IER News & blogs

The role of career adaptability in skills supply

This study, undertaken by Professor Jenny Bimrose, Professor Alan Brown, Dr Sally-Anne Barnes and IER Associate Fellow Dr Deirdre Hughes, explores the concept of career adaptability and improves our understanding of the wide range of goals, aspirations, achievements and identities that shape the way that individuals interact with and move through the labour market.

The impact of student and migrant employment on opportunities for low skilled people

This study, undertaken by Gaby Atfield, Professor Anne Green, Professor Kate Purcell, Dr Teresa Staniewicz (from Sociology) and Dr David Owen, looks at the impact of student and migrant employment on opportunities for low skilled people. It improves our understanding of the changing nature of low skilled work, and the attitudes and motivations of low skilled people and employers in one local economic area.

Rebalancing the economy sectorally and spatially: An evidence review

Professor Anne Green worked with SQW, CE and CURDS on this report, which reviews national and international evidence on the rationale, impact and effectiveness of government intervention to rebalance the economy sectorally and spatially in the UK and abroad. It draws on five international case studies and seeks to apply policy lessons from the evidence, including understanding the role of, and implications for, employment and skills policy in supporting objectives of economic rebalancing.

Peter Elias attended the American Statistical Association 2011 Joint Statistical Meetings (JSM) in Miami, Florida which took place from 30 July to 4 August. The JSM is the world’s largest gathering of statisticians, where discussions centred around sharing research and information on topics including hurricanes and global warming, maintaining data privacy, and challenges for economic policy. Peter was panellist and presenter at a session on the topic of “The New World of Data on Human Beings: Challenges and Solutions to Promoting Research While Ensuring Confidentiality” alongside colleagues from Carnegie Mellon University, National Science Foundation, The University of Chicago, University of California at Berkeley. This session attracted over 50 people, many from the major state and federal statistical agencies in the US, to listen to and discuss views on the ways in which new forms of data (administrative records, transactions data, internet activity and imaging) are likely to be harnessed in the near future to supplement more traditional forms of statistical information obtained from censuses and surveys.

Bernard Casey is an invited speaker at the upcoming Social Policy In An Aging Society: The Multiple Challenges Of Demographic Change conference organised by the Queen’s International Institute Of Social Policy. He will be speaking on ‘Population aging, the labour market and income for the elderly’. The conference is to be held at Queens University, Kingston, Ontario on 15-17 August.

Bernard Casey gave an interview to the television news station Al Jazeera (29 July) about the current economic situation in Cyprus, following the resignation of the Cabinet.

IER is pleased to announce that Dr Deirdre Hughes, an IER Associate Fellow, has been appointed as one of nine new Commissioners for the UK Commission for Employment and Skills. Deirdre will be working to support the work of the UK Commission to improve UK’s skills and employment levels and helping people fulfil their potential whilst boosting the productivity and competitiveness of UK PLC. For more information click here.