A new NFER-led study suggests cognitive and behavioural skills gaps which emerge in early years - if identified and addressed as children progress through education - could support improved labour market outcomes.
The report is the latest instalment of the five-year Skills Imperative 2035: Essential skills for tomorrow's workforce research programme, funded by the Nuffield Foundation.
It urges the government to incentivise and support schools to develop the six Essential Employment Skills (EES) – (1) communication, (2) collaboration, (3) problem-solving, (4) organising, planning and prioritising work, (5) creative thinking and (6) information literacy - as part of a broad and balanced curriculum.
This comes after previous NFER research projected workers will need to utilise EES more intensively in jobs by 2035, but that up to seven million workers could lack the required level of EES to carry out these roles.
The latest study is based on a hypothesis that children’s cognitive and behavioural skills are precursors for their EES in early adulthood.
It indicates inequalities in cognitive and behavioural outcomes in young children become more entrenched and harder to impact as they get older. However, the report stresses that there remains considerable scope to influence young people’s outcomes at an older age, and that with the appropriate support, they can catch-up.
Jude Hillary, the programme’s Principal Investigator and NFER’s Co-Head of UK Policy and Practice, said:
“Intervening at an early age to support young people who have low cognitive and behavioural skills and are at risk of falling behind is critical to improving their future outcomes. The consequence of inaction could see increasing numbers of young people leaving education without the skills and qualifications they need to enter growing occupations, which are predominantly professional occupations requiring higher skills, particularly EES. This will only add to the existing skills shortages in the UK and further constrain national efforts to stimulate growth.
“To deliver future skills needs and grow the economy, the government needs to adopt a ‘cradle to grave’ approach to skills development, promoting the development of a broad mix of cognitive, behavioural, and technical specific knowledge and skills, starting from the early years.”
The report also says:
Differences in children’s material, emotional and educational environments at home influence not just their starting points when they enter school but also their progress through every stage of primary and secondary education.
Differences in school performance (based on the average progress pupils make in a school) can compound inequalities in children’s cognitive and behavioural outcomes that predate their start at school.
Children’s extra-curricular engagement is positively associated with their behavioural and cognitive development between the ages of eight and 17, but it is well documented that children from disadvantaged backgrounds have less access to these opportunities.
Addressing future skills gaps is likely to require a systematic approach that addresses the structural and behavioural influences on children’s development from the early years, both at home and at school.
The report recommends:
The government should create a clearer narrative linking its growth strategy with its mission to break down barriers to opportunity.
The government should consider how to expand access to rigorously evaluated and proven holistic family support programmes for disadvantaged families. Supporting more disadvantaged young people to access extra-curricular activities more frequently between the ages of 7/8 and 16/17, for example by providing additional funding to schools with disadvantaged intakes to extend the school day or by introducing a national extra-curricular bursary scheme.
All schools should explicitly support the development of EES as a critical part of a good education, including socio-emotional, self-management skills, and cognitive skills.
Through the Curriculum and Assessment Review team, government should explore whether and how more emphasis could be placed on the development of EES – alongside knowledge acquisition - as part of teaching core subjects within the curriculum.
Dr Emily Tanner, Programme Head, Post-14 Education and Skills at the Nuffield Foundation said:
“This is the latest report from a substantial multi-year project that is delivering significant insights and recommendations that can help prepare young people - our future workforce - for employment.
“The new research sets out ideas to tackle key factors behind cognitive and behavioural skills gaps, providing policymakers with actionable solutions to improve readiness for the world of work.”