Nuffield Foundation launches £500,000 grants for youth employment research

The Nuffield Foundation has launched the Essential Employment Skills Fund (EESF), offering grants of up to £500,000 to support projects that build evidence on helping young people enter the workforce. The fund invites applications to evaluate programs designed for 16-24 year olds, focusing on developing the skills, behaviors, and attributes necessary to access and progress in employment.

The initiative responds to reports from employers regarding difficulties in finding young workers with required skills, as well as a lack of evidence on how to best support those facing significant barriers to employment. The fund defines ‘essential employment skills’ as a range of attributes valued across industries, including communication, collaboration, creative thinking, problem solving, and decision making.

This fund builds upon previous research, such as the Skills Imperative 2035 programme and the ‘Grown up? Journeys to adulthood’ programme, which explored how challenges like anxiety and low confidence impact the transition from education to work.