Politics & Policies

Future of Work in Canada – A skills lab cannot be a solely federal initiative

In the aftermath of the economic crisis, few policy issues have attracted as much attention as skills development. Discussion has focused on the types of skills that employees need to ensure they can successfully navigate an ever-more demanding labour market, and those that employers need to have on hand to help them survive in an … Continue reading →

UK – What distinguishes schools which guide significant numbers of pupils into apprenticeships from those which do not?

Recent government figures have shown that despite the overall number of apprenticeships increasing, the number of under 19s starts have stagnated at around 20%. With the support of the Commercial Education Trust (CET), this project explores the characteristics of schools and individuals who buck the trend and asks: what distinguishes schools which guide significant numbers … Continue reading →

Irregular Migration – Lawful migration channels can reduce unlawful migration when coupled with enhanced immigration enforcement

Richer countries are under pressure to respond to and regulate high levels of irregular migration reaching their borders. A prominent recommendation is for richer countries to expand opportunities for lawful or regular migration. Suppose they do. Will more regular migration simply raise migration overall, or will it substitute for and reduce irregular migration? The question … Continue reading →

Automation and Minimum Wage in US – Some groups typically ignored in the minimum wage literature are in fact quite vulnerable to job loss

For decades, economists have studied the effects of the minimum wage on employees in the United States. These studies have largely focused on the employment effects for low- skilled workers – with the principal focus on teenagers. Overall, there is some controversy regarding whether disemployment effects exist, with some studies finding no effects,although with more … Continue reading →

Scheduled Minimum Wage Increases in Canada – Employment would fall by 60,000 says central bank’s research

This note reviews the channels through which minimum wage increases can affect Canadian economic activity and inflation and assesses the macroeconomic impacts of the scheduled provincial minimum wage increases in the coming years. The key results are as follows: • The macroeconomic impacts of these measures may be significant because about 8 per cent of … Continue reading →

Changing Skills Requirements of Jobs – Best international approaches

The world of work is changing in ways that make it increasingly difficult for a large proportion of the workforce to gain and maintain consistent employment. More than ever, existing and future workers need to prepare for the changing skills requirements of jobs. With advancements in technology, the skills profiles within jobs, and the jobs … Continue reading →

Canada – An impending workforce gap

Canada has an impending workforce gap that will be hard to bridge using traditional measures. Workforce expansion has been an especially strong driver of growth in Canada. But with twice as many employees aged 55+ today as in 1997, this will change in coming decades. To grow our workforce at the same rate moving forward, … Continue reading →

Fair Recruitment – ILO’s general principles (video)

Career Choices in UK – The right advice, in the right place, at the right time

1. This careers strategy is part of our plan to make Britain fairer, improve social mobility and offer opportunity to everyone. Our ambitious, modern Industrial Strategy sets out a long-term plan to boost national productivity and the earning power of people throughout the country. We want every person, no matter what their background is, to … Continue reading →

UK – Implementing better apprenticeships

• Through the apprenticeship levy that came into effect on 6 April 2017, the government plans to raise £3 billion a year by 2021-22. This is the highest investment in real terms ever made for apprenticeships. • Poor implementation could undermine the key benefits of this investment,in particular the quality of training, the school support … Continue reading →

Upskilling Pathways in Europe – How will it work ?

Reading, writing, making simple calculations and using a computer: these are things we do every day, putting in practice our basic skills, mostly without even noticing. This is not straight forward for everyone though. For almost 70 million in Europe, such tasks can pose problems. Whether in employment, unemployed or economically inactive, the new “Upskilling … Continue reading →

UK – It is massively in the interest of both employers and Government to prioritise and invest far more in improving mental health

This study has led us to conclude that underneath the stigma that surrounds mental health and prevents open discussion on the subject, the UK faces a significant mental health challenge at work. • While there are more people at work with mental health conditions than ever before, 300,000 people with a long term mental health … Continue reading →

Labour Market Integration of Refugees and Asylum Seekers – An account of key information on Austria, Sweden and Germany

First session: “Opportunities for better labour market integration: Lessons from national experiences” During the session presentations of experiences from three Member States were delivered and discussed: Austria, Sweden and Germany. All the three countries are facing challenges of integrating refugees, even if the number of asylum applicants has substantially decreased since the peak year of … Continue reading →

Universal Basic Income Pilots – They may look and smell like a UBI, but they aren’t.

The annual conference of the Basic Income Earth Network focused on implementation and shed light on a range of experiences worldwide, namely the “pilots” that are quoted in virtually every blog on the subject. On this point, the salience of UBI pilots doesn’t appear to be the technical questions they raise. Rather, their value probably … Continue reading →

Higher Education – Separating learning from credentialing

If we want more educational innovation and lower costs, as well as higher-quality educational outcomes, then it is time to break the legacy connection between teaching students and certifying their academic achievements and move to a model where students have alternative ways of demonstrating their knowledge and skills. Across modern economies, innovators and entrepreneurs are … Continue reading →