IER News & blogs
ÌÇÐÄTV IER facilitates Regional Skills Summit
The IER facilitated the Regional Skills Summit on the 3rd July. Hosted by the Edge Foundation, the skills summit brought together the Skills Directors of the Mayoral Combined Authorities. Liverpool City Region and the Greater London Authority Skills Directors presented their recently published skills plans, and the summit concluded with a presentation by Jonathan Barr of the OECD. The Skills Summit continues IER's recent work into the sub regional skills agenda which has recently included a feasibility study of the Skills Advisory Panels (for DfE) and writing the Annual Report for the West Midland's Combined Authority's Productivity and Skills Commission. Read the report written by Peter Dickinson and Chris Warhurst .
Mapping the Museum Digital Skills Ecosystem
is a national research project which aims to help UK museums of any size better define, improve, measure and embed the digital literacy of their staff and volunteers in all roles and at all levels. The project aims to deliver a transformative framework for museum workforce digital literacy. The project, funded by the AHRC, runs until March 2020. The first phase of the One by One project mapped the ways digital skills are currently supplied, developed and deployed in the UK museum sector and pinpointed current changes in the demand around these skills. Read the for more findings.
First findings of AHRC research on digital skills in museums
The ‘One by One’ project, funded by the UK’s Arts and Humanities Research Council, seeks to understand the impact of digital technology on museums. The notions of visit and object, collection and exhibition, have all been disrupted and renegotiated by the influence of digital technology. However, over a third of museums in the UK still feel that they do not have the in-house skills to meet their digital aspirations, and rather than improving, some digital skills areas have decreased.
Sally-Anne Barnes, Erika Kispeter and (University of Leicester) have undertaken the first phase of the project mapping digital skills and literacies in UK museums. Some initial findings have been as part of the Museums in the Web 2018 conference to be held in April. The project is led by from the University of Leicester.
Invitation to speak at annual OECD meeting

IER’s Director, Chris Warhurst, has been invited to speak at the OECD’s annual Local Economic and Employment Development () meeting. The session will focus on putting skills utilisation into practice. The meeting takes place at the OECD in Paris over 17-18 May.
IER research informs the new British Academy report on the skills of graduates of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences (AHSS)

The British Academy has launched its .
IER was commissioned by the British Academy to conduct mixed-methods research to identify AHSS graduates’ and employers’ perceptions of their skills, the benefits of AHSS graduates to the economy and to society and the need for any further skills development. The research, involving a comprehensive review of existing literature, analysis of 3 different quantitative data sources, focus groups with 22 graduates and postgraduates, and interviews with 6 employers, found that graduates with more creative approaches to work will be highly valued in the future and, if AHSS graduates can combine their creativity with good technical skills, they will be highly sought after. Those with narrow skill sets are more likely to struggle in the labour market, except in niche areas where there may be a shortage of particular skills. The research was led by Dr Clare Lyonette, with Dr Wil Hunt and Beate Baldauf, and the has been published on the .