Enactus UK commissioned the development and publication of two research papers that analyse and provide insights into the evidence relating to the state of self-learning skills among young people in the UK and the efficacy of existing or prospective relevant policy and programme interventions to measure and improve such skills. The research has a particular focus on existing or prospective co-curricular activities linked to social action, enterprise, and entrepreneurship. Enactus UK intends to use this research to inform the development of a new multi-year strategy for the charity, together with associated programme plans, and to form part of its communications materials and inform its advocacy approach.

The overall objective of this assignment was to request the services of a think tank, academic institution, or a researcher/team of researchers to develop a short research paper related to self-learning skills among young people in the UK and the existing or potential relationship to practical social action, enterprise, and entrepreneurship activities.

It is expected that the analysis and insights offered by these research papers will be based mainly on desk-based, secondary research, supported by some primary qualitative methods.

The research was intended initially to answer the following questions:

a)    What is the current state of play of self-learning skills among young people in the UK?

b)    Why are independent or self-learning skills important and how do they impact on the employability or entrepreneurial prospects of young people?

c)    Describe attitudes to and the existing provision of curricular and co-curricular activities, in schools and further/higher education, that develop self-learning skills. What methodologies are used?

d)    How effective are co-curricular and practical social action, enterprise, and entrepreneurship activities in developing self-learning skills?

e)    How could such activities be more effective in developing self-learning skills?