IER Newsletter - January 2018

Are you the spouse or partner of someone serving in the military?

Would you talk to us about your working life in a telephone interview? As part of an ongoing project on military spousal employment, we are looking for research participants. If you are interested in taking part, please follow this link to the information sheet on IER's website. *|IFNOT:ARCHIVE_PAGE|* Read More *|END:IF|* *|IF:ARCHIVE_PAGE|*
As a thank you for taking part in the interview we will send you an Amazon voucher. At a later stage, we will also be running an online survey. If you are interest in this, please watch out for the survey link as this will be published shortly on IER's website. We look forward to hearing from you. *|END:IF|*

Developing a post-Taylor Report measure of job quality for the UK

Last year’s Taylor Review of Modern Working Practices recommended that the UK Government establish a measure of job quality. IER Director Chris Warhurst has been invited to sit on a working group in support of that recommendation organised by the Carnegie Trust UK and co-chaired by Matthew Taylor. It is due to report in early summer 2018. *|END:IF|*

LMI for All: Government Careers Strategy

An ongoing project, managed from IER since 2012, features in the Government's new Careers Strategy, published December 2017. The Careers Strategy endorses the importance of 'LMI for All' as an authoritative source of labour market information to support career transitions into and through the labour market: *|IFNOT:ARCHIVE_PAGE|* Read More *|END:IF|**|IF:ARCHIVE_PAGE|*
'The ‘LMI for All’ (Labour Market Information (LMI) for All) website provides one place to access multiple sources of robust LMI. It is being used successfully by developers to create careers apps and websites to help inform people who want information about their careers options. LMI for All data is also used in the job profiles on the National Careers Service website' (p. 32).
A commitment is also given by Government to support and promote 'LMI for All': Government has renewed the contract for LMI for All, so that people will continue to have up-to-date information about local labour markets. We will continue to promote the use of the service, and encourage the design of new apps and websites to help people navigate this information. *|END:IF|*

International Conference of Educational and Professional Guidance

IER was well represented at the annual conference of the International Association for Educational and Vocational Guidance (IAEVG) in Mexico City, 29th November - 1st December 2017.*|IFNOT:ARCHIVE_PAGE|* Read More *|END:IF|**|IF:ARCHIVE_PAGE|*
Jenny Bimrose presented a keynote entitled: 'Why does career theory matter?'.
Jenny Bimrose and Rachel Mulvey presented a workshop entitled: 'Supporting the professional identity transformation of careers and employment professionals'.
Jenny Bimrose and Mary McMahon presented a workshop entitled: 'STEM careers for girls and women: Thinking ethically about career guidance and counselling practice'. The conference was attended by c1,000 delegates.*|END:IF|*

QuInnE engagement of French policymakers and practitioners

In January Chris Warhurst and Principal Investigator, Chris Mathieu of Lund University, were invited by Professor Christine Erhel to present an overview of the QuInnE project in Paris to French and EU policymakers and practitioners. Funded through Horizon 2020, QuInnE examines the relationship between innovation and job quality and the capacity of that relationship to create more and better jobs in Europe. *|END:IF|*

New report on sexism in schools launched

IER’s Gaby Atfield, Erika Kispeter and Clare Lyonette have been commissioned by the National Education Union (NEU) and UK Feminista to conduct research on sexism in UK schools. The report summarising the findings was published in the House of Commons in December 2017. Key findings from the research include: *|IFNOT:ARCHIVE_PAGE|* Read More *|END:IF|**|IF:ARCHIVE_PAGE|*
Over a third (37%) of girls at mixed-sex schools have been sexually harassed while at school. Over a third (34%) of primary school teachers say they witness gender stereotyping in their schools on at least a weekly basis. 64% of teachers in mixed-sex secondary schools hear sexist language in schools on at least a weekly basis. Students generally do not report sexism: only 14% of those who experienced sexual harassment told a teacher and 6% who heard the use of sexist language reported it.

UK Feminista and NEU call on the Government, Ofsted and schools to take urgent action to challenge sexism and sexual harassment in schools. The report is based on a survey of 1508 secondary school students and 1634 teachers at secondary and primary schools in England and Wales. Discussion groups were also conducted with secondary school students.

National Education Union and UK Feminista (2017) “It’s just everywhere”: A study on sexism in schools - and how we tackle it. UK Feminista. *|END:IF|*

IER research informs the new British Academy report

The British Academy has launched its new report on the skills of AHSS graduates. The research featured in the report was conducted by IER's Clare Lyonette, Wil Hunt and Beate Baldauf. *|IFNOT:ARCHIVE_PAGE|* Read More *|END:IF|**|IF:ARCHIVE_PAGE|*
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 full report can be downloaded from the British Academy's website.

Lyonette, C., Hunt, W. and Baldauf, B. (2017) Occupations and skills of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences Graduates and Postgraduates. A report prepared for The British Academy.
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Adult education: important for health and well-being

This latest research, commissioned by the Institutes for Adult Learning, aims to increase awareness of the benefits that adult education can bring to the nation's health and well-being. It also aims to stimulate dialogue on how central and devolved government policies and practices can ensure that adult education remains a strategic priority. *|IFNOT:ARCHIVE_PAGE|* Read More *|END:IF|**|IF:ARCHIVE_PAGE|*

So much evidence points to the fact that adult education makes a significant contribution to the health and well-being of individuals and communities. It can be relied upon to assist in addressing national policy challenges such as encouraging and enabling individuals and families to take a more active role in their own health and well-being. However, this added-value contribution is at serious risk of being lost in a policy landscape pre-occupied with apprenticeships, skills and qualification reforms. Devolution presents some real opportunities in local economies to address the skills shortages expected to follow Brexit.

Our evidence points to three key messages:

Adult education does help keep individuals well and supports longer and productive lives.
Adult education does help meet major challenges such as: ageing, loneliness, long-term conditions, mental health and well-being and community cohesion.
Adult education does help save money in the National Health Service (NHS) and the social care system.

Six recommendations are outlined in the report. These are aimed at local, regional and national policymakers, educationalists, NHS 'Sustainability and Transformation Partnerships' (STPs), Health and Well-Being Boards, Clinical Commissioning Group (CCGs), Local/Combined Authorities and Local Enterprise partnerships (LEPs) and others working in the Health and Social Care Sector. This report builds upon earlier research 'Adult Education: Too Important To Be Left To Chance' (2016).
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IER Doctoral Programme

Congratulations to Dr Olga Siemers, who has graduated from the IER doctoral programme. Her work, supervised by Dr Heike Behle and Professor Alan Brown, focused on expatriate doctoral resesarchers in the social sciences. *|END:IF|*

New projects

Adult skills - who gets invested in and how has this changed over time?, Social Mobility Commission

Migration and Construction 2018: The role of Eu & non-EU nationals in the UK Construction & Built Environment Sector, CITB (with IFF Research)

Skills Advisory Panels Feasibility Study, Department for Education

Find more information on IER's current projects.

Forward

January 2018