The Skills Imperative 2035

The Programme has identified six Essential Employment Skills (EES):

1. Collaboration
2. Communication
3. Creative thinking
4. Information literacy
5. Organising, planning and prioritising
6. Problem solving and decision making

It has identified shortages in these EES, which are likely to get worse without action, and stresses how they will become increasingly important as they complement growing workplace technology. 

The programme has projected that the number of jobs in the labour market as a whole will grow by 2035, but that most growth will be in professional and associate professional occupations such as science, engineering and legal roles which heavily utilise these six EES. Most mid- and low-skilled jobs will decline at an increasing pace.

YouGov Polls

In September 2025, we undertook a survey with YouGov which asked respondents how supported and prepared they felt in being able to develop these six essential skills, and respond to technology changes that are likely to affect the workplace.

Some of the key findings from these polls are below:

What we've found

Over the past five years, we have: 

• projected what jobs are likely to exist in the labour market in 2035
• projected the demand for, supply of, and gaps in these essential employment skills in 2035, drawing on findings from a first-of-its-kind survey of essential employment skills amongst young people and adults aged 16-65 in England
• established which professions are likely to benefit and suffer from these projected changes, and how we can seize the opportunities on offer whilst minimising the costs of disruption in the labour market
• investigated how young people’s skills develop and the impact of the education system and other mechanisms
• explored how young people’s skill development compares across countries and what we can learn from high-performing countries beyond the UK.

Scenario Profiles

You can view a series of scenarios highlighting which types of people are most and least at risk of being impacted by changes to the labour market in the coming decade:

Further Information

You can view all the previous reports as part of the project below.

Throughout the five-year programme, we have worked collaboratively with our co-investigators and employers, policy makers, and education leaders to provide practical insights and evidence, which has informed longer-term planning to address future skills needs.