Learning and Skills
Empowering the UK’s future through skills, competencies, and qualifications that fuel growth
Ensuring the UK workforce has the right skills, competencies and qualifications is essential for national growth. Fortia Insight’s skills and learning team delivers high-quality research and evaluations across wide-ranging programmes and policies that aim to improve access to good work, enhance employability and address skills gaps.
Our work spans central and local government, arm’s-length bodies and the third sector. We evaluate employer and leadership programmes, digital transformation initiatives, upskilling/reskilling programmes and workplace wellbeing schemes. We provide expert research and consultancy across apprenticeships, technical and higher education, the transition from education to employment and adult skills.
Our services
- Monitoring and evaluation frameworks
- Process, impact and value-for-money evaluations
- Economic assessments
- Feasibility studies
- Research insights aligned with Green, Aqua and Magenta Book best practices
We apply mixed-method approaches grounded in behavioural and realist evaluation frameworks. We have completed regional skills plans across the UK and Ireland. We bring significant expertise in labour market intelligence, workforce development and skills policy. Through our work, we aim to ensure that education and training systems are responsive to employer needs, that individuals are supported to thrive in the labour market and that public investment in skills delivers value and impact.
Specific sector skills work
- Cybersecurity
- Advanced manufacturing and engineering
- Construction
- Marine
- Renewables and green skills
- Social care
- Health (resident doctors, nurses, pharmacists and radiologists)
Our specialist skillset:
Evaluation and impact
Evaluation and impact
We design theory-based, mixed-method evaluations to evidence outcomes, equity and value across skills and employment programmes. We track access, retention, attainment and progression into valued career pathways, including for disadvantaged and disengaged groups.
Economic assessment and value for money
Economic assessment and value for money
We conduct Treasury-aligned cost–benefit analysis, return on investment evaluation and assessments of economy, efficiency, effectiveness and equity to robustly demonstrate value for money of investments in skills, training and employment initiatives.
Labour-market intelligence – the future of work
Labour-market intelligence – the future of work
We analyse how the labour market aligns with education and training by combining data and forecasting to identify employer demand; skills gaps or mismatches; and future needs by sector and region.
Stakeholder engagement and consultation
Stakeholder engagement and consultation
We collect primary data, including interviews, surveys, workshops and focus groups with employers, employees, trainees and other key stakeholders and authorities, for the development of evidence-based insight.
Assessment of policy reforms
Assessment of policy reforms
We evaluate whether education and skills labour market reforms are meeting their stated objectives and impacts by conducting structured research that integrates data analysis, stakeholder engagement and policy impact assessment to examine causal relationships.
Programme design and improvement
Programme design and improvement
We use process evaluation and behavioural insights to review delivery methods, eligibility criteria, targeting strategies, support services and incentive structures to enhance the effectiveness of further education and training programmes.
Inclusive employment and social mobility
Inclusive employment and social mobility
We explore barriers to employment for under-represented groups and evaluate interventions aimed at improving equity and access to good work.
Digital monitoring and dashboards
Digital monitoring and dashboards
We build indicators, automate data flows and visualise performance to support timely decisions.
Speak to our expert advisor:
June Graham
Associate Director