Research interests

Peter currently specialises in local labour market skills and their intersection with productivity and inclusive growth. Peter has been a local labour market and skills researcher his whole career and has directed, managed and delivered over 100 research projects over the learning and skills agenda: schools, FE, HE, alternative provision, pupils and young people with SEND, apprenticeships, green skills, digital skills, NEET, financial and pastoral support, employer co-funding, employability and transferable skills.

Academic profile

Peter Dickinson joined IER as a Senior Research Fellow in 2017. Prior to this Peter worked as a researcher in a number of for profit and not for profit organisations working with a range of supra national, national, subregional, local government and third sector organisations.

Current projects

Peter is currently working on a number of projects:

• Review of research and innovation - English agricultural and horticultural workforce; with Richard Napier, Rosemary Collier, Beate Baldauf and Emily Erickson; Funded by the Institute for Agriculture and Horticulture; Project duration: May 2024 - March 2025

• Expert Adviser for the Social Mobility Commission; Funded by the Social Mobility Commission; Project Duration: November 2023 - October 2024
• HE bridges 5.0 - Bridging risks to an inclusive digital and green future by enhancing workforce skills for industry 5.0, with Chris Warhurst and Jeisson Cardenas-Rubio, Funder: European Commission, Project Duration: June 2022 - May 2026

All projects

Selected publications

• Hughes, D., Dickinson, P., Percy, C., Croll, L. and Hughes, R. (2025). A Shared Vision: Co-Designing an All-Age Careers Framework in County Durham.
• Dickinson, P. and Hogarth, T. (2024). Apprenticeships and the varieties of capitalism: the liberal market economy case of England. In: Baltina, L. and Hogarth, T. (eds.) (2024) Re-thinking Europe’s Skill Needs: Reflections following the European Year of Skills. Fondazione Giacomo Brodolini, pp 220 -234.
• Dickinson, P., Erickson, E., and Warhurst, C. (2024). Maximising productivity through managing new technology: The Productivity Institute.
• Kobayashi, C., Warner, P. and Dickinson, P. (2024). Spelling it out, making it count. AELP.
• Knudsen, M., Caniëls, M., Dickinson, P., Hery, M., Könnölä, T. and Lotz-Sisitka, H. (2023). Futures of Green Skills and Jobs in Europe in 2050: Scenario and Policy Implications. Foresight on Demand, European Commission.
• Dickinson, P., and Erickson, E. (2022). Profiling employers involved in Apprenticeship Trailblazer groups. Gatsby Foundation.
• Dickinson, P., Cardenas-Rubio, J., and Warhurst, C. (2022). Green Jobs and the Green Economy in York. IER, Coventry.
• Dickinson, P. and Hogarth, T. (2021) The Benefits of Hindsight: Assessing the impact of apprenticeship reforms on employer behaviour. Final report prepared for Edge Foundation and Gatsby Foundation. Executive Summary and Short report.
• Henry N., Barker V., Sissons P., Broughton K., Dickinson P., Lazell J. and Angus T. (2021) Mind the Understanding Gap: The Value of Creative Freelancers. Final report.
• Dickinson, P., Hogarth, T. and Cardenas Rubio, J. (2020). How Employers Set Pay For Apprentices. Low Pay Commission. Coventry: University of Warwick
• Dickinson, P. (2020) Future Proofing Apprenticeships. Manchester: Co-op and Coventry: Warwick Institute for Employment Research.
• Luchinskaya, D. and Dickinson, P. (2019). ‘Virtuous’ and ‘Vicious’ Circles? Adults’ Participation in Different Types of Training in the UK and Its Association with Wages. Social Inclusion 2019, Volume 7, Issue 3, Pages 177–201. DOI: 10.17645/si.v7i3.2039
• Dickinson, P. (2019) Choices students make between different post-18 education routes. London: Department for Education
• Luchinskaya, D. and Dickinson, P. (2019). The adult skills gap: is falling investment in UK adults stalling social mobility? London: Social Mobility Commission (Social Mobility Commission Report).
• Skills Advisory Panels Feasibility Study, Forthcoming. Department for Education
• Work experience and vocational/technical provision for young people on SEN support, December 2018. Department for Education
• Report of the West Midlands Productivity and Skills Commission, August 2018. West Midlands Combined Authority Productivity & Skills Commission
• The impact of the apprenticeship levy, June 2017. Association of Employment and Learning Providers
• Evaluation of the Degree Apprenticeship Development Fund: Interim Report, March 2017. HEFCE
• Evaluation of STRIVE employment support for homeless people, 2015. DCLG
• Evaluation of Getting Ahead: the Symud Ymlaen/Moving Forward project —Interim Report, December 2014. Big Lottery Fund

• Research on Understanding Localised Policy Interventions in Business Support and Skills, 2013. BIS Research Paper No. 156, BIS.

• International Evidence Review on Co-funding for Training, 2013. BIS Research Paper No. 116, BIS.

• Evaluation of the European Social Fund Innovation, Transnational and Mainstreaming projects, 2012. DWP Research Report No. 817, DWP.

All publications

All conference presentations