HOST Policy Research: The Team
Jo Verrill
Jo Verrill BSc PhD, is a skilled research practitioner and director. She joined HOST as an Associate in 2009 and is also Managing Director of RSUK Limited. With an early career focusing on health and social care research she moved on to a post in the learning and skills sector in 1997. Her work with County Durham TEC involved delivery of a wide range of evaluation and labour market information services to support and inform investment in vocational provision. Jo went on to found RSUK Limited, an independent research agency in 1999. Her current work focuses on learning and skills, business support and enterprise and early years education and childcare. Further details of Jo’s work and experience are given below:
Evaluation: Jo has conducted several evaluations of vocational provision including Modern Apprenticeships, Individual Learner Accounts (County Durham LSC), rapid response packages following major plant closures (Durham County Council) and ICT initiatives (North Yorkshire LSC). She has also carried out several studies to evaluate and improve provider management including the efficiency, effectiveness and impact of LSC provider performance review processes (County Durham LSC). Beyond the UK her work has included an evaluation of a European LMI project (LAPIN) involving the delivery of a common employer skills survey across four countries with on-line data dissemination an interrogation.
Business Support and Enterprise: A substantial body of work has investigated how SMEs engage with the public sector to access support for business improvement and workforce development. Conducted on behalf of the Business Link network and RDAs this work has measured awareness, perceptions and satisfaction with business support. Through this work Jo has built expertise in engaging with SMEs in a meaningful way to better understand their needs, motivations and barriers.
Sectoral: A substantial range of work has been conducted on the voluntary and community sector including multiple studies to evaluate sector skill needs (Northumberland LSC, Tyne and Wear LSC, One Voice Network) the development of a regional skills strategy for the VCS (One Voice Network), the role of the sector as a training provider and studies of the sectors’ economic contribution (VONNE, RCVDA).
Research Methodologies: Jo’s expertise spans a wide range of research methodologies from large-scale CATI studies through to case studies, depth interviews and innovative community engagement techniques to support local communities in identifying priorities for improvement. She is a full member of the Market Research Society and has acted as technical adviser for a number of committees and bodies, for example the One North East Business Support Review, Performance Measurement Working Group.
› John Barry › Alan Bloomfield › Stefan Burkey › Simon Bysshe › Frances Chinemana › Peter Duschinsky › Peter Foster › Claire Harris › Inge Hill › Jane Holland › Jacqueline Hughes › Wayne Isaac › Alyson Jenkins › Alison Kennedy › Susan Lanz › Sue Ottley › David Parsons › Valerie Rowe › Jo Verrill › Jenny Wall › Kenneth Walsh › Dick Willis