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This paper reviews recent reforms to the UK's main active labour market policy for the long-term unemployed aged over 25: the so-called New Deal 25 Plus. It discusses the appropriateness of the New Deal's approach to the activation of these long-term unemployed people, by drawing upon evidence from interviews with 115 job seekers in one urban labour market characterised by generally low unemployment rates. It is argued that these job seekers face a combination of personal and circumstantial barriers to work, best characterised as an 'employability gap'. It is acknowledged that following recent reforms to the New Deal 25 Plus, the programme is better equipped to address some aspects of the employability gap faced by many long-term unemployed people. However, it is argued that a stronger commitment to training within a 'real work' environment and a more flexible approach to the administration of some social security benefits is required if the long-term detachment from the labour market experienced by these job seekers is to be overcome.

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Raising the skill levels of the UK economy depends to some extent on individuals being prepared to invest in their own skill development, as well as expressing to employers and others their demand for formal and informal training. The chances of an individual actively seeking to increase their skills level depends, research suggests, on a number of 'intrinsic' and 'extrinsic' factors. People with few qualifications, those who are not employed or who work in smaller or non-unionised workplaces tend to be less likely than others to engage in, or demand, skills development. Research highlights a number of barriers to the take-up of skills development that are experienced by different groups of people. These include financial constraints; limited access to information, advice or guidance; negative influence from family or peers and in some cases negative early experiences of education or training. For those in work, the attitudes and practices of their employers can play an important role in stimulating or inhibiting skills development.

This paper outlines a broad policy framework around which initiatives designed to increase individual investment in skills development might be built and be particularly targeted at those least likely to participate in skills development. For those with limited experience of skills development, focused support coupled with flexible provision and appropriate financial incentives appear to be the most fruitful way forward. For people who are in work, a combination of workplace advocacy (in the form of Union Learning Representatives or similar) and employer willingness to provide at least part of the time or resources required should lead to a significant increase in individual demand for skills development. Underpinning these policy initiatives there is also a need for something more: a pervasive culture of learning which means that people from across all sections of UK society see learning as an ongoing part of their lives, rather than something that ends with compulsory education.

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Policy makers have introduced a number of measures to encourage older workers to stay in the labour market, with improving access to training a particular priority. Policy action appeared justified by evidence that older workers are less likely to participate in training, and more likely to have never been offered training by employers - a key finding of Taylor and Urwin's (2001) review of Labour Force Survey (LFS) data from 1997. This article models LFS data from 2007 to assess whether age remained a predictor of inequalities in training. It finds that men over 50 remained among those least likely to have been offered training by employers. There were other significant inequalities in participation, suggesting a polarization in access to jobs that offer opportunities for training and progression. The article concludes that policies promoting 'active ageing' need to challenge negative employer attitudes and acknowledge fundamental inequalities in access to skills.

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This report presents the results of a detailed review of evidence and policy relating to the factors that influence the engagement of the individual in skills development. It incorporates a broad range of formal and informal learning activities, delivered in a range of institutional settings and through different media, including work-based, classroom-based, distance learning and community-based learning. The review is deliberately broad in its focus, drawing on evidence and policy relating to people in different positions within the labour market, in or out of work, new entrants into employment, younger and older workers, and people with and without qualifications and/or with higher and lower skills. However, a key focus for the research were the barriers and factors affecting access to skills development opportunities among lower skilled and lower qualified people. The evidence review comprised an overview of the available statistical data for the UK and, where available, constituent countries, and a review of studies that have examined the factors that appear to influence the individual's decision as to whether to undertake skills development activities. Building on this evidence review, the research team brought together the findings of studies that have evaluated the impact on individual participation in skills development of a range of policies that have been implemented in the UK and/or constituent countries from 1998 onwards. A limited international policy review was also undertaken, focused on six countries identified in consultation with expert commentators.

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This article examines employer choice in relation to job quality (JQ). Acknowledging the important role of market, institutional, and technological constraints, the authors highlight the role of employer agency in shaping JQ by reporting on an employer-led service redesign initiative in hospital pharmacy services in Scotland. This redesign initiative aimed at upskilling employees and redirecting their work effort toward high value-added, patient-facing work using robotics implementation. The article provides a critical assessment of the success of the initiative in enhancing JQ and explores a range of factors constraining and shaping employers' JQ choices.

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