IER and Coventry University undertook research into the contribution of creative freelancers to the economic and place-based impacts of the creative industries. The aim of the research was to develop new understandings of the role, contribution and challenges of creative freelance work – examining the experiences and different business models of creative freelancers. With the onset of the pandemic, the research also focused on the impact of COVID-19 on the work and lives of creative freelancers.

The findings from the research have been presented in a discussion paper published by Nesta's Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre (PEC). The discussion paper identifies how creative freelancers generate value in their immediate place and places, and presents different types of creative business models, encapsulating the diverse experiences of freelancers and their contribution to economy and society. It also identifies the policy implications of the analysis. The discussion paper is available here.

In March, IER Director Chris Warhurst was invited to give a talk to the ACAS East Midlands Conference on the role of good work in the future of work in the UK.

The focus was on the role of good work in post Covid economic recovery and renewal.

Blog by Clare Lyonette, Sudipa Sarkar, Gaby Atfield, Beate Baldauf, Bhaskar Chakravorty and Erika Kispeter

‘Soft’ skills are important labour market skills and include social aptitudes, language and communication capability, friendliness and ability to work in a team. Using survey data collected at two time points from a large sample of disadvantaged young people enrolled on a skills training programme in India, we examine whether caste affects initial levels of soft skills, and whether or not these skills can be learned during a relatively short period, providing young people with longer-term opportunities within the labour market.

The nationwide lockdown in India hit migrant workers particularly hard and once travel restrictions were lifted, 11 million interstate migrants returned home. In this blog, Bhaskar Chakravorty, IER PhD student, and colleagues, present key findings from a telephone survey of young people from Bihar and Jharkhand who were trainees of a large skill-based training programme, titled ‘Deen Dayal Upadhyay Grameen Kaushalya Yojana’ (DDU-GKY) in India. It places disadvantaged rural youth into formal salaried jobs in manufacturing and services, often in urban areas in other states. The survey findings focus on the impact of the lockdown on interstate migrant workers and their willingness to migrate again in the future. Read more here.

Phillip Taylor, Professor of Management at Federation University Australia and Honorary Professor at IER, talked about the 'Early Lessons and Promising Workforce Practices from COVID-19' at a webinar hosted by the AARP, the World Economic Forum and the OECD. The webinar is part of their Living, Learning & Earning Longer series. Listen to the recording here.