Job Design Lab

What is the challenge?

A seismic shift to the way we work is underway... but are we ready for the new paradigm? Developments like the accelerating impact of AI, the green transition and the growth of atypical forms of work, such as the gig economy, will all have a significant impact on the UK workforce. 

Previous shifts in the way we work have resulted in communities being left behind – the shift to a post-industrial economy in the 1980s is still having an impact today… 40 years later.

We need to ensure this doesn’t happen again. 

Despite employees being eager to progress, learn new skills and be productive, research consistently shows that employers report a lack of necessary skills among their workers – when change comes the existing workforce is often underutilised and underdeveloped.

Whether in the community or workplace, an informed conversation on preparing for these transitions is not currently prioritised. This risks people and places being left behind with potentially catastrophic impacts to communities and livelihoods, risking displacement and widening inequality. 

What is the solution?

We need to start a new national conversation to empower individuals, communities and businesses across the UK to feel ready for the changes ahead. This is where Job Design Lab comes in. 

Job Design Lab (JDL) is a new place-based programme that invites people and their communities across the UK to explore, shape and prepare for their future of work. 

Developed through a co-design process involving 100 people from community and industry, our immersive programme harnesses creative learning methods to help people step into the future and respond to how work could change. Participants engage in new innovations whilst acquiring future work skills in the process. 

What does the Job Design Lab provide?

For individuals: Helps individuals plan for the future of work and determine their role(s).

For communities: Helps communities come together to agree what matters to them, to raise ambitions and aspirations for work, and feed into their local business strategy.

For employers: An opportunity to engage with local communities and develop a diverse talent pipeline, based on the future skills that are needed. 

For local authorities: Helps engage local communities in skills and business planning, and highlight what people want and need in terms of more effective local training, enterprise development and wellbeing strategies; which helps ensure that the local authority area is not left behind in the new work paradigm.

For policymakers: A living lab through which policymakers learn about local, grassroots priorities and ensure that communities have a voice in the process of change. 

What has the impact been?

We have spent a year prototyping the programme with participants from industry and community partners. The results have been excellent:

• 100% said the experience was relevant

• An average score of 9.5 out of 10 for likelihood to recommend the programme 

• 100% said the experience gave them time and space to think about the future of work in a new way

• 100% said the experience gave them practical tips about how they could get ready for the future of work

• 100% said they want to continue conversations with their community/colleagues 

• 78% said the experience encouraged them to think about doing different work in the future

Our participants told us:

“The Job Design Lab has encouraged me to explore new career paths and enhance my skills…I feel empowered to navigate a career shift confidently.”

“After doing JDL I enrolled on a course!”

“Feel I [now] understand how jobs could change in the future and the importance of driving and influencing responses.”

So what’s next?

We are getting ready to tour towns around the UK as a pop-up, place-based programme that partners with grassroots community groups and voluntary organisations, local employers, funders and local authorities.

Each of these partner organisations will benefit from a community that is more engaged in the future of work and a better understanding of how to enable their community to make the future work for them.

This local level insight will also feed into the national conversation so UK plc as a whole is fit for the new paradigm.

As we shape our programme we are looking to connect with forward-looking businesses, funders, civic organisations and policymakers who are also concerned with how we work to achieve a more equitable future of work. 

Contact sarah@the-liminal-space to become part of the journey.

Job Design Lab is created by The Liminal Space in partnership with social innovation consultancy ALT/NOW, who work with people that want to change entire systems. The programme is backed by charitable funders Impact on Urban Health, who address health inequalities in cities, and the National Lottery Community Fund.

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