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IER is pleased to announce the appointment of Dr Deirdre Hughes OBE as a Principal Research Fellow. Deirdre has a long established relationship with IER and has been an Associate Fellow since 2006. Deirdre is an international expert in careers, employment and skills policy, research and practice. Her main research interests include: the marketisation of careers provision; partnership and city approaches to careers work; assessing and measuring the impact of guidance interventions; quality and evidence-based approaches to careers, employment and skills; the application of careers coaching, information communications technologies (ICT) and labour market intelligence in public sector services.

She is also Co-Editor of the British Journal for Guidance and Counselling: International Symposium Series. Deirdre is currently Chair of a DfE/CfBT Senior Advisory Group (Promotions) raising the profile of a new Core Maths Support Programme across England. She has acted as a Commissioner at the UK Commission for Employment & Skills (UKCES, 2011 - 2015). Deirdre was Chair of the National Careers Council in England (2012 - 2014), reporting directly to three Skills Ministers.

Deirdre has given written and oral evidence to UK-wide Parliamentary and Assembly Governments and published extensively in academic and professional journals. She is a consultant to the European Lifelong Guidance Policy Network (ELGPN, 2011-2015) on quality assurance and evidence-based policies and practices. Deirdre recently led a UK Country delegation to the International Centre for Career Development and Public Policy (ICCDPP) 7th Symposium held in Iowa. The Mayor of London recently endorsed her work on 'London Ambitions: Shaping a Successful Careers Offer for all young Londoners'. She is passionate about improving careers support systems and encouraging young people to build upon their early achievements in mathematics. In 2012, she was awarded an Order of the British Empire by Her Majesty the Queen for services to career guidance.