How our Programme Boosts Confidence and Employability

In assessing education and employment interventions, the gold standard of outcome evaluation is a Randomised Control Trial (RCT) – and we’re proud to have completed our second one. 

Our latest, conducted by the Education Endowment Foundation (EEF), in partnership with Bank of America and the Careers & Enterprise Company, adds robust, independent evidence to our growing impact story. 

Key findings from the report: 

• Envision’s young people showed improvements in employability skills and attitudes, particularly self-efficacy and social confidence, compared to a control group. 

• These results build on our first RCT in 2016, which found “compelling and robust evidence” of impact on critical employment skills. 

• This research backs what we’re hearing from students, teachers, and employers:  Envision supports young people to believe in themselves and develop the skills they need to succeed. 

“Essential Skills are too often labelled as ‘soft’ and left to chance. But we now have rigorous proof that they can be developed – especially for those who need them most.” – Elisabeth Paulson, Envision

Why this matters:

We see this as more than just a win for Envision – it’s a call to action for the wider education, skills and youth employment sector. 

Right now, the Department for Education is reviewing how we prepare young people for life beyond school. We believe Essential Skills deserve to be developed with the same purpose, rigour – and funding – as academic and technical skills. This RCT is another powerful signal that you can build these skills with intention and impact.   

External Evaluation Isn’t a One-Off 

At Envision, we believe in more than internal optimism. That’s why we consistently open ourselves up to external scrutiny and evaluation, whether this be benchmarking studies or a full RCT. 

Each evaluation adds a new layer to our impact story, giving us a clearer view of what’s working and where we need to grow. It’s how we stay accountable, not just to the funders or partners who champion our work and believe in what we do, but to each and every young person that we serve. 

You can also read the full evaluation here!