To grow our economy we need more skilled, engaged and motivated people to contribute to the workforce in every part of the UK. In recent years, however, we have had record levels of job vacancies. Employers have experienced a shortage of job candidates and a mismatch of skills on offer. It’s had a damaging impact on firms’ ability to fulfil order books, take on new work and operate profitably.

This report considers the lifecycle of an individual through the education and work and the role of government and employers in enabling everyone to be skilled, productive, healthy and achieving their full potential.