ABOUT US
The right experts for every project
Work Advance is a research and advisory practice built on a network of leading experts in labour markets, skills and the world of work. For each project, we bring together the team with exactly the expertise it needs.
Deep expertise
Our associates include economists, labour market analysts, leading academics and former senior policymakers. Between them, they have decades of experience across government, industry, universities and international bodies such as the OECD.
What makes us different
A network model, not a big firm: the specialist expertise of a large consultancy, with the focus and value of a small one.
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The right team, every time
We don’t fit projects to a fixed team. We build each team around the questions our clients need answered, across our five capabilities: local and regional assessments, sector skills, skills system reviews, good work and inclusion, and productivity and workplace practice.
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Senior people doing the work
The experts you meet are the experts who do the research and write the analysis. Every project gets senior input at every stage, from shaping the questions to presenting the findings, rather than work passed down to junior staff.
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Exceptional value
No large headcount and no expensive offices. Our network model keeps our overheads low, so we can deliver work of the highest quality without the high day rates that often come with consultancy. That means more expert time for your budget.
Who we work with
Our team
Work Advance is led by Heather Carey and draws on a network of associates with deep expertise in labour markets, skills and the world of work.
Heather Carey
Founder and Director
Employment and skills policy, skills strategy and governance, and good work
Our Associates
Lesley Giles
Founder and Associate
Skills and employment policy advice, labour market analysis and international work
Atif Shafique
Associate
Inclusive economic development, workforce diversity, and place-based policy and practice.
Mark Spilsbury
Associate
Economics, labour markets and skills analysis, evaluation and practical research design
Paul Sissons
Associate
Local labour markets, low-wage work, labour market disadvantage and in-work progression
Sadia Sheikh
Associate
Economic forecasting, econometric modelling and local area analysis
Peter Hounsome
Associate
Tech sector skills, emerging technologies, and equality, diversity and inclusion
Anne Green
Associate
Regional economic development, labour markets, skills, commuting and migration
Mark Huddleston
Associate
Business and manufacturing strategy, and employment and skills leadership
John Kirkham
Associate
Employee relations, employee voice, mediation and dispute resolution
Ruoxi Wang
Associate
Cultural economics, creative labour markets, education and cultural policy
Peter Totterdill
Associate
Workplace innovation, organisational change and better working lives
Join our associate network
Are you an expert in labour markets, skills or the world of work? We’re always keen to hear from people who would like to join our associate network.