IER Newsletter - April 2020

Research on lifelong guidance policy and practice in the EU published

Lifelong guidance policies and practices are viewed as crucial parts of current EU policy initiatives around validation of learning and the Pillar of Social Rights. The aim of the research, undertaken by Dr Sally-Anne Barnes and colleagues, was to examine lifelong guidance policies and practices and to provide an evidence base for priority-setting, as well as supporting dialogue with stakeholders on lifelong guidance and, more widely, skills strategies. The final report presents findings from the research identifying 11 key features of lifelong guidance systems in the EU, lifelong guidance actors and innovations in practice. It concludes with some recommendations for the Commission and those in working in the careers field.

Barnes, S-A., Bimrose, J., Brown, A., Kettunen, J., & Vuorinen, R. (2020). Lifelong guidance policy and practice in the EU: trends, challenges and opportunities. Luxembourg: Publications Office of the European Union. ISBN 978-92-76-17340-3.

Covid-19 blog series: Managing flexible working: learning to cope with the new normal? Professor Clare Lyonette and Beate Baldauf

The ramifications of the current Covid-19 crisis are likely to be felt in all areas of our lives. Many of the future projections we hear and read about every day are understandably stark and doom-laden, but are there any potentially positive implications of the pandemic?
Based on a previous literature review undertaken prior to recent events, this blog offers some insights into the known benefits of flexible working and makes some recommendations, based on tried and tested interventions in different organisational contexts, to support employers and managers in negotiating widespread flexible working through the crisis and beyond. Read more here.

Covid-19 blog series: Do the self-employed have a future in the UK? Professor Chris Warhurst

Governments of all political hues have hailed self-employment as exemplifying the spirit of entrepreneurialism needed by the UK. However self-employment has come under threat with the coronavirus crisis. The UK Government’s response to providing protection for these workers was slow. When measures were finally announced at the end of March, what was offered is a bit like a Swiss Cheese Plant – big shiny leaves but with lots of holes. It seems good but might not be enough to mitigate the risks and address the realities of being self-employed in the UK.
With unemployment rising again, the Government will need self-employment in the UK to thrive when the lockdown eases. Ensuring that the self-employed are adequately protected is vital. Read more here.

Covid-19 blog series: Measuring the share of workers in work-from-home and those in close personal proximity occupations in a developing country – Jeisson Cardenas Rubio and Jaime Montana Doncel

The COVID-19 pandemic and its social distancing measures have brought unprecedented socio-economic challenges worldwide. One of the most urgent questions is how the labour force will be affected by the pandemic. The measurement of 'safe' and 'unsafe' jobs has become a priority in the world.
Given rich sources of information such as the Occupational Information Network (O*NET), countries have started to estimate the number of jobs that can be performed at home and the jobs which involve close proximity to others, putting workers at higher risk of infection.
This blog uses statistical data for Colombia to provide information on the share and the characteristics of workers in safe and unsafe jobs. Read more here.

Other publications

Hunt, W. (2020) Paid, unpaid and 'hidden' internships at six months after graduation: Are some graduates excluded? Research Report. Society for Research into Higher Education.

Kopp, T., Kinkel, S., Schäfer, T., Kieslinger, B. and Brown, A. (2020). Measuring the impact of learning at the workplace on organisational performance, International Journal of Productivity and Performance Management, Vol. ahead-of-print No. ahead-of-print. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJPPM-12-2018-0443.

C. Warhurst and S. Wright (2020) ‘What makes a good job for low-waged workers?’ in T. Dundon and A. Wilkinson (eds) Case Studies in Work, Employment and Human Resource Management. Cheltenham: Edward Elgar.