GENERAL:
Employment Rights. The government launched another consultation on the implementation of measures around flexi work and zero hours contracts set out in the recent Employment Rights Act, calling for responses by 25 August 2026.
Economic Outlook. The OECD published its latest Outlook on the global economy suggesting that things will continue to look difficult for the UK this year with flat growth and increases in inflation and unemployment, but that things will pick up next year with unemployment, for example, ‘edging down’ from 5.5% this year to 5.3% and growth ‘picking up’ from 0.9% to 1.1%.
Economic Forecast. The British Chambers of Commerce published its latest economic forecast suggesting ‘growth will remain subdued’ this year and next with unemployment particularly for young people remaining high as global uncertainties remain.
Business activity. The CBI reported a continued fall in private sector activity in the three months to May with this set to continue over the next quarter as the services sector shows continued weaknesses.
Flexi working. The TUC published the results of a commissioned poll showing that a lack of flexible working was driving large numbers of parents with young children out of jobs, calling for employers to be required to advertise flexi-options before jobs go live.
Growing up hungry. The Social Market Foundation (SMF) looked at how things had changed around food insecurity since its last report in 2020, finding things worsening for many families with just over half of poorer parents saying they’re struggling, calling as a result for stronger government safety nets.
SCHOOLS:
Exam cheating. Ofqual Chief Regulator Sir Ian Baukhan highlighted in a new podcast the growing challenge of smart devices, such as smartphones and earpieces that could be used to cheat in exams and what the regulator was doing to confront such concerns.
Attendance and belonging. The NFER examined how important a sense of belonging was for pupils in terms of improving attendance, concluding that it was not a panacea on its own and needed to be part of a broader strategy around wellbeing and life satisfaction generally to have any great effect.
Private schools. The Times reported on research from education commentator Tom Richmond showing that the government’s VAT move on independent schools was beginning to show larger sized schools collapse, with potential implications across the school system.
FE/SKILLS:
Skills Report. Skills England published its Annual Report for 2026 pointing to progress made over the year in developing an evidence-based approach before setting out five key challenges for the year ahead, including tackling skills shortages, responding to AI and supporting employability skills for young people.
Youth opportunities. The Work Foundation called for a more localised approach to the Jobs Guarantee as it published a new report, looking into recruitment data and highlighting a fall in starter jobs for young people but with local features such as transport, training and local investment all factors.
More on NEETs. The NIESR reflected on the current scenario around NEETs following the Milburn Report, pointing to ‘the combination of low qualifications, family poverty and special education needs all creating a compound disadvantage’ for many and calling for a shift in investment from benefits to training, support schemes and transitional support.
Impact Report. The 5% Club, which supports earning and learning opportunities, published its 2025-26 Impact Report showing a significant rise in employer membership and activity with the promise of a digital platform and consultancy services among its strategic priorities for the coming year.
L4 and 5. The Lifelong Education Institute highlighted the importance of higher tech skills at Levels 4 and 5, seeing them as the ‘missing middle’ of the skills system, calling in a new report for a more coherent demand-led system with clear progression routes and more flexible forms of learning that can better meet the needs of employers and learners.
City and Guilds. The Unite Union said it was considering legal and industrial action against the new owners of City and Guilds over their redundancy plans, arguing that among other things, roles were being advertised while staff at risk of redundancy had not been given first refusal.
HE:
Because you’re worth it. The National Centre for Social Research reported on its latest survey of social attitudes towards UKHE with support remaining high for the opportunity to go on to university but with mixed views about how it should be paid for and a growing number now questioning how far it was worth it.
What do you think? HEPI Chief Exec Nick Hillman reported on the organisation’s recent survey of attitudes among young undergraduates to current ‘hot’ issues and on their voting intentions, finding mixed views on the big issues and most favouring the Greens followed by Labour when it comes to voting intentions.
Student visas. The Russell Group set out a new three-point plan for tackling student visa fraud, including better data sharing between the Home Office and universities, making it easier for universities to share experiences, and strengthening deterrents.
Learning report. The OU highlighted the importance of modular and skills-based learning in a new ‘Future of Learning’ report, arguing that emerging technologies make flexible, lifelong learning not only possible but also desirable at a time when skills and employment are rapidly changing.
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