing the Government’s Response to the Richard Review, London, June 2013
  • The labour market for young people, Hillage J, Young People: Their Future Choices, Norfolk County Council, March 2013
  • The labour market for school leavers and HE graduates, Hillage J, Northamptonshire Annual CEIAG Conference 2013, February 2013
  • Chair, Hillage J, Apprenticeships after the Richard Review, Westminster Briefing, London, December 2012
  • Chair, Hillage J, Employment, Skills and Enterprise Summit: Investing in the Workforce, Supporting Business, Delivering Growth, Westminster Briefing, London, December 2012
  • The labour market for school leavers and HE graduates, Hillage J, 15th Annual National Conference for CEG Advisers and Consultants, York, November 2012
  • Fit for purpose? Do policies to reduce long-term sickness absence work?, Hillage J, Disability and Social Inclusion seminar series, Cetre for Disability and Social Inclusion, Cuty University, London, July 2012
  • Expanding and Improving Part-time Higher Education, Hillage J, Pollard E, Newton B, Higher Education Seminar, Department for Business, Inmovation and Skills, London, June 2012
  • Chair, Hillage J, Jobless Generation: Youth Unemployment in the EU, Chatham House, London, June 2012
  • Where are the jobs for young people?, Hillage J, Future Skill Needs, Schools to Work Commission, House of Commons, London, May 2012
  • Chair, Hillage J, Developing Valued, Accessible and Effective Apprenticeships: Investigating the Detail of Government Plans, Westminster Briefing, London, June 2011
  • Chair, Hillage J, Achieving Sustainable Employment Conference 2011, Government Knowledge, London, May 2011
  • Chair, Hillage J, Welfare & Employment Conference 2012, GovKnow, London, January 2011
  • The Challenge - Integrating Employment and Skills Policy and Delivery, Hillage J, Employment and Skills Summit 2010: Building a 21st Century Workforce, House Magazine, London, October 2010
  • Chair, Hillage J, Creating 21st Century Apprenticeships: Investigating the Implications for Service Providers and Employers, Westminster Briefing, London, September 2010
  • Education for employment and life, Hillage J, British Education Research Association (BERA) Annual Conference, BERA, Warwick, September 2010
  • Unlocking learning? Towards evidence-informed policy and practice in education, Hillage J, British Education Research Association (BERA) Annual Conference, BERA, Warwick, September 2010
  • Chair, Hillage J, Health @ Work Summit 2010. Assessing, Addressing and Embedding Your Health Agenda, Symposium, London, June 2010
  • Integrating employment and skills, Hillage J, UK Commission for Employment and Skills: Skills, Jobs, Growth Convention, Neil Stewart Associates, London, February 2010
  • Skills Investment to Accelerate Recovery: the future demand for jobs and skills, Hillage J, Economic Development Association Scotland, Road to Recovery Series, Economic Development Association Scotland, Edinburgh, June 2009
  • The economics of education and skills, Hillage J, Research and Policy Conference: The shape of things to come, Learning and Skills Network, London, April 2009
  • Rowing with or against the tide? The demand for part-time HE, Hillage J, Success through partnership: Lifelong learning in higher education, Universities Association for Lifelong Learning, Brighton, March 2009
  • Chair, Hillage J, Absence Management Forum 2009, Symposium, London, January 2009
  • The barriers holding people back, Hillage J, Life chances: supporting people to get on in the labour market, DIUS/DWP Analytical Seminar, London, June 2008
  • Developing a new national measure of quality of working life, Hillage J, Quality of Working Life: The W/O Psychology Contribution to Conceptualisation and Measurement, ENOP Symposium 2008, European Network of Political Foundations (ENOP), Paris, March 2008
  • Activity and Learning Agreements, Hillage J, Provision for the bottom 20 per cent and the learning leaving age, Campaign for Learning, London, March 2008
  • Role of research in the new employment and skills arena, Hillage J, Continuous Professional Development Conference, SSDA, York, December 2007
  • Education and Employment, Hillage J, The Coming Year in Parliament, House Magazine, Westminster, December 2007
  • Employability - use it or lose it!, Hillage J, Closing the Employment Inequality Gap in Brighton and Hove, Equal Brighton and Hove, Brighton, November 2007
  • Role of research in development of public employment and training policy, Hillage J, Dynamics of knowledge production between academic research and the practice of public services management, ESRC, King's Fund, June 2007
  • The graduate labour market: supply and demand of high level skills, Hillage J, Education and Skills Committee, House of Commons, House of Commons, February 2007
  • Education and Employment, Hillage J, Coming Year in Parliament, House Magazine, Westminster, December 2006
  • Student Income Survey 2004/2005, Hillage J, DfES Annual Research Conference, Department for Education and Skills, London, November 2006
  • Evaluation of Activity and Learning Agreements, Hillage J, DfES Annual Research Conference, Department for Education and Skills, London, November 2006
  • UK High Level HE Policy, Hillage J, High Level Policy Forum, European Association of Institutions in HE, Brussels, November 2006
  • Student income and expenditure in Northern Ireland, Hillage J, Department for Education and Learning, Northern Ireland Seminar, Department of Education & Learning Northern Ireland, Belfast, June 2006
  • Skills training and employability, Hillage J, Home International Funding Conference, Belfast, June 2006
  • The Impact of Employer Training Pilots, Hillage J, Adult learning - What role for choice and personalisation?, IPPR, London, November 2005
  • Known knowns and known unknowns: what can evaluation tell us about labour market impact?, Hillage J, John Killeen Commemorative Lecture 2005, NICEC, RIBA, London, October 2005
  • ETP and the skill strategy in England, Hillage J, DYSG’s annual policy and research conference, DYSG (Learning & Skills Development Agency for Wales), Marriott Hotel, Cardiff, February 2005
  • Lessons from ETP, Hillage J, National Conference - Developing the Individual and Employer Offer, Learning & Skills Council, by video presentation (actual conference Solihull), February 2005
  • Lessons from ETP, Hillage J, LSC Management Meeting, Learning & Skills Council, London, February 2005
  • ETP Evaluation: Issues for Colleges, Hillage J, Employer Skills Task Group Meeting, Learning & Skills Council, LSC Offices, 8-10 Grosvenor Gardens, London SW1W, January 2005
  • Brokerage: the lessons from ETP, Hillage J, Learning Brokerage: Building Bridges between Learners and Providers. A seminar for LSC and DfES staff, Learning & Skills Council and LSDA, LSC National Office, Coventry, January 2005
  • Learning the Lessons from ETP, Hillage J, NETP Acceleration Event, Learning & Skills Council, Jury’s Inn Hotel, Birmingham, January 2005
  • Employer Training Pilots : A platform for progression?, Hillage J, DfES Research Conference, DfES, Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre, London, November 2004
  • Member of Strategic Group, Hillage J, National Guidance Research Forum seminar, National Guidance Research Forum, Winchester, May 2004
  • Basic skills in the workplace - lessons for ETP, Hillage J, Adult Basic Skills: Findings from UK and OECD reviews, National Research Development Centre, NRDC, London, April 2004
  • IES and policy issues, Pearson R, Hillage J, Tamkin P, Robinson D, Tyers C, Connor H, DfES seminar, DfES, London, March 2004
  • Advice on proposals from the National Education Research Forum - peer review, Hillage J, consultation, DfES, London, December 2003
  • Minority Ethnic Students in HE, Connor H, Tyers C, Hillage J, DfES seminar, DfES, London, October 2003
  • Briefing for UK representative on EU Employment Task Force about Employer Training Pilots, Hillage J, DfES briefing, DfES, LSE, October 2003
  • Discussion about the lesson for the new level 2 entitlement from Employer Training Pilots, Hillage J, DfES briefing, DfES, Sheffield, September 2003
  • Latest progress on Employer Training Pilots, Hillage J, CBI Education & Training Affairs Committee, CBI, London, June 2003
  • Impact of E-commerce on Employment in the Financial Sector, Hillage J, Alliance for Finance Conference 2002, Alliance for Finance, TUC, Congress House, London, March 2002
  • Panel member: Challenges Ahead for Education and Skills Research Over the Next Five Years, Hillage J, DfES Research Conference, DfES, Institute of Civil Engineers, London, December 2001
  • Are we all Going Soft?, Hillage J, Research Making an Impact on Policy and Practice: the fifth annual conference of the Learning and Skills Research Network, LSDA, Robinson College, Cambridge, December 2001
  • Exploring e-Learning, Hillage J, Event on e-learning, ALG, ALG, London, October 2001
  • The Impact of the HSE on Health and Safety Outcomes, Hillage J, Chief Scientist’s Seminar, HSE, London, July 2001
  • Work Experience 2000: latest evidence on practice, Hillage J, Work Experience of the 21st century, Centre for Education & Industry, Grantham, November 2000
  • Skill Implications of e-commerce, Hillage J, DTI e-Commerce Task Force seminar, DTI e-Commerce Task Force, DTI Conference Centre, London, August 2000
  • Employers’ Approaches to Workforce Development, Hillage J, Skills and Enterprise Network National Conference 2000, DfEE, Nottingham, June 2000
  • Employability as a policy framework in the UK, Hillage J, EU Joint Employment Observatory Conference, IAS, Marseilles, June 1999
  • Education Research: Ways Forward, Hillage J, University of Brighton Research Centre seminar, University of Brighton Research Centre, University of Brighton, April 1999
  • Employability in the Modern Labour Market, Hillage J, CfBT West London Careers seminar, CfBT West London Careers, West London TEC, April 1999
  • Employability and well-being in the modern labour market, Hillage J, Employability: A new era in workplace health and safety, Health & Safety Authority, Eire, Dublin Castle, Eire, March 1999
  • Employability in the modern labour market, Hillage J, Careers Conference, CfBT Bedfordshire Careers, Luton Careers Centre, February 1999
  • Excellence in Research on Schools, Hillage J, Research Synthesis to inform public policy, School of Public Policy, London, January 1999
  • Future of Educational Research - the way forward, Hillage J, Future of Educational Research - the way forward, University of Birmingham, University of Birmingham, January 1999
  • Education Research: a way forward, Hillage J, Excellence in Research on Schools, University of Sheffield, University of Sheffield, December 1998
  • Employability: issues for public policy, Hillage J, Skills Task Force Meeting, DfEE, Kingsley Thistle Hotel, London, November 1998
  • Employability in practice, Hillage J, Do you fit the bill? Exploring Employability - Work and Learning Network Conference, University of Warwick, University of Warwick, November 1998
  • Employability: issues for further education, Hillage J, FEFC Strategy Meeting, FEFC, London, November 1998
  • Education research: ways forward, Hillage J, Autumn ‘98 Seminar, AEB, Regent’s College, London, November 1998
  • Employability: issues for public policy, Hillage J, DfEE National Skills Taskforce on Employability and Key Skills, Department for Education and Employment, Russell Hotel, London, October 1998
  • Investors in context, Hillage J, Achieving IiP, IRS Training, RAC Club, London, October 1998
  • What makes good quality work experience, Hillage J, Building on Achievement, Work Experience, NYBEP (North Yorkshire Business & Education Partnership), York, March 1998
  • Turning Labour Market Information into Intelligence, Hillage J, What is Working, East Anglian Training Consortium, Cambridge, February 1998
  • The Implications of Current Employment Trends for Careers in the New Millennium, Hillage J, EATC Regional Conference for Independent Schools, East Anglian Training Consortium and Bedfordshire Careers Centre, Cambridge, January 1998
  • The Labour Market Future for Young People, Hillage J, Current Careers Education and Guidance Developments for Headteachers, Principals and Senior Managers, Norfolk Careers Services, Norfolk, January 1998
  • Chairperson, Hillage J, EOC Conference on Gender and Skills, IES/EOC, London, January 1998
  • Health Surveillance in Practice, Hillage J, Health Surveillance Workshop, HSE/IRS, October 1997
  • Evaluation, Building on Investors, Hillage J (with Hazel Kirkham, Training & Dev. HDL), People Potential and Performance, Cabinet Office (OPS), Britannia International Hotel, London, September 1997
  • The Case for Investors in People, Hillage J, IIP Success - Ensuring a Payback, Industrial Relations Services Training, Harrington Hall, London, July 1997
  • Evaluation of Investors in the Civil Service, Hillage J, Human Resource Strategy Network Meeting, Cabinet Office, Church House, Croydon, July 1997
  • Changing work patterns: looking ahead to the 21st century, Hillage J, Enfield Careers Conference, NFER - Nelson Education, Enfield, March 1997
  • The Management and Organisation of Work in the 21st Century, Hillage J, Future of Work, Templeton College, Oxford, Templeton College, Oxford, February 1997
  • Changing Work Patterns, Hillage J, Careers Education and Guidance: Maintaining the Momentum, CRAC, Commonwealth Conference and Events Centre, London, December 1996
  • Changing Context for Careers Education and Guidance, Hillage J, Surrey Careers Service Annual Conference, Surrey Careers Service, Glynn House, Ewell, Surrey, December 1996
  • Work Experience: Where are we now?, Hillage J, Work Experience in the 21st Century, Devon Education Business Partnership, Southgate Hotel, Exeter, November 1996
  • Where are we now? Work Experience in 1996, Hillage J, Work Experience for the 21st Century, University of Warwick/Trident, Stoke Rochford Hall, Grantham, October 1996
  • Changing Work Patterns, Hillage J, The Changing Nature of Work - Implications for Future Citizens in Education Work, CRAC, Girton College, Cambs., September 1996
  • The Role of Job Evaluation Today, Hillage J, Flexible Grading Systems, IRST, Royal Lancaster Hotel, London, September 1996
  • Changing Work Patterns: the Implications for Careers Education and Guidance, Hillage J, Hirsh W, Schools and Careers Services: The Changing Nature of Careers Education and Guidance, NICEC/CRAC, Stoke Rochford Hall, Lincs, May 1996
  • Developments in the Provision of Work Experience: a National Perspective, Hillage J, Croydon Education Business Partnership conference, Croydon Education Business Partnership, Bromley Education Development Centre, March 1996
  • Employers’ Perspectives on Education Business Links, Hillage J, Education Business Links in a Climate of Change, South West Education Industry Group, Langshire Cliff Hotel, Dawlish Warren, Devon, February 1996
  • The Role of Job Evaluation Today, Hillage J, Flexible Grading Systems, IRST, RAC Club, London, February 1996
  • Employers’ Views of Education Business Links, Hillage J, BABSIP Winter Conference, British Association for Business Studies Industrial Placements, J Sainsbury Management Centre, Ware, January 1996

Advisory roles and affiliations

  • Associate Fellow, Centre for Education and Industry, University of Warwick (2010 - 2013)
  • Member, Equal Brighton & Hove Action 3 Steering Group (2006 - 2008)
  • Expert Advisory Panel, Sector Skills Development Agency (2004 - 2006)
  • National Guidance Research Forum Strategic Group (2004 - 2006)
  • National Employer Training Programme Working Group (2004 - 2004)
  • Steering Group overseeing a research programme on 'Prospects for Growth of FE', LSDA (2002 - 2003)
  • External verifier for the North Yorkshire Business Education Partnership work experience awards (2001 - 2002)
  • Health & Safety Executive's Knowledge Programme Action Group, helping to deliver the 'Securing Health Together' strategy (2001 - 2002)
  • Centre for Evidence Informed Policy and Practice in Education's (EPPI) Review Group on post-16 education and training (LSDA) (2001 - 2002)

Projects