From lecture hall to labour market: the skills equation for growth

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According to the World Economic Forum’s Future of Jobs report, 39% of existing skill sets will be transformed or become outdated within the next five years. For universities and colleges, that raises a practical question: how do we help learners transition into jobs that are evolving as they study?

Our analysis of labour market data indicates that inefficiencies in career transitions and skills mismatches impose a substantial, recurring cost on the economy. Whether you look at OECD research or UK business surveys, the signal is consistent: better alignment between skills and roles is a national growth lever.

A balanced skills strategy has to do two things at once:

Invest in homegrown capability at scale, from supporting educators with a future-facing curriculum to incentivising businesses to invest in skills development.
Attract and retain international talent in areas of genuine shortage, so employers can keep delivering while the domestic pipeline grows.

Language sits at the heart of how international talent is realised. English proficiency is not the only determinant of success—qualifications, work experience, employer practices, and student support all matter—but it is a critical enabler of academic attainment and workplace integration.

Accurately understanding what a learner can do with English in real contexts helps institutions place students on the right programs and target support, and it helps employers identify candidates who can contribute from day one. This is not only a UK story. Many international learners return home, where English and job relevant skills increase employability and earning power.

The rise of advanced technology raises opportunities for efficiency, but also makes testing more vulnerable to misuse, so confidence matters more than ever. From our work across the sector, three priorities stand out for assessments:

First, trusted results. Pair advanced AI scoring with human oversight and layered security. For higher‑stakes sittings, secure centres add the necessary extra assurance: biometric ID checks, trained invigilators in the room, and multi‑camera coverage.
Second, relevance to real academic life. Assess the communication students actually do: follow lectures and seminars, summarise complex spoken content, interpret visuals, and contribute to discussions.
Third, fairness. Use CEFR‑aligned scoring that’s independently validated and monitored, so admissions decisions are confident.

Crucially, better measurement is a means, not an end. Used well, it helps inform admissions and placement, so students start in the right place and get in‑sessional support where it will make the biggest difference. And it provides employers and careers services with clearer evidence that graduates can operate in the language demands of specific sectors.

The UK has a window to convert uncertainty into advantage. If we pair investment in homegrown skills with a welcoming, well‑governed approach to international talent—and if we use evidence to match people to courses and jobs more precisely—we can ease the drag of mismatch and accelerate growth. At the centre of that effort is something deceptively simple: the ability to connect in a shared language. When we get that right, opportunities multiply, for learners, for employers and for every region of the country.

The author: James Carmichael, country manager UK and Ireland, Pearson English Language Learning