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Widespread worker displacement is an increasing phenomenon in industrialised countries. Whether the result of globalisation, increased technology or resource depletion, large numbers of people are being permanently displaced from work. The problem is more severe in regions where the unemployment base centres on a single industry or resource. In such areas there is often little chance of re-employment. This paper considers government-initiated programs developed in response to widespread worker displacement. It does so within the context of my doctoral dissertation research, which is nearing fieldwork completion. The paper introduces the problem of widespread worker displacement. It considers two government programs developed to address need resulting from the closure of the Northern Cod fishery on Canada’s Atlantic coast and the decline of the mining industry in England. The paper then discusses post-industrialism and post-Fordism as a framework through which to view the problem.

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The Skills Bootcamps (employer-led training initiatives) were announced in September 2020 and aimed to test approaches for roll-out to other industries and skillsets. The aim of bootcamps was to help individuals adjust to the changing economy through training to upskill or reskill so to enable transition from work in declining sectors and occupations into new career directions. Outcome measures set by the Department for Education (DfE) concerned entry into work or a different job and whether this represented any form of progression. A process evaluation was commissioned to commence in early 2021 and to track the implementation of the Wave 1 bootcamps through qualitative interviews with a range of stakeholders, a survey of learners and analysis of the management information (MI) that was available and of suitable quality at the time of reporting. These data did not cover all of the bootcamps and more problematically did not consistently cover all of the geographic areas involved. They therefore cannot be viewed as an accurate picture of all bootcamp provision. Instead, they offer an illustrative overview of the bootcamps that submitted full data. The process evaluation of Wave 1 is the subject of this report.

The bootcamps were well received by all stakeholders engaged in the evaluation. The supplied MI, while providing an incomplete picture, suggested high rates of completion alongside learners passing the planned assessments and assignments. It was notable that women participants saw high rates of success in courses, and despite the impacts of the [Coronavirus Disease 2019] pandemic on carers (including those looking after dependent children) this did not appear to have a substantial effect on outcomes. There was overwhelming support for bootcamps to continue to be offered amongst those involved in the evaluation. This evaluation suggests that critical success factors in delivering the bootcamps included flexible and responsive provision which supported learners to train around their existing employment and personal commitments. Second, highly skilled training courses and the close alignment of provision to employers needs were highlighted. Finally, employer involvement in bootcamp training delivery - through learner talks, project briefs and wider networking meant that learners felt well briefed on industry needs.

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The future of work is changing, providing opportunities for new careers and novel ways of working. Changes to the world of work will be driven by long-term trends such as technological and demographic change as well as the ongoing impact of the [Coronavirus Disease 2019] COVID-19 pandemic. Future skills requirements will increasingly emphasise interpersonal, higher-order cognitive skills (such as fluency of ideas and active learning) and systems skills (such as judgement and decision making). The future workforce will need a combination of broad-based and specialised knowledge and there is currently limited evidence of 'what works' to support people to build these skills and support them into new careers.

This evaluation toolkit has been developed by Learning and Work Institute (L&W) based on their experience as the evaluation partner on the Nesta and Department for Education CareerTech Challenge in 2020/21, a programme to encourage bold solutions to improve people's working lives and unlock employment opportunities for the future. Since March 2020, L&W have been working closely with 11 innovators to evaluate the effectiveness of their digital and online learning solutions in building career adaptability skills and learner motivation amongst people who are working in shrinking sectors and occupations. The toolkit is designed to support delivery organisations, developers and providers to consider the best ways to evaluate online learning interventions designed to support adults to build skills that support their careers. Through a collection of case studies, checklists, templates and question banks, this toolkit provides advice on how to evaluate interventions with a step-by-step guide to developing realistic, proportionate and high quality plans for an evaluation.

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This paper argues that lifelong learning that increasingly positions itself as the solution for the working classes to become employable and upwardly socially mobile and socially included in civic life is not working. This paper relates to the themes of 'lifelong learning, social mobility and social inclusion'. The geographical location of this study are the former coalmining and steel working communities in County Durham, England that are experiencing the long term socio-economic effects of de-industrialisation that occurred in the 1980s. For the purposes of this article the author has selected two of the informants of a doctoral study and presents an abbreviated account of their experiences of growing up in County Durham.

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Previous studies suggest that gender differences are attributable to: women being over-represented in the most affected sectors of the economy, women's labour market disadvantage as compared to their partners, and mothers taking a bigger share childcare responsibilities following school closures. Using the data from four British nationally representative cohort studies, we test these propositions. Our findings confirm that the adverse labour market effects were still experienced by women a year into the [Coronavirus Disease 2019] COVID-19 pandemic and that these effects were the most severe for women who lived with a partner and children, even if they worked in critical occupations. We show that adjusting for pre-pandemic job characteristics attenuates the gaps, suggesting that women were over-represented in jobs disproportionately affected by COVID-19 pandemic. However, the remaining gaps are not further attenuated by adjusting for the partner's job and children characteristics, suggesting that the adversities experienced by women were not driven by their relative labour market position, as compared to their partners or childcare responsibilities. The residual gender differences observed in the rates of active, paid work and furlough for those who live with partner and children point to the importance of unobserved factors such as social norms, preferences, or discrimination. These effects may be long-lasting and jeopardise women's longer-term position through the loss of experience, leading to reinforcement of gender inequalities or even reversal of the progress towards gender equality.

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Policy Connect is a cross-party think tank that collaborates with government and the UK Parliament to influence public policy to improve people's lives. Policy Connect's cross-party Skills Commission convenes parliamentarians, stakeholders from across the [further education] FE and skills sector, academics and employers to undertake research into FE and skills policy, making recommendations to government, the sector and industries. This report examines the careers information, advice and guidance (CIAG) system in England, and how it supports transitions into employment. The inquiry on which this report is based began early on in the [Coronavirus Disease 2019] COVID-19 pandemic, but at a point when it was already clear that the pandemic would have profound and potentially very long-term consequences for England's economy and workforce. The inquiry was co-chaired by Nicola Richards, Jim Knight and Siobhan Neary.

The inquiry set out to find out the answers to three key research questions: What do people (of all ages, inside or outside of education or work) need from CIAG to help them transition within or into work in the current circumstances? What lessons can we learn from this about changes that need to be made to the CIAG system in England to ensure it works as best as it can? What should key stakeholders be doing to support people into work in the current circumstances? Following the economic and labour market instability caused by the pandemic, alongside the effects of Brexit and the fourth industrial revolution, the report proposes that it is crucial that England's CIAG system works efficiently so that as many people as possible can be properly supported with their transitions into employment. The CIAG delivered to young people and adults inside and outside education will be a key element in tackling England's persistent skills gaps and workforce shortages. The report makes a number of recommendations to support the CIAG system in fulfilling this role.

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