Sandra McNally

Professor Emla Fitzsimons in front of shelves of books

We are delighted to announce that Professor @emlafitzsimons.bsky.social is to be the new director of the Centre for Longitudinal Studies from Monday, 1 December 2025. Prof Fitzsimons has been director of the groundbreaking Millennium Cohort Study since joining CLS in 2014. Read more: bit.ly/3Lvhjtp

How the Great Recession affected millennial education and careers - LSE Business Review How much impact do the educational choices young people make have on their future careers? And how do those choices change during a downturn?

Chiara Cavaglia and @sandramcnally.bsky.social @cep-lse.bsky.social analyse how the Great Recession influenced the education young people in Britain chose and what that has meant for their careers @lsebr.bsky.social.

Universities are engines of growth and must be backed by policy - British Politics and Policy at LSE The Industrial Strategy identifies growth-driving sectors that will require a highly-skilled workforce. But the Government's immigration policy is destabilising the sector.

"A coherent industrial strategy cannot rest on a higher education system in retreat." @sandramcnally.bsky.social and @aadyabahl.bsky.social on the need to solve the contradictions at the heart of current policymaking.

blogs.lse.ac.uk/poli...

Out today! Local health and social contact rules during the pandemic led to more absence among disadvantaged pupils than others.

@sandramcnally.bsky.social , Stephen Gibbons and Piero Montebruno

@nuffieldfoundation.org‬

Read: cep.lse.ac.uk/pubs/d...

Closing the Gap Between Vocational and General Education? Evidence from University Technical Colleges in England Stephen Machin, Sandra McNally, Camille Terrier and Guglielmo Ventura Vocational education delivery is widely debated, with ongoing efforts to improve its effectiveness. In 2010, England introduced University Technical Colleges (UTCs), hybrid institutions combining general and vocational education. This paper examines the impact of UTC attendance on achievement, university enrolment, and labour market outcomes. For students entering UTCs at the unconventional age 14, enrolment lowers academic achievement at age 16. However, for those entering at the conventional age 16, UTCs improve vocational achievement, enrolment in STEM degrees, and labour market outcomes. Findings highlight the risks of early specialisation and benefits of aligning education with students’ interests at a suitable stage.

Does timing matter for hybrid education models? Using an IV based on cohort & distance to school, Stephen Machin, @sandramcnally.bsky.social, ‪‪‪@camilleterrier.bsky.social and Guglielmo Ventura estimate effects of #UniversityTechnicalColleges.
doi.org/10.3368/jhr....

📢 Pre-doc RA position at LSE’s Centre for Economic Performance! Join the Education & Skills programme led by Prof Sandra McNally. Work with large UK education datasets (e.g. NPD, LEO). Strong Stata skills & interest in policy a must. Apply by Aug 24 👉 ow.ly/bpN450WrLq4

Skills in the age of AI 6.30pm Wed 25 June | Mary O'Mahony, Christopher Pissarides | Free public event at LSE

Next week: Prof Mary O’Mahony and Prof Chris Pissarides discuss the future of work and wellbeing.
Chair: Stephen Machin

📅 Wed 25 June
⏲️ 6.30pm

In-person: no ticket required, first come first served basis.
Online: register ⬇️

www.lse.ac.uk/Events...

A joined-up approach to UK skills policy The UK requires a joined-up approach to skills policy that considers the needs of learners, workers and businesses, is adaptable to changes in technology and the economy, and is flexible to local need...

UK skills policy over the long-term has failed to drive economic productivity. There has been a decline in employer investment in training & ongoing issues with managerial underutilisation of employees’ existing skills. This paper sets out what can be done
www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/publications...

The British Academy’s Economic Strategy Programme A summary of the main policy insights and conclusions from each Working Group’s discussion paper, with commentary on a cross-cutting thread that ties them together: how to invest for investment.

OK so we've just published a whole bunch of papers on how the UK should be thinking about economic strategy. The main argument is that we should think about our deep assets and invest in those comparative advantages. Here's a synthesis paper www.thebritishacademy.ac.uk/publications...

"In a geopolitically uncertain world and after more than a decade of low productivity growth, the UK needs to rethink its economic strategy." Today, we're publishing a collection of expert policy insights ahead of the multi-year Spending Review conclusion: buff.ly/DAlcNo5

The Impact of Covid-19 on School Absences - NIESR Pupil absence in secondary schools is likely to remain above pre-pandemic levels, at least until those who began secondary school during the pandemic have left school. In this blog Carol Vincent, Asso...

NEW BLOG 💥✍ @lsepoliticsblog.bsky.social

In today's #MondayInterview, NIESR Governor @sandramcnally.bsky.social, LSE's Stephen Gibbons and @cep-lse.bsky.social's Piero Montebruno explain why absence rates will stay high until the #COVID_19 generation leaves school 🚸⬇
niesr.ac.uk/blog/impact-...

To support increased productivity, helping children growing up in deprivation do better is an obvious target, but not enough. Social skills are also increasingly important for job success.

By @Richardblundell.bsky.social Rachel Griffith & @SandraMcNally.bsky.social

acss.org.uk/policies...

It’s #NationalApprenticeshipWeek - Here’s what we know about ‘what works’ in apprenticeships:

1️⃣ Apprenticeships decrease unemployment post-programme, have a positive effect on later employment, and are more likely to increase employment than training that isn’t in-firm.

1/6 👇

A big mistake. If something's important but not working, you make it work. English & maths are vital. We should redouble, rather than water down, efforts. And if training doesn't need even 9 months then it can still be valuable training but I'm not sure it's really an apprenticeship.

@cep-lse.bsky.social
@sandramcnally.bsky.social

📣 Ex Downing Street skills advisor Baroness Wolf on why the apprenticeships levy 'badly needs reform'

We're have an economics of education conference at CEP LSE on 29-30 May. Don't miss the submission deadline!

Thank you Becky!!

📢 Call for papers:

🚀 3rd CESifo/ifo Junior Workshop on the Economics of Education 🥳

12-13 May 2025, Munich

Keynote: Alexander Willen

PhD students & early postdocs, please apply!

www.cesifo.org/en/event/202...

Deadline: 16 Feb 2025

Co-organizer: Caterina Pavese @cesifo.org #EconSky

Achieving net zero by 2050 requires changes to the UK skills landscape As COP29 brings climate action into focus, it’s clear that policy must go beyond carbon trading and finance. To make net zero a reality, the workforce must be equipped with the right skills. …

New blog post from @cep-lse.bsky.social @aadyabahl.bsky.social examining what the net zero transition means for the UK labour market and highlighting the urgent need for targeted skills policies. blogs.lse.ac.uk/businessrevi...

Empowering teenagers to run civically-minded projects widens their friendship groups.

Simon Briole, Marc Gurgand , Eric Maurin @Sandra_McNally.bsky.social Jenifer Ruiz Valenzuela, Daniel Santin

In CentrePiece magazine

cep.lse.ac.uk/pubs/d...

Sneak peek at CentrePiece – out tomorrow!
Featuring: Policy for happier lives, firms’ views on AI & climate action, health effects of tech at work, creating citizens, parenthood and academia, better work, carbon markets.

Thank you Lukas!

We are having an economics of education conference at CEP in May 2025. Please consider submitting a paper before 31 January. Details below.

Absence rates will stay high until the Covid generation leaves school Pupil absence in secondary schools is likely to remain above pre-pandemic levels, at least until those who began secondary school during the pandemic have left school. Stephen Gibbons, Sandra McNal…

New blog from @cep-lse.bsky.social @sandramcnally.bsky.social and co-authors on the way Covid restrictions shifted attitudes to school attendance and the lasting effects this is having: blogs.lse.ac.uk/politicsandp...

Out now! High levels of pupil absence in England since the Covid-19 pandemic are likely due to restrictions creating a shift in attitudes towards school attendance.

Stephen Gibbons, @sandramcnally.bsky.social & Piero Montebruno

Funded by Nuffield Foundation

Read: cep.lse.ac.uk/pubs/downloa...