Cogent identifies industry skill requirements through sourcing or undertaking employment and skills focused research.The outputs of the research enable:

·    employers to establish their requirements for workforce development

·    focused activities on priority areas of concern for employers

Knowledge of employer needs for development of current and future workforce forms the foundation for Cogent’s activities in voicing employers’ needs collectively to policy makers. Most recently Cogent has, in partnership with employers and stakeholders across the UK, undertaken the Sector Skills Agreement (SSA) process to meet these aims and set agreements in place to tackle priority skills issues.  The SSA sets out the agenda for developing skills in young people and in the workforce towards the aim of ensuring employers have the right skills to support the success of their businesses.  A series of research reports have been published as outputs from each stage of the SSA process including: a Skill Needs Assessment for the Sector and Industries; an Assessment of Current Provision for the Sector and Industries and; an Gap Analysis presenting the SSA webpages.

The links below will take you to the various areas of activity for the Research and Policy Team.If there is anything you would like to see in this section of the website that does not appear please email your suggestions to Cogent.

>> Labour Market Information and Reports
>> Ongoing Research and Projects
>> Policy Consultations