Research interests

Alan joined IER in 1996 and from 2002 - 2009 was Associate Director of the ESRC Teaching and Learning Research Programme (TLRP) with responsibility for workplace learning and professional learning.
My interests focus on career development; changing work-related identities; career adaptability (ability to make successful transitions and perform effectively in a range of contexts); workplace learning; learning processes (e.g. coaching and supporting the learning of others); learning across domains (practical; cognitive and affective); and computer-supported collaborative learning. I am involved in a European project (EmployID) working across a number of these areas.

Academic profile

Previously Alan was a researcher at Chelsea (now King's) College, University of London; Tavistock Institute for Human Relations; and Department of Educational Studies, University of Surrey.

Academic qualifications: B.Sc. University of Liverpool; DBS University of Liverpool; M.Sc. (Econ) London School of Economics; Ph.D. University of Surrey

Current projects

• The wider (non-market) benefits of post 18 education. With Gaby Atfield, Beate Baldauf, Daria Luchinskaya, Peter Dickinson and Wil Hunt. Funded by Department for Edcuation. Project Start Date: 16/04/18 - Project End Date: 15/06/2018. [details]
• Literature Review of Student Choices at 18. With Peter Dickinson, Wil Hunt and Beate Baldauf. Funded by the Department for Education. Project Start Date: 16/04/2018 - Project End Date: 31/07/2018 [details]
• Post education job and career choices. With Beate Baldauf, Daria Luchinskaya, Wil Hunt and Peter Dickinson. Funded by Department for Edcuation. Project Start Date: 16/04/2018 - Project End Date: 31/07/2018 [details]
• Scalable cost-effective facilitation of professional identify transformation in public employment services EmployID. With Jenny Bimrose. Funded by: European Commission. Project Start Date 01/02/2014 - Project End Date 31/04/2018 [details]
• The changing nature and role of vocational education and training in Europe. With Nicholas Sofroniou, Lynn Gambin and Alan Brown. Funded by CEDEFOP. Project Start date: 18/02/15 - Project End Date: 17/12/18 [details]
• LMI for All: Lot 1 Technical infrastructure (IT). With Jenny Bimrose. Funded by UKCES. Project Start Date: 01/05/2015 - 30/04/2016 [details]

All projects

Selected publications

• Brown A., Bimrose J. (2018) Learning and Identity Development at Work. In: Milana M., Webb S., Holford J., Waller R., Jarvis P. (eds) The Palgrave International Handbook on Adult and Lifelong Education and Learning. Palgrave Macmillan, London. DOI:https://doi.org/10.1057/978-1-137-55783-4_14

• Brown, A., Bimrose, J. (2017). Drivers of learning for the low skilled, International Journal of Lifelong Education, On-line first. DOI: 10.1080/02601370.2017.1378934
• Shipton, H., Sparrow, P., Budhwar, P. and Brown, A. (2017). HRM and innovation: looking across levels, Human Resource Management Journal, 27(2), pp. 246–263. DOI: 10.1111/1748-8583.12102 http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1748-8583.12102/abstract
• Bimrose, J., Mulvey, R. & Brown, A. (2016). Low qualified and low skilled: the need for context sensitive careers support, British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 44, 2, 145-157. DOI: 10.1080/03069885.2016.1145190
• Barnes, S-A. & Brown, A. (2016). Stories of learning and their significance to future pathways and aspirations, British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 44, 2, 233-242. DOI: 10.1080/03069885.2016.1145194
• Brown, A. (2016). Career adaptability and attitudes to low-skilled work by individuals with few qualifications: ‘getting by’, ‘getting on’ or ‘going nowhere’. British Journal of Guidance & Counselling, 44, 2, 221-232. DOI: 10.1080/03069885.2016.1145196.
• Brown, A. (2015). The Role Of Career Adaptability And Flexible Expertise In Developing Individual Innovative Behaviour. In H. Shipton, P. Budhwar, P. Sparrow & A. Brown (Eds). Human Resource Management, Innovation and Performance, Chapter 16, pp. 249-265, London: Palgrave Macmillan.
• Bimrose, J. and Brown, A. (2015). Career decision making and career adaptability. In K. Maree and A.Di Fabio (Eds.) Exploring New Horizons in Career Counselling: Turning Challenge into Opportunities, pp. 249 - 262, Rotterdam: Sense Publishers. ISBN Paperback: 9789463001526.
• Brown, A. (2015). Developing Career Adaptability and Innovative Capabilities Through Learning and Working in Norway and the United Kingdom. Journal of the Knowledge Economy, 6, 2, 402-419. DOI 10.1007/s13132-014-0215-6.
• Brown, A. (2015). Mid-career reframing: the learning and development processes through which individuals seek to effect major career changes. British Journal of Guidance & Counselling. 43, 3, pp. 278-291. doi: 10.1080/03069885.2015.1028888
• Brown, A. & Bimrose, J. (2015). Identity Development. In Hartung, P. J.; Savickas, M. L.; and Walsh, W. B. (Eds), (2015). APA handbook of career intervention, Volume 2: Applications. APA handbooks in psychology., (pp. 241-254). Washington, DC, US: American Psychological Association, ix, 565 pp.
• Brown, A. & Bimrose, J. (2014). Model of Learning for Career and Labour Market Transitions, Research in Comparative and International Education, Vol. 9, No. 3, pp. 270-286. doi: 10.2304/rcie.2014.9.3.270
• CEDEFOP (2014) Brown, A., Bimrose, J. and Merrill, B. (eds): Navigating difficult waters: learning for career and labour market transitions, Research Paper 42, Thessaloniki: CEDEFOP.
• Bimrose, J., Brown, A., Holocher-Ertl, T., Kieslinger, B., Kunzmann, C., Prilla, M., Schmidt, A. and Wolf, C. (2014) The Role of Facilitation in Technology-Enhanced Learning for Public Employment Services. International Journal of Advanced Corporate Learning, Vol. 7, No. 3, pp. 56 - 63.
• Hippach-Schneider, U., Weigel, T., Brown, A. & Gonon, P. (2013) Are graduates preferred to those completing initial vocational education and training? Case studies on company recruitment strategies in Germany, England and Switzerland. Journal of Vocational Education & Training, Vol. 65, Iss. 1, 2013 , pp. 1 - 17.

A fuller list of selected key publications.

All conference presentations

Doctoral supervision

• Mariam Gbajumo-Sheriff, Does balancing life and work have a cultural face? A case study of women living and working in Lagos-State Nigeria
• Mohd Onn Rashdi Abd Patah, Developing a career in the Malaysian hotel industry: A narrative analysis of the career experiences of local middle managers.
• Olga Siemers, Skills for here or to take away? Analysing the career trajectories of mobile PhD graduates in Europe.

Other information

Our research in the area of Guidance, Learning and Careers

Alan's blog on careers, learning and identities: GLACIER blog

Aerovet project results website