Labour Market Information

The labour market is in a constant and rapid state of change. Current trends suggest that most 21st century workers will:

change jobs several times in their working lives
work under different types of contract (e.g. permanent, temporary and multiple contracts) and experience periods of self employment
need to top up their knowledge and skills at regular intervals to keep up with a demand for ever higher skill and qualification levels
retire later in life than their 20th century counterparts.

Communicating and helping young people to understand labour market information (LMI) and trends is central to preparing them for the future and supporting their progression.

Employers will not employ people to do jobs that do not exist
Young people must be able to find and use accurate, up-to-date LMI so that they can evaluate their options and make choices that support personal success. Structured use of LMI in careers education and IAG activities can help to tackle stereotyped and traditional thinking. It highlights the realities of what is happening in the world of work, signposts future skill needs, draws attention to the potential ‘shelf life’ of different opportunities and gives an idea of how easy or difficult it might be to embark on a specific opportunity.

Employers will not employ people who do not have the requisite knowledge and skills
Meeting the challenges of globalisation requires a highly skilled workforce capable of responding flexibly to continuous change. The ever-increasing demand for skilled workers makes it vital that young people appreciate the value of acquiring qualifications and skills in the short term and boosting them at regular intervals throughout life. Effective use of LMI is one way to achieve this.

Learning and work will continue to change
In order to cope with change it is essential that young people recognise the importance of taking responsibility for their personal and career development – including maintaining a personal portfolio and engaging in individual learning planning. To do so, they need opportunities to learn and practise self-help skills (e.g. problem solving, decision-making, preparing for transition, networking and negotiating).

Employers want an education system that gives young people the skills and attitudes they need to make a positive impact on business as soon as they start work
Engaging employers in 14-19 and other educational reforms helps to ensure that curriculum content and qualifications meet both their needs and those of young people. Education and training ‘feed’ the labour market. Strategic use of LMI can help to align curriculum provision and learning opportunities with labour market needs, particularly skill requirements, and ensure that qualifications provide evidence that young people have economically valuable and transferable skills (e.g. functional, personal, learning and thinking skills).

Questions to ask yourself

How well do your careers education and IAG provision and practice make effective use of labour market information to support individual choice and progression?
How do you know?
How can you improve the provision and use of labour market information to support individual choice and progression

See also:
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Information

Understanding the Labour Market