A white paper · Budget 2026
From Skills to Jobs
Closing the gap between skills investment and work
Budget 2026: what it means for business, talent and public-sector leaders, and what to do next.
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Dr Elisa Forestan · Vanessa Wainwright FLPI · Simon Lambert
Published 30 October 2026 · Abodoo™ × Skills to Performance
Why this paper matters
Skills investment should lead to opportunity.
Training is counted in courses completed. Hiring is judged on time to fill. Too often, neither tells leaders whether people moved into work, progressed or performed better.
This paper examines the gap between skills investment and work, considers Budget 2026 and international evidence, and sets out practical steps to connect skills, learning and real opportunities—with the learner at the heart.
From the paper
Five decisions that close the gap
- 01
Sense before you spend
Baseline the skills of one critical team, understand the gap and agree how you will measure success before investing.
- 02
Recognise skills in one shared language
Connect hiring, learning and education around a common skills language. Distinguish verified evidence from self-declared skills and give people ownership of their records.
- 03
Develop roles that last
Use the Youth Jobs Grant, the £2,000 apprenticeship payment and your mayor's apprenticeship service to create entry-level roles with structured development and recognised skills.
- 04
Deploy before you recruit
Check existing skills and internal candidates before recruiting externally. Remove degree requirements that are not needed and assess relevant skills directly.
- 05
Measure what changed
Track employment, retention, progression and performance, rather than judging skills investment only by courses completed.
About the authors
Dr Elisa Forestan
Co-founder, Skills to Performance, and Chief Skills and Learning Officer, Abodoo™.
Vanessa Wainwright FLPI
CEO & Founder, Abodoo™, and Host, Global Skills Podcast.
Simon Lambert
Former Chief Learning Officer, Microsoft UK.
Declaration of interest: the authors work for or with Abodoo™. Dr Elisa Forestan and Vanessa Wainwright are also co-founders of Skills to Performance, a preferred partner of Abodoo™. Full sources and disclosures are included in the paper.