IER contributed to major EU project on future-proofing Europe's workforce
The three-year, €2.4 million Skills2Capabilities project concluded this month with a major conference in Maastricht, bringing together researchers, policymakers and industry leaders to address Europe's widening skills gap. Led by Vienna's 3s Research & Consulting, with IER playing a key role, the Horizon Europe project examined how education and training systems can help workers navigate career transitions and prepare employers for green and digital transformations. Professor Terence HogarthLink opens in a new window, Dr Emily EricksonLink opens in a new window and Dr Sangwoo LeeLink opens in a new window from IER contributed to the project. Read MoreLink opens in a new window
The research found that skills investment delivers economic gains while supporting personal well-being, and that aligning vocational education with labour market demands reduces skill mismatches and improves employment outcomes. Workers move in and out of mismatch situations throughout their careers, with implications beyond wages—affecting perceptions of fairness and opportunity. Job design shapes learning motivation: workers whose skills are underutilised participate less in training, while work-based learning shortens graduates' job search time. Adaptable, inclusive governance enables training systems to remain relevant amid rapid change.
The project developed an interactive map visualising skill trends across Europe and a capabilities-based framework for evaluating vocational education systems. For full reports and tools, visit skills2capabilities.eu
Launching MaiJobCare: how AI and algorithmic management shape long-term care jobs
IER is pleased to announce the launch of MAIJobCareLink opens in a new window, an international research project led by IER, examining how Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Algorithmic Management (AM) are reshaping job quality and workforce dynamics in long-term care (LTC). As LTC systems across Europe face mounting pressures from ageing populations and persistent staffing shortages, MAIJobCare investigates whether digital tools, such as automated rostering, recruitment platforms, and performance monitoring, can support better care outcomes and working conditions, or whether they risk intensifying work and surveillance. Read MoreLink opens in a new window
The project brings together partners from Austria, Belgium, Spain, Sweden, and the UK, and will deliver comparative case studies, stakeholder engagement, and policy-relevant insights. It aims to identify the conditions under which AI can improve both care outcomes and employment standards, and to refine job quality frameworks to reflect emerging digital realities, thereby informing European and national care policy.
MAIJobCare is funded under the Joint Programming Initiative (JPI) programme, with the ESRC as the UK funder, alongside national funding organisations in Austria, Belgium, Spain, and Sweden. The project has officially launched with an in-person meeting, marking the start of collaborative work across five core work packages.
IER at the CIPD conference
IER’s Peter Dickinson participated in the Evidence Lab at the CIPD's Annual Conference in Manchester. He gave a presentation on the main findings emerging from the work IER has been doing on the implications of the green transition for jobs and skills. Following this, there was a Q&A session with the audience.
Prof Taylor at the GSA Annual Scientific Meeting in Boston, USA
IER's Professor Philip Taylor attended the Gerontological Society of America (GSA) event on 12-15 November. He co-chaired sessions on job quality and social care and spoke about early findings from a UK project — Just Systems — where he talked about decarbonising domiciliary adult social care. Added to this, he chaired a meeting of the Ageing Workforce Interest Group of GSA, of which he is the convener.
IER researcher on the Economics of Trust
IER's Dr Jamelia HarrisLink opens in a new window was an invited panellist for the Institute of Chartered Accountant's of Trinidad and Tobago's 16th annual conference. The conference was held on November 20th and 21st in Trinidad and Tobago. Dr Harris contributed to the panel "The Economics of Trust", where she highlighted the importance of trust in various segments of the economy, including the labour market. Read MoreLink opens in a new window
Dr Harris emphasised the negative impacts on the labour market if trust breaks down between employers and jobseekers - for example, if trust is lost in the credibility of job advertisements or if certificates of qualifications no longer signal higher levels of human capital.
