The British Academy has launched its new report on the skills of AHSS graduates.

IER was commissioned by the British Academy to conduct mixed-methods research to identify AHSS graduates’ and employers’ perceptions of their skills, the benefits of AHSS graduates to the economy and to society and the need for any further skills development. The research, involving a comprehensive review of existing literature, analysis of 3 different quantitative data sources, focus groups with 22 graduates and postgraduates, and interviews with 6 employers, found that graduates with more creative approaches to work will be highly valued in the future and, if AHSS graduates can combine their creativity with good technical skills, they will be highly sought after. Those with narrow skill sets are more likely to struggle in the labour market, except in niche areas where there may be a shortage of particular skills. The research was led by Dr Clare Lyonette, with Dr Wil Hunt and Beate Baldauf, and the IER report has been published on the British Academy website.

Podcast from the Inaugural Rosemary Crompton Memorial Lecture 2015 held at City University, London. Professor Kate Purcell talked about the life and work of Professor Rosemary Crompton and Professor Crompton's contribution to our understanding of work, employment, social class and gender. Watch the podcast here.

Professor Rosemary Crompton was a pioneering sociologist. Her insights into class and gender inequalities produced a large body of work which continue to have resonance today. After Rosemary's premature death in 2011 the Academic community sought to perpetuate her memory by holding an Annual Rosemary Crompton memorial lecture. The lecture series is to be organised around the key themes of her work: gender, class and employment. The inaugural speaker was Professor Erik Olin Wright, University of Wisconsin-Madison, an international expert in class inequalities and a former colleague of Professor Crompton.