IER News & blogs

Professor Kate Purcell has been formally conferred with the title of Emeritus Professor following her retirement from the University on 31 December 2012. Kate will continue her collaboration with the Institute, pursuing her interests in the graduate labour market, and disseminating the results of the recently concluded Futuretrack survey, the most extensive investigation of the relationship between higher education and employment ever undertaken in the UK.

We are inviting applications for ESRC Doctoral Studentships, starting from October 2013 onwards. The funding covers fees, maintenance stipend and support for training.

For further details on the specific training pathways available and details of how to apply go to: http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/cross_fac/socialsciencesdtc/studentships/

IER's pathway is called "New Technology, Innovation and Skills" - details can be found on our website:(http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/ier/study/esrcdtc/)

Candidates interested in applying can contact Debbie Ranger (d.a.ranger@warwick.ac.uk) in the first instance.

The closing date for applications is Thursday 28th February 2013.

If so, we would love to talk to you.

The Institute for Employment Research at the University of Warwick is doing some research for the Home Office on why and how different groups of people work in hotels, restaurants and fast food outlets or in the construction industry in the Greater West Midlands area. The experiences of those working in these two sectors of the economy will be compared and contrasted.

IER’s Terence Hogarth made a presentation at the Adult Learning: Spotlight on Investment conference organised jointly by Cedefop and DG Education and Culture in December. The conference website has now been updated with conference papers and photographs from the event (http://adult-learning-investment.eu/).

Terence’s presentation on the Benefits of Training for Companies highlighted findings from recent quantitative and qualitative research carried out by IER, focusing on: the rationales which guide employer provision of training; the extent to which this satisfies employee expectations and aspirations; effects on job satisfaction and worker motivation; implications for organisational performance; and consideration of how the economic environment affects approaches to training.

IER's latest Bulletin summarises the key findings of a qualitative study on volunteering in later life, drawing on interviews with representatives of voluntary organisations in England. The study investigated policies and practices towards recruitment and volunteer management, with a specific focus on opportunities and any restrictions for older people. Among others, it also sought to elicit views on the impact of extending working lives and care responsibilities of older people on volunteering. It was conducted as part of a larger programme on Activating Senior Potential in an Ageing Europe (ASPA), which was funded under the Socio-economic Sciences and Humanities Theme of the EU’s Seventh Framework Programme. This research adds to the “relatively neglected theme of volunteering by older people in Europe” (Ehlers et al., 2011, p.1).