The Human Capital Policy Research Programme delves into the critical intersection between education, health, and labour policies with economic growth and productivity. Human capital refers to the stock of skills, knowledge, experience, and health that individuals possess, which contribute to their productivity and capacity for innovation. Effective human capital development is crucial for optimal labour market outcomes, long-term prosperity and competitiveness. Some key questions this research programme is interested in answering include:

• Human Capital Investment: How do investment in education and healthcare enhance economic growth, and what are the economic costs of poor educational and health outcomes?
• Funding strategies: How do different funding and financing strategies affect behaviour and outcomes?
• Quality of service delivery: How does the allocation of resources affect the quality of education and health?
• Equity: Are resources allocated equitably and how does this impact human capital growth, and therefore, economic growth and productivity?
• Technical Efficiency: What are the most significant constraints to maximising educational and health outcomes within a given resource envelope?
• Labour markets: What are the major drivers of unemployment? How can policy improve labour market outcomes?