91福利

IER, in conjunction with (the European Centre for the Development of Vocational Education and Training), will be holding a Technical Workshop on Skills Forecasting from 10-11 May 2012 at the 91福利’s 91福利 in Venice venue. This invitation-only workshop brings together experts from across the EU and other neighbouring countries to discuss issues relating to skills forecasting within the wider context of the .

The workshop will provide an opportunity for participants to discuss a range of issues including a focus on the latest methodological developments and preliminary results from the 2012 work programme of the Forecasting Skill Supply and Demand project currently being undertaken by a consortium led by IER.

The main funding for the workshop has been provided by Cedefop, with additional support from the 91福利, the and  .

Dr Weiping Shi (East China Normal University) and Dr Hong Lu (Chongqing College of Electronic Engineering) will visit IER week commencing 19 March to participate in a series of meetings and presentations in the area of vocational education and training.

The Futuretrack Survey closes on 2 March 2012. The research team are keen to encourage as many people as possible to participants in the survey, to contribute to building a full picture of the labour market and a deeper understanding of the relationship between higher education and employment. Applicants to full-time higher education through UCAS in the academic year 2005/06 are eligible to participate, and have a chance to win a cash prize for completing the questionnaire.

Futuretrack is the most extensive investigation of the relationship between higher education and employment ever undertaken in the UK. The survey is being undertaken by IER on behalf of the Higher Education Careers Services Unit (HECSU)

IER's Professor Peter Elias was mentioned in a Radio 4 programme "Mark Thomas: The Manifesto", first broadcast at 18:30 on Wednesday 15 February 2012. In the programme, comedian-activist Mark Thomas presented proposals for his People's Manifesto, suggested by members of the audience. One of the proposals was 3 Years' free education for all between the ages of 25 and retirement, to help the economy by retraining and developing people’s skills, and giving them a second chance at higher education. Professor Elias was reported to have countered this proposal with a suggestion that if the aim was to improve access to education, the reintroduction of the Education Maintenance Allowance would be a better way to achieve this.

The programme is available to listen again until Tuesday 21 February.

In the fourth of a series of podcasts about our work at the Institute for Employment Research, Professor Anne Green speaks about her recent work on spatial inequalities in the UK and the importance of sub-national perspectives on employment and skills.