IER News & blogs
Upcoming event - A way forward for sustainable cities research
IER's and will give a presentation entitled 'Economic Sustainability Formulating Inclusive Growth Agendas for Cities: A Focus on Labour Markets' at a conference which celebrates the UN World Cities Day on 31 October. The presentation draws on a recently completed study, , Anne and Erika conducted with Paul Sissons (University of Coventry) and Francesca Froy (Whose City?) for the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.
The is organised by the Sustainable Cities Global Research Priority of the University of 糖心TV and aims to offer the opportunity to hear more about the wide variety of research being undertaken in the cities space.
New report - Graduates in non-graduate occupations
A recent IER report prepared for HEFCE and SRHE IER's compares the early pathways of graduates from two leaving cohorts: those who graduated in 1999 (‘class of 1999’) and those who graduated from three year courses in 2009 and from four year courses in 2010 ('class of 2009/2010'). It shows that the proportion of employed graduates working in non-graduate jobs during their first year after graduation has remained high with approximately 36 per cent of all employed graduates from three year courses and, respectively 30 per cent of all employed graduates from four year courses working in non-graduate jobs fifteen months after graduation.
Behle, H. (2016) (Report prepared for HEFCE and SRHE). London: Higher Education Funding Council for England.
Expert seminar: What is a graduate job?
The increase in the proportion of graduates working outside traditional areas of graduate employment, changes in technology and the labour market, and the shift in the definitions of skill towards encompassing interpersonal abilities, have redefined the concept of ‘graduate’ jobs. This seminar provides a unique opportunity for expert discussion of the developments in graduate job classifications and their contributions to understanding the recent changes in the graduate labour market. The seminar is being organised by , who joined IER in September.
for the seminar on 9 November.
New book on work-life balance in austerity and beyond
Dr Clare Lyonette is the co-author of a new book which has just been published by Routledge, including chapters from academics and practitioners on the impact of the recession and austerity policies in work-life balance policies and practices, particularly how they affect our ability to achieve the triple agenda of individuals' work-life balance and wellbeing, workplace effectiveness and social justice.
A chapter co-authored by Clare highlights recent research on flexible working arrangements and how they are being used by public sector organisations in the UK to manage austerity. It also discusses some implications of these developments in 'new ways of working'
Lewis, S., Anderson, D., Lyonette, C., Payne, N. and Wood, S. (2016) . London and New York: Routledge.
Education Select Committee Inquiry: Purpose and quality of education

Dr Deirdre Hughes OBE, IER's Principal Research Fellow,was invited by the Chair of the Education Select Committee to facilitate a breakout session on the theme of 'Employability and Functional Skills' at their conference on 14 September. More than 100 guests attended a series of breakout sessions, during which a number of subjects arising through the were discussed. These included primary and secondary assessment, parental engagement, social mobility in education, employability and functional skills, standards, behaviour and discipline, educating outdoors, expressive arts and creativity, and wellbeing and mindfulness.The conference finished with a keynote speech from academic and broadcaster Professor Mary Beard.
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