IER News & blogs
Leveraging procurement to foster employment equality
The ESRC funded Buying Social Justice through Procurement project of which Dr E.K. Sarter is a Co-Investigator published its final report. Based on mixed-method research, the report sheds light on the policy framework and the inclusion of equality objectives in public procurement in England, Scotland and Wales and identifies barriers to and enablers of socially responsible public procurement.
IER welcomes Dr Sangwoo Lee
Sangwoo joined IER in October. An economist and educationalist by background Sangwoo uses quantitative methods to understand issues in higher education and the labour market mainly in developed countries.
His research interests include inequalities in higher education and the labour market, with a particular focus on the role of higher education in intergenerational mobility and the importance of job quality in general wellbeing and as graduates’ labour market outcomes. He previously worked at the University of Cambridge and UCL Institute of Education.
From Automation to Adaptation: Jobs at Risk of Exposure to AI in the UK - Blog by Jeisson Cardenas-Rubio and Gianni Anelli-Lopez
Artificial intelligence (AI) is advancing at pace. In its wake the world of work is being transformed. With the emergence of an AI application such as Chat-GPT, jobs previously thought immune to automation now appear to be at risk. Or are they?
Read more in the blog published on the LMI website.
Presentation on the business case for more good jobs
At the end of October Dr Emily Erickson and Prof. Chris Warhurst of IER presented a report on the business case for more good jobs to the Board of the Northern Ireland Labour Relations Agency. The focus was on the links between good jobs on the one hand and, on the other hand, innovation, productivity and employee wellbeing within firms. Based on the findings, the report makes several recommendations for enhancing policy in Northern Ireland on good jobs.
Equality and diversity toolkit welcomed by speakers at launch event
The Buying Social Justice project, which comprises Prof Tessa Wright, Prof Hazel Conley, Dr Joyce Mamode and IER’s Dr Katharina Sarter, launched its toolkit for practitioners on including equality and diversity objectives within public procurement at a well-attended online event on 19 October 2023. At the event, the project team presented key findings from the two-year research project, which have fed into the guidance and good practice examples in the toolkit.
The recording of the session is now available on the project website. The equality and diversity toolkit is available for download from this project website.