Evaluation of the Employer Ownership of Skills Pilot, Round 1: Final Report Research Report

This document describes an evaluation of the Employer Ownership of Skills (EOP) pilot program, which was designed to enhance employer investment in workforce skills by providing direct access to public funds for training. The evaluation used a mixed-method approach, including econometric analysis, surveys, and interviews, to assess the program's impact over five years across 36 projects. While employers generally reported positive experiences with the program, particularly in terms of training attitudes and some productivity gains, the evaluation found no significant increase in the overall number of staff trained or in learners' salaries one year after completion. Challenges such as program management and administrative complexity were noted. The EOP led to some positive outcomes, including additional training elements and employer collaboration, but its effectiveness in achieving broader training and economic goals was mixed, with no substantial impact on training practices or learner wages and income. The research reflects the period under the previous government and may not align with current policy. **This summary was written by an AI model and therefore should not be considered a definitive summary of the report. If you are aware of inaccuracies, please email evaluation.registry@cabinetoffice.gov.uk.**

Description

• Lead department: Department for Education (DfE)
• Evaluation stage: A complete evaluation report
• Other departments: No other departments listed
• Evaluation types: Impact evaluation; Process evaluation
• Impact methods: Quasi-experimental method
• Quasi-experimental methods: Matching
• Process methods: Case studies; Individual interviews; Surveys and polling
• Grant information: This intervention is not distributing funding via a grant
• Government Major Project information: This intervention is not a major project
• Policies: No policies provided

Event Dates

• Event Name: Publication of final results
• Event date: September 2018

Evaluation Costs

• Cost: Not provided

Evaluation sharing

• Link(s) to published report(s): Yes
• Links to evaluation plans: No link provided
• Links to published evaluations (DEBUGGING): No final report link found.
• Findings: Not provided
• Permission to share confirmed: Yes