103022Workforce productivity skills diagnostic platform - research and experimental development.ClosedFeasibility StudiesInnovate UKForget the productivity ‘puzzle’… Britain faces a productivity crisis. National and firm-level productivity in the UK has worried policy makers and business leaders for decades. But now flat growth, a debt overhang from the 2008 crisis, and post-Brexit uncertainty threaten long-term depression. Productivity-led growth in output and wages is the only way out. Skills are a key driver. Yet training budgets are being cut and investment in novel training technologies has been half-hearted over the long-term. Requirements are still established with old-fashioned training needs analyses and met with manually curated resources. To achieve the required step-change in the productivity of our workforce we must harness technology to personalise training and optimise skills. We propose a data-driven online platform to diagnose skills gaps, make training recommendations and coach learners along personalised paths. The project would conduct research and product development in: - development of a machine learning algorithm to identify relevant training material for individuals; - definition of a portfolio of skills that demonstrably affect organisational productivity, quantifying how those skills contribute. These research components support two key links in the productivity value chain: between skills and productivity; and between worker profile and skills requirements.