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These briefing papers comprise the final evaluation reports on the second productivity challenge of the UK Futures Programme (UKFP). This challenge was targeted at 'prime' supply chain leading businesses in the manufacturing, construction, legal and accounting, and financial services sectors. The first briefing paper is an evaluation of the seven successful projects that UKCES invested in. These projects were led by Action Sustainability, Black Country Consortium, the Civil Engineering Contractors Association, Jaguar Land Rover, the Legal Aid Practitioners Group, Robert Woodhead, and the University of Chester. The second document is a brochure summarising the results and outputs from all the projects. It also highlights lessons that other employers can draw from these projects.

The case studies are: a detailed case study of Good to Gold, the project led by Robert Woodhead, a construction company; a detailed case study of the Supply Chain Sustainability School, the project led by Action Sustainability, a training consultancy; and a detailed case study of the High Performance Working project, led by Jaguar Land Rover.

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These briefing papers comprise the final evaluation report on the first productivity challenge of the UK Futures Programme (UKFP). This challenge was targeted at the offsite construction industry. The first briefing paper is an evaluation of the five successful projects that UKCES invested in. These projects were led by BuildOffSite, Skanska, Edinburgh Napier University, Laing O'Rourke, and the Steel Construction Institute. The second briefing paper is a detailed case study of the project led by Edinburgh Napier University, the Offsite Hub (Scotland). The final document is a brochure summarising the five projects that made up the challenge.

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The public, politicians and policymakers are talking about productivity - the only way a country can improve living standards and workers' their take home pay. This report examines the contribution skills policy has made in recent decades to address the UK 'productivity gap'. Based on quantitative analysis and interviews with leading education experts, including former policy advisers, the authors outline why the UK has been 'running to stand still' when it comes to upgrading skills and qualification levels in the workforce. Despite strong ministerial leadership, including the well-intended efforts of civil servants and delivery bodies, none of the fundamental metrics appear to have shifted in a significantly positive direction since 2008. As the UK prepares for a general election before January 2025, the report provides critical insights into the main skills and policy challenges facing the next government.

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[This report notes that] productivity growth in the UK is sluggish. [Further, that] productivity relies on a dynamic economy where good ideas spread rapidly, workers are well matched to jobs, firms can scale up, and where people move into jobs that use their skills. The UK Futures Programme is a novel approach to tackling the causes of low productivity within businesses, offering small scale, public co-investment to employers and industry, to design and test their own solutions. Over the period April 2014 to July 2016, 32 partnerships tested innovative solutions through five productivity challenges, covering areas of improving pay and progression opportunities for low paid workers; enhancing management and leadership through supply chains; and enhancing leadership in small firms through anchor institutions. This final report presents the evaluation of the UK Futures Programme (UKFP), including the learning for policy in the areas covered, plus guidance on implementing such an ‘innovation lab’ type project by other partners.

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These documents present the final reporting on the UK Futures Programme's Productivity Challenge which investigated how retail and hospitality businesses could improve pay and progression for lower paid staff through changing workplace practices, providing clearer progression routes and developing and supporting staff. The first document is a briefing paper which provides an evaluation of the Productivity Challenge, highlighting what worked, and what worked less well, in encouraging business and employee engagement and success in enhancing pay and progression. It also draws out lessons for: other businesses in the retail and hospitality sectors which might replicate good practice and learn from these experiences; employees in the sector; and policy makers concerned with enhancing pay and opportunities in the workplace.

The second document, 'Climbing the ladder: progression pathways in retail and hospitality', is a brochure summarising the seven projects that made up the challenge, with details of how businesses in the retail and hospitality sectors can get involved and make a difference. It includes links to toolkits and other helpful material produced by the projects which were led by: Jamie Oliver's Fifteen Cornwall; The Living Wage Foundation; National Coastal Tourism Academy; People 1st; Realm; Rocco Forte Hotels; and The Timewise Foundation.

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Collaboration was one of the key objectives of the UK Futures Programme (UKFP). UKCES believes that successful collaboration between employers and other stakeholders in finding solutions to address workforce development issues can lead to the transfer of learning and best practice between collaborators and subsequently through their networks. The literature refers to various definitions of collaboration. For the purpose of this paper, [the authors] have looked at collaboration in the context of organisations and social stakeholders coming together to address a common workforce development challenge.

This paper summarises the learning from the first two Productivity Challenges of the UKFP on the types of collaboration projects reported being involved in, how collaboration came about and the benefits and outcomes of collaboration. Productivity Challenge One focussed on developing solutions to the workforce challenges in the offsite construction (OSC) industry. Productivity Challenge Two focused on raising demand for management and leadership skills through supply chains and networked organisations. [The authors] begin by summarising some of the key literature which looks at the motivation for employers to collaborate and what makes a successful collaboration. [The authors] continue by looking at the different types of collaboration evidenced in the UKFP, what makes an effective collaboration, the barriers to collaboration and how they have been overcome, and the benefits and outcomes that followed. [The authors] conclude the paper with a summary of the conclusions and the implications for different audiences.

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These documents present the final reporting on the UK Futures Programme's productivity challenge which investigated how manufacturing businesses could capitalise more on innovation in the workplace through improvements to the management and commercialisation of innovation. The first briefing paper is an evaluation of the productivity challenge, highlighting what worked, and what worked less well, in encouraging businesses to focus on innovation processes and to develop the skills, knowledge and practices to better manage innovation. It also draws out lessons for: other businesses to help capture the value of innovation; organisations delivering similar programmes; and policy makers concerned with improving the UK's position with regard to innovation.

The second document is a brochure summarising the five projects that made up the challenge, with details of how businesses can get involved and make a difference. It includes links to toolkits and other helpful material produced by the projects which were led by: BAE Systems Maritime Naval Ships; Swansea University; Cardiff Metropolitan University; BAE Systems (Operations) Ltd; and Northern Ireland Polymers Association.

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