John McLaren’s Post

Subscribers to Idox’s The Knowledge Exchange have direct access to our powerful database to perform their own searches, they can also ask our team of Research Officers to conduct a search for them. The following examples demonstrate just how varied the enquiries we receive are: • Designing pedestrianised zones to improve the safety of women • Biometric data retention schemes • Evidence on how regional skills systems can support local economic growth • Impacts of housing issues on employment • Policies for addressing economic inactivity in the UK and Europe • Effects of maternity leave on maternal health, employment, childhood development • Effective examples of kindness and wellbeing interventions in large organisations • Impact of parental engagement on children’s learning or attainment • Examples of transformation in the public sector • Social impacts of offshore wind Have a look at our blog for more inspiration - https://lnkd.in/esfnHJDd #TheKnowledgeExchange #PublicPolicy #SocialPolicy

WHAT DOES AUSTRALIA HAVE AGAINST THE IT INDUSTRY? Health, finance, teaching, manufacturing, legal and more are there, but the 15 person Jobs and Skills Australia advisory panel has no one with direct #ICT experience. With nearly 1 million ICT workers, and that's a number that is guaranteed to grow, it's hard to understand why the industry isn't represented. And even more so when you consider that EVERY OTHER INDUSTRY is almost entirely dependent on ICT to keep going. #MrSaaSSays - You can't make this shit up https://lnkd.in/d4V7WcCp

It was a real privilege to lay the Social Mobility Commission State of the Nation report before Parliament alongside my fellow commissioners, and to have Minister Stuart Andrew MP - Minister for Equalities and Mims Davies - Minister for social mobility at the launch event. They spoke passionately about social mobility and the work the commission has been doing. The SoN report is a statutory obligation for the Commission and it gives an in-depth overview and lots of insights on social mobility outcomes across regions and protected characteristics. We also launched the Data Explorer Tool - we can now rank 41 areas in the UK for 5 different measures of social mobility. Did you know: - People who grew up near London, Manchester or Edinburgh have the best chances of getting a professional job irrespective of socioeconomic background - 64% of people whose parents have degrees get one themselves, compared to 18% of people whose parents had no qualifications - Young women's hourly earnings are around 90% of the hourly earnings of young men from the same socioeconomic background, despite outperforming men in education Thank you to the incredibly hard working team who made this happen - now that we’ve got the data, we can start to work on solutions. You can read it here: https://lnkd.in/gmKknp3B #socialmobility #socialmobilitycommission #stateofthenation

🌟 Mark your calendars for the "Lost and Found: Reimagining Europe's Employment Policies" conference, taking place in Brussels, Belgium, on 28 November 2023! The objective of the Lost Millennials project is to enhance the integration of 25 (NEETs) into the labor market by increasing knowledge of the effects of employment initiatives. The main aim of the event is to bring together policymakers, researchers, and practitioners to discuss critical employment policy issues in Europe, the effectiveness of policy strategies and the challenges faced by 25+ NEETs, including gender perspectives, migration, and rural-urban disparities. Additionally, we'll delve into the insights gained from evaluating initiatives targeting 25+ NEETs. Key Conference Details: • Date: November 28, 2023 | 09:30-15:30 • Location: Brussels, Belgium - The Hotel (Bd de Waterloo 38, 1000) • Title: Lost and Found: Reimagining Europe's Employment Policies - Evaluation of policy initiatives tackling 25+ NEETs unemployment 📆 Save the date and stay tuned for more updates! This event, organized as part of the Lost Millennials project, is funded by Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway through the EEA and Norway Grants Fund for Youth Employment. #LostMillennials #LostMillennialsConference #NEETsEU #EUYouthPolicy #Brussels2023 #EEANorwayGrants #FundforYouthEmployment #YouthEmploymentMag

This month, the EU Commission unveiled an initiative aimed at attracting talent from third countries to bridge the gap in Europe's young workforce. While commendable, this alone won't solve our fundamental issue: the declining birth rates across Europe.   The current average fertility rate stands at 1.5 children per woman, far below the 2.1 needed for population stabilization. The European Union, pivotal in human capital development, must refocus efforts on fostering an environment where couples can balance dual careers, parenting, and leisure.   My forthcoming publication "The Five Works of Europe", delves deeper into this issue and offers numerous proposals to enhance our well-being, prosperity, societal fabric, environmental responsibility, and external defence.   Europe's future hinges on our ability to create an ecosystem where individuals thrive not only professionally but personally, contributing to a sustainable and prosperous society. The need for policies supporting work-life balance, affordable childcare, and flexible work arrangements has never been more crucial.   Stay tuned for "The Five Works of Europe" and join the conversation on shaping a Europe that empowers its citizens for a brighter tomorrow.   #EUCommission #WorkforceChallenges #WorkLifeBalance #TheFiveWorksofEurope #HumanCapitalDevelopment #SocietyBuilding #FutureOfEurope

Our Head of Policy and Research, Ben Gadsby, gave evidence at the House of Commons Work and Pensions Committee session on the devolution of employment support last week. Key Takeaways ⬇️ 1️⃣ Addressing the youth jobs gap Disparities in employment outcomes persist among youth from disadvantaged backgrounds. 26% of them were Not in Education, Employment or Training, compared with 13% of their peers in 2019. Further, geographical variations persist - while differences between UK regions are minimal, variations within them are substantial. To tackle youth unemployment, we need to target interventions at a more granular, local level. 2️⃣ Navigating devolution challenges Contracts between local authorities and the third sector, fixed at a certain size and for a certain time, can be a barrier for growth.  To overcome this, long-term contracts need to “have space in them to grow the things that are working and shrink the things that are not.” But how can this be done effectively and accurately? 3️⃣ Leveraging quality data “A lot of these questions about what should be devolved and what should not, and how we pay for it, would be much simpler to answer if we had better data on that.” High-quality data on outcomes are essential for informed devolution decisions and key to driving impactful strategies. 4️⃣ Fostering professional networks Sharing best practices among local authorities fosters evidence-based decision-making are important. Forums where decision-makers can collaborate, learn, and enhance their impact collectively can foster this. What do you think? We’d love to hear your experiences or tips on how you’ve leveraged data to tailor support and drive meaningful change for young people NEET – comment down below! #EmploymentSupport #Devolution #PolicyInsights #YouthEmployment

📣 Take a look at the Movement to Work weekly round-up of #YouthEmployment related news from our Head of Insights: ⚒️Breaking Barriers to Work A new report from the YMCA explores the impact of the benefits system on young people living in supported accommodation and their ability to work. Click here to read the full report: https://bit.ly/3QCXP6D ❤️🩹Occupational Health: working better A new consultation announced in the Spring Budget is seeking views on proposals aimed at increasing employer use of Occupational Health Services. Click here to find out more: https://bit.ly/45269B4 🏘️Major boost for young people The Government has announced new youth centres will be built as part of the next phase of the Youth Investment Fund. Click here to read more: https://bit.ly/4571MEY 💻Artificial intelligence and employment law Employers are increasingly using AI in recruitment and management, prompting the Government to explore the employment law implications and proposals for regulatory reform. Click here to read more: https://bit.ly/3OSnnLE To read more insights head to our dedicated research page: https://lnkd.in/eK-_p9ru What do you have to say? Drop your comments below 👇 #WednesdayWisdom

LIIA has published a new report on 'The Big Listen', a major survey of children’s social workers in London and the south east of England, which shows that the vast majority are passionate about their work, while also pointing to the serious challenges and pressures many face. The research for the Big Listen project involved 52 local authorities and generated over 1,000 responses. Some of the positive findings from the Big Listen report show that a majority feel they can make a difference to children and young people through their work (88%), and feel valued in their roles (66%). However, the survey also provides fresh evidence of longstanding workforce concerns, as well as highlighting the distinct and more negative experience of ethnic minority social workers. Jacquie Burke, Director of Children's Services at Hackney Council and Beverley Hendricks, Assistant Director of Safeguarding and Social Care at Haringey Council (Joint Strategic Leads of the Associaton of London Directors of Children's Services Leadership in Colour Programme) said: “This new research is incredibly useful for revealing the experience of our black and global majority workforces. We have to address the structural inequalities in our workplaces that lead to black and global majority workers choosing agency over local authority employers. We must redouble efforts to champion and support change. Our workforce is our most precious asset.” The Big Listen was carried out by London Innovation & Improvement Alliance (LIIA) in collaboration with the South East Sector Led Improvement Programme (SESLIP). Read the full press release 👉 https://lnkd.in/eYMdVwyQ Read the full report 👇 or 👉 https://lnkd.in/exZTR9K7 #socialwork #socialworkers #socialworkerlife #socialimpact #youngpeople #childreninneed #childrenincare

🧓 🧑💻 How is the situation of older adults in the workplace in 2023? AGE Platform Europe has published its Barometer 2023, and it shows that there is still a long way to go... In Europe, only 60.5% of adults between 55-64 are part of the workforce. Based on AGE Platform Europe's report, here's what can be done for better integration of older adults in the workforce: 1. Start by recognising the needs of older adults in working age. 2. Provide more opportunities for older adults to adapt to a rapidly changing world by offering training. 3. Make new technologies more accessible. Read the full AGE Platform Europe report here: https://loom.ly/56a8pf0 #Healthyaging #agewell #stayactive #fit #fitforlife #aging #ageism #work

Young people are clearly under-represented in social care. With 11.4% of 16-24-year-olds unemployed in May 2023, the highest unemployment rate of any age group by a significant margin. We therefore need to look at the barriers to working for young people, in general, and with specifics to social care. Amanda Marques, Business Solutions Director at Cohesion Recruitment, outlines the current barriers when recruiting Gen Z and shares tips to help providers with their recruitment strategies. Read her feature in the latest issue of CMM: https://bit.ly/4597tRK #recruitment #youngpeople #GenZ #socialcarerecruitment #caresector #care #staffing #workforce #recruitmentstrategies #employment #employee #employers