The UK Skills Explorer Tool
Published 30 April 2026
© Crown copyright 2026
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This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-standard-skills-classification-development-report/the-uk-skills-explorer-tool
Accessing the UK SSC: The UK Skills Explorer tool
The UK Skills Explorer is a new open-access digital tool launched alongside the UK Standard Skills Classification (SSC).
It is designed as a user-friendly platform that makes browsing and navigating the classification easier, transforming the SSC data into an intuitive, searchable experience.
Its broader purpose is to help establish a clear, shared understanding of skills to create opportunities, reduce barriers, and ensure skills development is targeted and effective.
Core features and navigation
Intelligent search
Located on the home tab, the search function allows users to explore the dataset and filter results across multiple categories.
Skills exploration
Users can explore skills at the most detailed granular level or aggregate them by skill groups, or domains, or industry sectors using dynamic filtering.
They can also create custom skill lists that can be compared to other lists (e.g. to identify skill gaps) or occupational skills profiles.
Occupations
The occupations section lets users explore occupations based on the 2020 Standard Occupational Classification (SOC), filtering by specific job groups or Sector Subject Areas (SSAs).
Knowledge
Knowledge subjects can be independently explored by search term, SSA, and specific concept types.
Core skills
The core skills tab explores foundational abilities that underpin various roles, including categories like planning, adapting, leadership, problem-solving, and digital literacy.
User feedback
Because the SSC and the UK Skills Explorer tool are prototypes, user feedback is crucial. Users can register to use the UK Skills Explorer and submit their feedback directly through built-in functionality found on specific skill, occupation and knowledge pages. Feedback can be provided as open free text or by selecting pre-defined options.
Data Downloads
All of the SSC data can be downloaded through the UK Skills Explorer data download link. Access to the SSC is also available via an Application programming interface (API).
You will need to create an account to do this.