Professor Noel Whiteside, a member of the research team currently undertaking a comprehensive investigation of precarious employment with particular reference to opportunities for young people, has just published a policy paper drawing on lessons from the past.

The Taylor Report, published today (Tuesday 11 July), assumes the gig economy is novel. This is far from the case. IT platforms offer a new mode of job management. But over a century ago, irregular work and incomes were acknowledged to be a principal cause of poverty and social dependency, a source of economic inefficiency, a harbinger of poor health and lost working capacity. This perspective explains why permanent work contracts spread in ensuing decades. Today, such job security for young people is rare as we go back to a future of casual work.

Her article, 'Flexible employment and casual labour: a historical perspective on labour market policy', is available here.

Professor Whiteside can be contacted by email at N.Whiteside@warwick.ac.uk or by phone on 07974431577

The Paths2Work Final Disemmination Event will be held on 28 September 2017 at Warwick University. This expert conference will be chaired by Matthew Taylor, Chief Executive of the Royal Society of the Arts, and currently leading the government review into Employment Practices in the Modern Economy. At this final disemmination conference, members of the research team will discuss key research findings with invited regional and national youth labour market stakeholders.

Further details about the conference will be made available on the website news page in due course.

The Third Midlands Youth Labour Market Forum, will be held on Wednesday 23^rd November 2016 at College Court , the University of Leicester’s leading conference venue (http://collegecourt.co.uk/)  

The forum was developed to engage with all those concerned with young people's transitions from education to employment, as part of the ESRC funded Paths2Work research Project, 'Precarious Pathways into Employment for Young People?'.

Melanie Simms, Professor of Work and Employment at The University of leicester School of Managment, is hosting the event this year; for further details and registration please see https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/midlands-youth-labour-market-forum-tickets-27144596218 

Please see the draft event programme for further details.

We hope thay you will be able to attend what promises to be a very exciting event now that we have entered the final year of the research project and have a great deal of data to discuss with you.

If you have any queries, please contact Dr Arlene Robertson (A.Robertson.2@warwick.ac.uk or t: +44(0) 24 7652 2328).

Anne Green gave a presentation on 'Transitioning from Education to Employment' at the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce Business Breakfast 'Getting the right skills for work' event in central Birmingham on 20th January 2016.

Anne provided an overview of trends in the West Midlands labour market and hightlighted some emerging findings from the ESRC-funded Paths2Work project. Other speakers were Paul Faulkner (President of the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce), Mike Hopkins (Principal of South & City College Birmingham) and John Mortimer (CEO of the Angela Mortimer Group).

The Second Midlands Youth Labour Market Forum (MYLMF) took place at the University of Aston on 25th of November 2015. The Paths2Work team presented the preliminary findings from the Paths2Work project to an audience comprised of practitioners, policymakers and others with a professional interest in young people’s employment, training and educational opportunities. Regional stakeholders also provided short presentations relevant to the interests of MYLMF members. To find more information about the event and access the presentation from the Paths2Work team, click on the link below:

http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/ier/research/pathways/event/