Projects

Learn more about the latest IES research projects

Project

York and North Yorkshire Economic Inactivity Trailblazer – Evaluation and Learning Partner

IES and Social Finance are delivering an independent evaluation and learning programme for the York and North Yorkshire Economic Inactivity Trailblazer. The project will aim to identify what works in supporting economically individuals, by reviewing delivery models and bespoke pilots. The project integrates mixed methods impact and process evaluation with a learning community that will create bespoke theories of change and case study outputs. Case studies and stakeholder interviews will contribute to recommendations to strengthen regional plans for future scale up.

Project

Workwhile DevelopMentor programme evaluation (Stage 1)

IES, in partnership with Verian, are conducting a Feasibility Study of a planned Randomised Controlled Trial (“trial”) with Workwhile on behalf of Youth Futures Foundation (YFF). The trial would evaluate Workwhile’s DevelopMentor programme with the line managers of disadvantaged apprentices within Small and Medium sized Enterprises (SMEs). This is the fifth commission within YFF’s Employer Trials programme of work.

Project

Reviewing the effectiveness of ‘work first’ employment support

Review of evidence of effectiveness of different approaches to 'work first' activation policies, to try to inform future delivery of UK employment services. Project will comprise a rapid review of evaluations of ‘work first’ interventions, development of a typology for defining ‘work first’ support, and then an assessment of the impact and effectiveness of each type of approach.

Project

Sutton Trust Impact Analysis

Data analysis to support the impact evaluation of The Sutton Trust's UK Summer Schools and Pathways to the Professions programmes. The work involves analysis of Sutton Trust applicant data to identify a matched comparator group of unsuccessful applicants for their submission to the UCAS Outreach Evaluator, and analysis of HESA student data on successful participants and unsuccessful applicants to examine differences in HE access and success.

Project

Youth policy journeys

YFF is providing a grant to IES to explore the policies and services that support young people (14-30) on their journey to work and understand how they are tracked. Through desk research, stakeholder interviews and with support from a youth and an expert panel, IES will aim to understand how young people experience the current landscape of policy and what might work better. The desk research will map relevant policies for young people in four typologies - care experienced, experience of the youth justice system, young people with mental ill-health and young people with special educational needs. The research will also map data that track young people across the age range, by examining datasets and understanding challenges and opportunities associated with the data from the data owners. The findings will help YFF to identify where changes could be made to improve outcomes and tracking, especially useful for YFF's future programmes.

Project

Gatsby Skills Bootcamps – participant roundtables

Following on from the desk based research and stakeholder interviews, this research aims to gather the views of employers and participants in Skills Bootcamps. For employers, we will explore how they anticipate demand for skills and decide on Skills Bootcamps as a suitable approach for their skills needs. For participant, we will explore how they decided that a Skills Bootcamp was the right option for them, comparing the views of employed and unemployed particpants.

Project

Language Programmes evaluation

A DfE-funded mixed method evaluation of the new Strategic Language Networks, Language Assistants, German Promotion Project and UK-German Connection programmes aiming to promote and increase take-up of language learning among Key stages 2 and 3 and to improve the quality of language teacher. It comprises an implementation and process evaluation with surveys, interviews and case study visits with observations.