Helping policymakers improve local employment outcomes

Workshop participant information sheet

We would like to invite staff within Connect to Work delivery areas, mayoral strategic authorities (MSAs), integrated care boards (ICBs) and Welsh Corporate Joint Committees to contribute to the development of the Labour Market Evidence Programme - a new initiative designed to strengthen the evidence base that informs labour market policy and practice. Your insights will guide how the programme is designed, what it prioritises, and how it supports better outcomes for communities.

Before you decide if you would like to take part in the consultation, it is important that you understand why it is being carried out and what it would involve. Please take time to read this information and discuss it with others if you wish. If there is anything that is not clear, or if you would like more information, please ask us.

Project title

The Labour Market Evidence Programme is funded by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and is being delivered by the Institute for Employment Studies (IES) and Learning and Work Institute (L&W).

What is the purpose of the project?

The DWP is considering establishing an independent Labour Market What Works Centre (LMWWC) which would champion and promote evidence usage and generation to produce improved labour market outcomes, with a particular focus on local impact. This is in response to the government’s commitment to supporting individuals into employment with the recognition there is a strategic gap in the evidence available to local policymakers.

The aim of the project is to deliver evidence reviews and practical resources designed to support policymakers within local government to better understand what works in supporting improved labour market outcomes for out-of-work and in-work individuals. 

Why have I been invited to take part?

IES and L&W are conducting a consultation to hear the evidence challenges and needs of local policymakers within Connect to Work delivery areas, MSAs and ICBs. This includes an exploration of the populations and interventions where there is the greatest need for evidence; the type of evidence policymakers currently use; and future evidence priorities.

To inform the programme we are engaging with policymakers through a User Consultation involving interviews, workshops, and ongoing user panels. Your insights would be highly valued as part of this process.

There will be five 90-minute online User Consultation workshops in February:

  • Connect to Work delivery areas workshop 1: 10th February, 10.00 -11.30am
  • Connect to Work delivery areas workshop 2: 11th February, 2.00 - 3.30pm
  • Integrated Care Board workshop 1: 12th February, 10.00 -11.30am
  • MSA and Welsh Corporate Joint Committees workshop: 24th February, 10.00 -11.30am
  • Integrated Care Board workshop 2: 26th February, 2.00 - 3.30pm

What will happen if I take part?

Staff from Connect to Work delivery areas, MSAs, ICBs and Welsh Corporate Joint Committees have been invited to attend an online workshop. These will take place in February via Microsoft Teams and will last up to 90 minutes. Workshops will be led by research staff from IES and L&W.

There will also be further opportunities to engage with interviews and user panels if you are interested. We will contact you with more information as the consultation progresses.

Do I have to take part?

No, taking part is entirely voluntary and you can also withdraw your consent at any time without giving a reason.

What are the possible benefits of taking part?

If you take part in the consultation, you will have the opportunity to help shape a new LMWWC. Sharing your perspective and experience will also help ensure that the LMWWC’s tools and outputs will be easy to use and support you to make change.

Are there any risks or disadvantages to taking part?

The information you provide will be used for project purposes only and we will take steps to prevent the findings and any outputs (including briefings and reports) identifying you or your organisation without your permission. Further information about the limits of anonymity is included in this privacy notice.

Workshops will be recorded to enable further analysis. The recording will be uploaded onto our secure sever and deleted three months after the project ends in April 2027.  Any information you provide will be held in the strictest confidence and will be handled securely throughout the project in line with the requirements of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Only the project team will have access to the recordings. You can change your mind and withdraw your consent at any time by contacting us and we will not include information you have shared in project outputs.

More information about how your data will be used can be found in the privacy notice linked above.

Who can I contact if I want to take part, or I have questions?

If you would like to take part in this consultation, or have questions that you would like us to answer to help you to decide, please contact us: labourmarketevidence@learningandwork.org.uk