We worked with Government Skills in the UK Cabinet Office to assess the link between skills and public sector productivity.

Our systematic review examined over 4,000 publications. We used both quantitative and narrative synthesis techniques to combine the findings from the selected studies across OECD countries. The findings strongly suggest that improving skills is associated with higher productivity. The relationship is shaped by contexts and conditions, including factors like innovation, management practices, and skills utilisation.

These insights are informing government policy on its investment in skills, while highlighting gaps in evidence and priorities for further research.

The report has been published on the gov.uk website.