Build the skills you need into your business

The Skills Builder Universal Framework offers a complete approach to developing essential skills within your organisation.
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From large corporates through to SMEs, we work with employers as diverse as Lloyds Banking Group, Amazon, local councils and small businesses to support them to use the Skills Builder approach for fairer and more transparent hiring, effective outreach, and transformative staff development. We support you to identify and explore opportunities to enhance your current skills initiatives or create something new.

We equip employers with the necessary tools, training, and resources, along with deep expertise, to support skills development across your organisation.

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What are essential skills?

There are eight essential skills: Listening, Speaking, Problem Solving, Creativity, Staying Positive, Aiming High, Leadership and Teamwork.

They allow us to do almost any job, anywhere and can be built throughout a person's lifetime.

Having strong essential skills can allow individuals to perform better in education, earn more at work, and have greater life-satisfaction overall.

Amazon

“Emma has been super organised and prepared for each step of this partnership. From the beginning of the planning phase, Emma ensured that we explored different ways of delivering the program and valued our inputs. Emma has ensured for a smooth delivery of the train the facilitator workshops and we are now ready to start delivering to the new apprentices.”

Opencast

“The best part is the evidence base and clarity the framework brings to developing skills in the workplace. There are so many frameworks in the people/L&D profession, it’s been invaluable to have an expert partner to guide us through implementation in a clear, structured way. The team at Skills Builder really take the time to understand the context to work together on the right approach to implement the framework in our context.”

92%

believe that essential skills are important for success within their career.

64%

would be more likely to apply to a role if it clearly and transparently explained the essential skills required in the job description.

89%

of employees who benefited from learning & development using the Universal Framework believe it improved their performance, and...

75%

of employees who benefited from the Universal Framework felt more engaged in their work.

Birmingham Airport

“Skills Builder provide us with a trusted partner, whose advice we can rely on to develop a coherent framework for our education support activities. Staff are exceptionally helpful and professional, often providing practical suggestions for improvement. Working with Skills Builder Provides us with the confidence to know that what we’re doing is credible and has value.”

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56% of UK workers would consider moving jobs for better skills-building opportunities (Skills Builder and YouGov 2023).
Employees with higher levels of essential skills go further in their careers, earning up to £10,200 more than those with lower levels of essential skills.
By adopting the Skills Builder approach, you can attract and retain candidates with the greatest potential.

Presenting employment opportunities using the language of the Skills Builder Framework helps to attract a more diverse pool of candidates with the skills you need, reducing bias and barriers to entry.
Removing jargon can facilitate lateral movement and career progression in larger organisations and promotes social mobility beyond junior roles.
By implementing our transparent and objective approach, you can be confident that you’re hiring the best person for the job.

An image of a young woman attending a job interview. She appears calm, composed and confident.

A group of colleagues take part in a training course. A senior leader in the organisation is pointing to a whiteboard whilst delivering a presentation to the team.

Since essential skills are needed in almost every job, in any sector, and at any level of seniority, it’s important that your employees build the valuable and transferable skills that enable them to succeed in their careers. In fact, 92% of workers would like more opportunities to build these skills (Skills Builder and YouGov 2023).
As people’s roles evolve, their skill sets will need to adapt. Consistent use of the Framework and regularly revisiting steps supports individuals throughout their professional lives.
Our train-the-trainer model provides a sustainable approach, with 89% employees engaged with the Skills Builder approach noting better job performance and a further 75% feeling more engaged with their work.

85% of secondary and Further Education institutions in England have adopted the Skills Builder Framework as the language of employability.
By using this shared language, you can effectively connect with young people and ensure they relate to your organisation.
Engage the younger generation through outreach programmes that help them understand how their skills translate into your roles, organisation and culture.

A group of school-kids are on a field-trip to see what different workplaces are like. They are at a construction company and a man wearing a hard hat and high-vis vest points towards a row of large trucks.

Employer programme areas

A prospective employee chats with their interviewer in a relaxed, informal setting.

Recruitment

Hire the right person for the right role

Identify the essential skills you need
Produce clear job descriptions
Use the right questions in your interviews and assessments
Assess applicants fairly and consistently
Give candidates helpful feedback

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Staff Development

Build a skilled and inclusive workforce

Enable your staff to understand their skill strengths and development areas
Create training to develop skills across your organisation
Empower managers to drive skill development
Access expert tools and materials

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Outreach

Ensure essential skills for all

Support children, young people and those outside the labour market
Embed essential skills across your provision
Design and create new resources
Measure the impact of your outreach
Access impactful volunteering opportunities

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Early careers training programmes

Early career employees often have strong technical skills, but may not have had the opportunities to develop essential skills like communication, teamwork, problem solving or self-management.

The Universal Framework bridges this gap with tangible steps to develop the eight essential skills, building strong foundations for success and progression.

Support your early careers employees to build their essential skills