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Eurofound has published a new report on Upward Convergence in Working Conditions in Europe. The project was led by IER (Prof. Chris Warhurst and Dr Sally Wright) and included colleagues from the University of Salamanca led by Prof. Rafa Munoz de Bustillo Llorente.

The research found upward convergence has occurred for the EU as a whole for six of the seven dimensions of working conditions: physical environment, work intensity, working time, social environment, skills and discretion, prospects and earnings. However country differences exist within the EU.

The need for countries to provide appropriate support to all individuals making labour market transitions into, and through, volatile and complex labour markets is uncontroversial.

What is controversial is, despite this, that the professional identity of career counselling and employment practitioners across Europe remains somewhat fragile, partly because of the need to balance tensions around funding targets and reducing unemployment, with the individual needs of clients.

Maintaining professionalism can similarly prove challenging because time poor practitioners find it difficult to update their learning needs, continually, in the face of operational pressures, placing at risk their ability to familiarise themselves with new theories, research and ways of working.

This article by IER’s Jenny Bimrose and Alan Brown examined how career guidance counselling and employment practitioners can be supported at a distance using technology, to facilitate their professional identify transformation. Drawing on empirical results of European research (2014 – 2018), the article presents findings from an international online learning course designed to support practitioners’ professional identity across Europe and discusses the implications for practice.

Fifty free downloads are available

On 19th December 2019 IER hosts the latest meeting of the Working Life Engagement and Improvement Group' (WLEIG). The Group is a network of researchers and practitioners interested in job quality. Its aim is to improve the quality of working life in relation both to policy and practice within organizations.

The meeting is from 11.00am to 1.30pm and newcomers are welcome to participate. For details, please contact Amanda Kerry: a.kerry@warwick.ac.uk

Professor Peter Elias, CBE, was elected to the Council of the in November, serving as a member for a four year period.

Earlier this year he has been conferred as Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences.

As part of a knowledge exchange and sharing good practice, Sally-Anne Barnes, as part of the team, met with the Stichting Studiekeuze123 team from the Netherlands.

Studiekeuze123 had just won three #LovieAwards for their website Studiekeuze123.nl, which is the official Dutch platform to support students in their study orientation and choices.

Sally-Anne and the Studiekeuze123 team had a great morning talking about careers LMI, course and occupational mappings and widgets! The LMI for All team look forward to future opportunities to work together.