LinkedIn data to inform government skills investment

A new data sharing agreement between the UK government and professional social networking platform, LinkedIn, is hoping to transform skills and careers advice.

Under the agreement, anonymised data from LinkedIn’s 40 million UK accounts will be shared with Skills England to give up-to-date information on the labour market, including skills, hiring and workforce movement. Data could also be used by careers services to provide jobseekers with tailored advice on industry skills and career routes.

Following the finding of the Skills England Annual Report, which found an additional 1.8 million jobs will be needed in priority sectors by 2035, the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) will use LinkedIn data to map how people move between jobs in order to understand career paths and skills needed for different roles.

Data from LinkedIn also aims to improve understanding of skills mismatches between advertised positions and the skills of the local population, with the DWP and Skills England to prioritise using the information to support new skills options.

Phil Smith, Chair of Skills England, said:  

“LinkedIn has become such a hub for businesses that are recruiting and people on the look-out for jobs.  

“The resulting insights from their anonymised data will be incredibly valuable to Skills England and the new Jobs and Careers Service – particularly when it comes to identifying local skills gaps and helping young people to fill them.”

Blake Lawit, Chief Global Affairs & Legal Officer of LinkedIn, commented:

“Today’s careers are increasingly shaped by skills, adaptability, and continuous learning.  

“Professionals entering the workforce now are on pace to hold twice as many jobs over their careers compared to 15 years ago. As people navigate more career transitions, access to timely labour market insights is more important than ever.  

“We’re proud to be supporting the UK Government’s efforts to better understand workforce trends, close talent gaps, and help more people find their next opportunity faster.”