Those of you who work remotely will find the list that Marieke Guy has prepared of blogs that have helped her very useful.
To be honest, if you work at home alone you will probably find a lot of the information and advice helpful.
Scott Hanselman's Computer Zen is a technology blog by a guy who works from home. There are a lot of great technology reviews, podcasts, lists of services and programming tips but Scott also writes about the challenges of remote working in his remote work category.
Lea Woodward's Location Independent blog has always been a real inspiration. Lea left the rat race in 2005 and has been travelling round the work and working ever since (though they are now back in the UK). Her blog gives lots of good technical tips but is also one of the best for motivational support. I keep meaning to ask if Lea would consider writing a blog post!
Wide teams is a blog and podcast about geographically dispersed teams, with an emphasis on software development teams. It was created by Avdi Grimm, who has written a guest blog post for us before. The weekly podcast is excellent and offers a real hands-on perspective on newer ways of working.
How to Work from Home is a blog by Judy Heminsley. Judy organizes local Jellys (remote worker meet-ups) and is an active tweeter
Remote Worker Daily is the work of Doug Campbell, another guest blog post writer. It has lots of really useful advice, links to remote jobs and resources. Doug's site A mobile app a day is really good too.
The Work at Home Woman is a blog by Holly Reisem Hanna for mums who want to set up a business and work for themselves. There are quite a lot of interviews with home workers and lots of productivity tips.
In her Freelance Lifestyle blog Emma Cossey often writes about working from home. She also podcasts and offers online tutorials.
Andy Abramson’s blog is another technical perspective on home working. He often posts on VOIP and working anywhere.
The author of Head In The Clouds: The Location Independent Office – How to take your business or job online and work remotely from wherever you please!, Phil Byrne, also writes a blog about Living and working abroad. More useful tips and reviews.
Also a quick mention for Mashable and the readwriteblog – both great for ideas.
If you know of any great remote worker blogs please do go to Marieke’s post and add your recommendation into the comments.
Hazel’s comment:
Just what has this got to do with careers information? Not much.
What has this got to do with supporting guidance practitioners? A great deal – as more and more are forced into becoming consultants with the consequent loss of an employer’s central support system and administration.
Wednesday, 3 October 2012
Next stop sell-out city: urban activism in Hamburg
an article by Nicole Vrenegor published in Eurozine 10/2012
“Is it chance or social class that determines where one gets on and off the bus? How are the stops really connected? How does civic space create social structure, and how does social structure create civic space?"
In an article first published in German in dérive (forthcoming), urban activist Nicole Vrenegor records her conversations with civic campaigners based along Hamburg’s no. 3 bus route (photos by Anke Haarman). From the outskirts to the new HafenCity development, she hears a repeated criticism of Hamburg’s city council: lack of consultation, token gestures towards social justice, investor-friendly development over liveable urban space.
“What vanishes are the places that don’t pay their way, but are very valuable indeed to those who need them,” writes Vrenegor. “These are the blind corners on the game board of the city, the empty lots gone to seed, the heterogeneous city quarters, the public spaces where people don’t need to spend and consume.”
In 2009, a group of artists took over a complex of buildings in the historic Gängeviertel earmarked for demolition and redevelopment. The squats became a symbol of resistance to profit-driven urban planning and a taste of what could be; still, writes Vrenegor, with the HafenCity project poised to expand yet further, campaigning remains an uphill struggle:
”The new land they want to claim is by no means empty. Around 50,000 people live on the islands in the river, Wilhelmsburg and Veddel. For years, many of them have been calling for a development plan for their neighbourhood, but not for an advertising machine to attract investors, which is what has now happened. [...] Even if we can't prevent the government from ‘leaping over the Elbe’, we can make sure that they land with a bump.”
Full text (HTML)
“Is it chance or social class that determines where one gets on and off the bus? How are the stops really connected? How does civic space create social structure, and how does social structure create civic space?"
In an article first published in German in dérive (forthcoming), urban activist Nicole Vrenegor records her conversations with civic campaigners based along Hamburg’s no. 3 bus route (photos by Anke Haarman). From the outskirts to the new HafenCity development, she hears a repeated criticism of Hamburg’s city council: lack of consultation, token gestures towards social justice, investor-friendly development over liveable urban space.
“What vanishes are the places that don’t pay their way, but are very valuable indeed to those who need them,” writes Vrenegor. “These are the blind corners on the game board of the city, the empty lots gone to seed, the heterogeneous city quarters, the public spaces where people don’t need to spend and consume.”
In 2009, a group of artists took over a complex of buildings in the historic Gängeviertel earmarked for demolition and redevelopment. The squats became a symbol of resistance to profit-driven urban planning and a taste of what could be; still, writes Vrenegor, with the HafenCity project poised to expand yet further, campaigning remains an uphill struggle:
”The new land they want to claim is by no means empty. Around 50,000 people live on the islands in the river, Wilhelmsburg and Veddel. For years, many of them have been calling for a development plan for their neighbourhood, but not for an advertising machine to attract investors, which is what has now happened. [...] Even if we can't prevent the government from ‘leaping over the Elbe’, we can make sure that they land with a bump.”
Full text (HTML)
Tuesday, 2 October 2012
Apprenticeships in England: an overview of current issues
an article by Dionne Lee (Teesside University, Middlesbrough) published in Higher Education, Skills and Work-based Learning Volumne 2 Issue 3 (2012)
Abstract
Purpose
Apprenticeships in England are currently experiencing a revival. The purpose of this paper is to provide a general overview of apprenticeships in England, examine current government policy, and explore current issues around the further development of apprenticeships.
Design/methodology/approach
Desk research, including reviewing other research articles and labour market intelligence has been carried out to provide a general overview of the issues.
Findings
Apprenticeships have traditionally been regarded as the vocational route to stable employment. Although they have sometimes suffered from a poor reputation they are now becoming an increasingly popular option for both younger and older people. The knowledge economy is driving up the demand for higher level skills and concurrent with this is the notion that, in today’s competitive labour market, experience is vital. Not only has this impacted on the popularity of apprenticeships but also upon more traditional “academic” routes such as higher education (HE). In addition it has raised questions about higher level skills and vocational education. The introduction of Higher Apprenticeships and work experience/real world interactions built into HE courses are establishing synergies between the two elements of the skills/education system; however, developing these synergies further is a critical issue for future consideration.
Originality/value
There is a proliferation of publications tracking the nature and value of apprenticeships. This paper traces apprenticeships and their evolution and examines how practices adopted can be applied to newer vocational options being integrated into HE. The paper considers apprenticeships and other vocational options, building on the author’s own discussions with employers and recent graduates.
Abstract
Purpose
Apprenticeships in England are currently experiencing a revival. The purpose of this paper is to provide a general overview of apprenticeships in England, examine current government policy, and explore current issues around the further development of apprenticeships.
Design/methodology/approach
Desk research, including reviewing other research articles and labour market intelligence has been carried out to provide a general overview of the issues.
Findings
Apprenticeships have traditionally been regarded as the vocational route to stable employment. Although they have sometimes suffered from a poor reputation they are now becoming an increasingly popular option for both younger and older people. The knowledge economy is driving up the demand for higher level skills and concurrent with this is the notion that, in today’s competitive labour market, experience is vital. Not only has this impacted on the popularity of apprenticeships but also upon more traditional “academic” routes such as higher education (HE). In addition it has raised questions about higher level skills and vocational education. The introduction of Higher Apprenticeships and work experience/real world interactions built into HE courses are establishing synergies between the two elements of the skills/education system; however, developing these synergies further is a critical issue for future consideration.
Originality/value
There is a proliferation of publications tracking the nature and value of apprenticeships. This paper traces apprenticeships and their evolution and examines how practices adopted can be applied to newer vocational options being integrated into HE. The paper considers apprenticeships and other vocational options, building on the author’s own discussions with employers and recent graduates.
New skills and jobs in Europe: Pathways towards full employment
This report was written by Günther Schmid and supervised by Philippe Keraudren. It was published by the European Commission, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, European Research Area, Social Sciences and Humanities in July 2012
Introduction: setting the scene
Europe needs more people in employment. About 24 million people are still unemployed (9,9 %), long-term unemployment is deteriorating, levels of job creation are too low and many of the newly created jobs are of low quality. The labour market for young people remains depressed with a level of 5.5 million unemployed (22.1 %)1. Why is it that our policies do not work? Why is it that even when unemployment improves, it happens at the cost of increasing inequality and labour market segmentation? Are new skills, as the Europe 2020 flagship initiative ‘An agenda for new skills and jobs’2 suggests, the solution?
Skills do indeed matter. They ensure the right application of knowledge in jobs in order to complete tasks and solve problems. Old and new jobs will not be sustainable without the continuous evolution of skills. Without the creation of new job opportunities, skills and individual life plans will be wasted. Improving people’s skills and better utilising their skill potentials ‘is a real “win, win” for all – for the economy, for society, for employers and, of course, for individuals themselves’3. It is obvious to policymakers that unemployment is closely related to low skills and employment and labour market participation to high skills. But despite progress in recent years, ‘Europe is still not sufficiently skilled. Nearly one third of Europe’s population aged 25–64 – around 77 million people – have no, or low, formal qualifications and only one quarter have high-level qualifications. Those with low qualifications are much less likely to upgrade their skills and follow lifelong learning.’4
This report documents what research says about jobs and skills in Europe.
The report starts with a brief summary of the ‘flagship’ (Chapter 1) and structures the findings of the review around the four main priorities set out by this initiative:
=================================
1 EU Labour Market Fact Sheet, February 2012.
2 European Commission (2010), ‘An agenda for new skills and jobs: A European contribution towards full employment’, COM(2010) 682 final. http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ. do?uri=COM:2010:0682:FIN:EN:PDF
3 Expert Group on New Skills for New Jobs (2010), p. 4.
4 Ibid.
5 See Annex 7.2 listing the projects and their website access. Occasionally, the report also refers to publications from TML.net (http://www.siswo.uva.nl/tlm) supported by the Research and Innovation DG under the fifth framework programme.
6 European Commission (2010), ‘Europe 2020 — A European strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth’, COM(2010) 2020 final.
Full text (PDF 90pp)
Introduction: setting the scene
Europe needs more people in employment. About 24 million people are still unemployed (9,9 %), long-term unemployment is deteriorating, levels of job creation are too low and many of the newly created jobs are of low quality. The labour market for young people remains depressed with a level of 5.5 million unemployed (22.1 %)1. Why is it that our policies do not work? Why is it that even when unemployment improves, it happens at the cost of increasing inequality and labour market segmentation? Are new skills, as the Europe 2020 flagship initiative ‘An agenda for new skills and jobs’2 suggests, the solution?
Skills do indeed matter. They ensure the right application of knowledge in jobs in order to complete tasks and solve problems. Old and new jobs will not be sustainable without the continuous evolution of skills. Without the creation of new job opportunities, skills and individual life plans will be wasted. Improving people’s skills and better utilising their skill potentials ‘is a real “win, win” for all – for the economy, for society, for employers and, of course, for individuals themselves’3. It is obvious to policymakers that unemployment is closely related to low skills and employment and labour market participation to high skills. But despite progress in recent years, ‘Europe is still not sufficiently skilled. Nearly one third of Europe’s population aged 25–64 – around 77 million people – have no, or low, formal qualifications and only one quarter have high-level qualifications. Those with low qualifications are much less likely to upgrade their skills and follow lifelong learning.’4
This report documents what research says about jobs and skills in Europe.
- In particular, research convincingly shows that education systems characterised by more equal access to education and continuous vocational training are associated with lower levels of unemployment and higher levels of employment.
- Research shows that ambitious labour market policies that support a high variability of employment contracts over the life course, and that allow a high level of external as well as internal job-to-job transitions through active securities (making transitions pay), tend to be associated with higher levels of job creation.
- Research reveals the importance of work organisation for skill formation, skill maintenance and skill utilisation, and emphasises that it is not enough to make people fit for the market (through raising their individual skills) but that it is also of high importance to adjust workplaces reasonably in order to enhance people’s capabilities and to compensate restricted work capacities through, for example, technical assistance, carefully targeted in-work benefits or wage cost subsidies (making the market fit for workers).
- Research suggests the increasing importance of transversal skills,which means skills that cross the borders of disciplines or occupations and emphasise (not necessarily ‘higher’ but ‘new’) skills like abilities of communication, learning and problem solving, as well as languages and competences in information and communication technologies.
- Finally, only the good governance of skills (including workplace democracy, negotiated flexicurity, and fair risk sharing of skill investments) ensures the mutual enforcement of skill evolution and job creation under conditions of increasing economic uncertainty.
The report starts with a brief summary of the ‘flagship’ (Chapter 1) and structures the findings of the review around the four main priorities set out by this initiative:
- better-functioning labour markets (Chapter 2);
- a more skilled workforce (Chapter 3);
- better job quality and working conditions (Chapter 4), and;
- stronger policies to promote job creation and demand for labour (Chapter 5).
=================================
1 EU Labour Market Fact Sheet, February 2012.
2 European Commission (2010), ‘An agenda for new skills and jobs: A European contribution towards full employment’, COM(2010) 682 final. http://eur-lex.europa.eu/LexUriServ/LexUriServ. do?uri=COM:2010:0682:FIN:EN:PDF
3 Expert Group on New Skills for New Jobs (2010), p. 4.
4 Ibid.
5 See Annex 7.2 listing the projects and their website access. Occasionally, the report also refers to publications from TML.net (http://www.siswo.uva.nl/tlm) supported by the Research and Innovation DG under the fifth framework programme.
6 European Commission (2010), ‘Europe 2020 — A European strategy for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth’, COM(2010) 2020 final.
Full text (PDF 90pp)
Changing the way we work: The role teleworking can play in how, when and where we work
a report published by the London Chamber of Commerce in partnership with Harvey Nash in July 2012
Executive summary
Flexible working has become part of how we understand work. More and more employees request non-traditional working arrangements so that they can balance the demands of their working lives whilst maintaining a rewarding social and family life.
Most employers see flexible working as a way of helping their workers to achieve that balance. This informal approach to flexible working not only increases the probabilities of conflict amongst a company’s staff but, more importantly, it means that many businesses are not achieving its full benefits.
Flexible working can provide access to a wider talent pool, contribute to operational savings or improve a company’s output, staff retention levels and motivation. The problem is that there is not a unique implementation formula that guarantees its success.
Using the example of teleworking, also often referred to as ‘remote working’ or ‘virtual working’, this report aims to provide businesses, especially small and medium firms, with information on its potential benefits as well as negative effects, and to offer some guidance on the elements required to achieve it.
Our findings are the result of 11 interviews with London businesses that offer different forms of teleworking to their staff; some of those interviewed were teleworkers themselves, providing a unique perspective into the challenges and benefits of teleworking from the point of view of both the manager and the teleworker. The information so gathered complemented the results of a survey of 178 businesses of different sizes and sectors in the capital undertaken in February 2012.
Teleworking is widespread
Our research shows that the majority of companies offer teleworking as and when needed, although they do not usually have a formal policy on it. Workers in smaller (1 to 19 employees) and bigger companies (500+ employees) are those that generally telework the most, whilst the more senior a position one holds, the more likely one is to work remotely. Yet, this seems to be because those in higher positions tend to be more experienced and, therefore, the more comfortable companies are with their ability to work on their own.
The benefits of teleworking
Companies that offer remote work do so because technology allows them to do it (70 per cent). Better work-life balance (54 per cent) and reduced stress levels (43 per cent) seemed to be the main practical benefits of implementing teleworking, as well as increased employee satisfaction (51 per cent) and work being completed more quickly (46 per cent). On the other side of the spectrum, feelings of isolation and loneliness amongst those working from home and lack of social interaction (29 per cent), increase in the actual number of working hours (25 per cent), technological glitches (25 per cent) and deterioration in communication (24 per cent) were the most common issues reported by those offering teleworking or working remotely themselves.
Success factors
The success or failure of teleworking depends on the culture of the company. Those interviewed for this report believed that without mutual trust between the employer and the employee, and constant and open communication, teleworking cannot succeed. Firms, therefore, need to have a very clear definition of what teleworking means, what is expected from each party, and how often and what kind of positions can telework. Moreover, businesses must put in place clear and regular mechanisms of communication to avoid isolation issues, lack of information and communication failure.
Culture, management and communication
Companies also need to train their staff in essential managerial skills such as delegation and communication. If teleworking is about giving employees more responsibility, managers need to know how to manage from a distance. They also need to know how to recognise the work of those who are not always physically present and to establish continuous, open communication between their reportee(s) and themselves, and between the members of the team, regardless of their physical location.
Promoting Higher Apprenticeships in management and leadership will contribute to good practice amongst the workforce, whilst sending a strong message to employers about the importance of good management for the future of the business itself, as it helps to ensure the generational takeover of the company, and provides it with the skills required to take the firm to the next level of growth.
The effort and time spent in implementing teleworking must be seen as an investment, rather than a cost. Teleworking adds to the resilience of the business, as companies can continue to function beyond eventualities such as transport delays or extreme weather, adding to the overall competitiveness of the wider economy.
Moreover, teleworking can enhance the opportunities for expansion, as it enables growing firms to do so incrementally and without having to take on too many expenses, such as rent or employment costs, at one time. It also makes easier and more cost-effective international collaborations, as firms do not need to have offices in different countries and are more flexible to adapt to different time zones.
The importance of technology
For all this to happen, however, investment in technological infrastructure across the country is needed. If businesses are expected to work from anywhere, at any time, they need to have access to quality, high-speed broadband connection so the demand for remote working can be met without any technological limitations.
Full text: (PDF 20pp)
Executive summary
Flexible working has become part of how we understand work. More and more employees request non-traditional working arrangements so that they can balance the demands of their working lives whilst maintaining a rewarding social and family life.
Most employers see flexible working as a way of helping their workers to achieve that balance. This informal approach to flexible working not only increases the probabilities of conflict amongst a company’s staff but, more importantly, it means that many businesses are not achieving its full benefits.
Flexible working can provide access to a wider talent pool, contribute to operational savings or improve a company’s output, staff retention levels and motivation. The problem is that there is not a unique implementation formula that guarantees its success.
Using the example of teleworking, also often referred to as ‘remote working’ or ‘virtual working’, this report aims to provide businesses, especially small and medium firms, with information on its potential benefits as well as negative effects, and to offer some guidance on the elements required to achieve it.
Our findings are the result of 11 interviews with London businesses that offer different forms of teleworking to their staff; some of those interviewed were teleworkers themselves, providing a unique perspective into the challenges and benefits of teleworking from the point of view of both the manager and the teleworker. The information so gathered complemented the results of a survey of 178 businesses of different sizes and sectors in the capital undertaken in February 2012.
Teleworking is widespread
Our research shows that the majority of companies offer teleworking as and when needed, although they do not usually have a formal policy on it. Workers in smaller (1 to 19 employees) and bigger companies (500+ employees) are those that generally telework the most, whilst the more senior a position one holds, the more likely one is to work remotely. Yet, this seems to be because those in higher positions tend to be more experienced and, therefore, the more comfortable companies are with their ability to work on their own.
The benefits of teleworking
Companies that offer remote work do so because technology allows them to do it (70 per cent). Better work-life balance (54 per cent) and reduced stress levels (43 per cent) seemed to be the main practical benefits of implementing teleworking, as well as increased employee satisfaction (51 per cent) and work being completed more quickly (46 per cent). On the other side of the spectrum, feelings of isolation and loneliness amongst those working from home and lack of social interaction (29 per cent), increase in the actual number of working hours (25 per cent), technological glitches (25 per cent) and deterioration in communication (24 per cent) were the most common issues reported by those offering teleworking or working remotely themselves.
Success factors
The success or failure of teleworking depends on the culture of the company. Those interviewed for this report believed that without mutual trust between the employer and the employee, and constant and open communication, teleworking cannot succeed. Firms, therefore, need to have a very clear definition of what teleworking means, what is expected from each party, and how often and what kind of positions can telework. Moreover, businesses must put in place clear and regular mechanisms of communication to avoid isolation issues, lack of information and communication failure.
Culture, management and communication
Companies also need to train their staff in essential managerial skills such as delegation and communication. If teleworking is about giving employees more responsibility, managers need to know how to manage from a distance. They also need to know how to recognise the work of those who are not always physically present and to establish continuous, open communication between their reportee(s) and themselves, and between the members of the team, regardless of their physical location.
Promoting Higher Apprenticeships in management and leadership will contribute to good practice amongst the workforce, whilst sending a strong message to employers about the importance of good management for the future of the business itself, as it helps to ensure the generational takeover of the company, and provides it with the skills required to take the firm to the next level of growth.
The effort and time spent in implementing teleworking must be seen as an investment, rather than a cost. Teleworking adds to the resilience of the business, as companies can continue to function beyond eventualities such as transport delays or extreme weather, adding to the overall competitiveness of the wider economy.
Moreover, teleworking can enhance the opportunities for expansion, as it enables growing firms to do so incrementally and without having to take on too many expenses, such as rent or employment costs, at one time. It also makes easier and more cost-effective international collaborations, as firms do not need to have offices in different countries and are more flexible to adapt to different time zones.
The importance of technology
For all this to happen, however, investment in technological infrastructure across the country is needed. If businesses are expected to work from anywhere, at any time, they need to have access to quality, high-speed broadband connection so the demand for remote working can be met without any technological limitations.
Full text: (PDF 20pp)
Enterprise and entrepreneurship in English higher education: 2010 and beyond
an article by David Rae (University of Lincoln, UK) Lynn Martin, (Manchester Metropolitan University Business School) Valerie Antcliff, (Manchester Metropolitan University) and Paul Hannon (National Centre for Entrepreneurship Education, Coventry) published in Journal of Small Business and Enterprise Development Volume 19 Issue 3 (2012)
Abstract
Purpose
This article aims to report the results of a complete survey of enterprise education in all higher education institutions (HEIs) in England, undertaken in 2010 by the Institute for Small Business & Entrepreneurship (ISBE) on behalf of the National Council for Graduate Entrepreneurship (NCGE). The survey builds on prior work undertaken by the NCGE in England in 2006 and in 2007.
Design/methodology/approach
The survey aimed to establish a complete picture of curricular and extra-curricular enterprise and entrepreneurship education. The survey uses a similar structure to the previous survey, enabling comparison to be made with enterprise provision over the 2006-2010 period, as well as with the 2008 European survey of entrepreneurship in HE.
Findings
The results provide a stock-take of enterprise education provision in participating HEIs and highlight the connections in institutional strategies between enterprise education, incubation/new venture support, graduate employability, innovation and academic enterprise. The paper reveals “hotspots” and gaps in enterprise provision and offers “benchmarks” for the sector.
Research limitations/implications
The article offers a summary of the implications for the future development and sustainability of enterprise education in HE, in relation to policy, funding and other changes in the sector. It also considers these issues in relation to recommendations from professional educators and government policy for future development of enterprise in HE and comments on the policy impact of this work.
Originality/value
The timing of the survey, in May-July 2010, was important as it reflected the end of a period of over ten years of sustained investment in enterprise in higher education by the previous Labour government in the UK, through a range of funding initiatives. As major public expenditure reductions in support for HE and enterprise activity followed, this represented the “high water mark” of publicly funded enterprise activity in the HE sector, and raised the question of how enterprise education and support activities would become sustainable for the future. The report analyses existing provision, assesses its development over the 2006-2010 period, and provides conclusions and recommendations covering future policy, development, resourcing, and sustainability of enterprise and entrepreneurship provision in higher education.
Abstract
Purpose
This article aims to report the results of a complete survey of enterprise education in all higher education institutions (HEIs) in England, undertaken in 2010 by the Institute for Small Business & Entrepreneurship (ISBE) on behalf of the National Council for Graduate Entrepreneurship (NCGE). The survey builds on prior work undertaken by the NCGE in England in 2006 and in 2007.
Design/methodology/approach
The survey aimed to establish a complete picture of curricular and extra-curricular enterprise and entrepreneurship education. The survey uses a similar structure to the previous survey, enabling comparison to be made with enterprise provision over the 2006-2010 period, as well as with the 2008 European survey of entrepreneurship in HE.
Findings
The results provide a stock-take of enterprise education provision in participating HEIs and highlight the connections in institutional strategies between enterprise education, incubation/new venture support, graduate employability, innovation and academic enterprise. The paper reveals “hotspots” and gaps in enterprise provision and offers “benchmarks” for the sector.
Research limitations/implications
The article offers a summary of the implications for the future development and sustainability of enterprise education in HE, in relation to policy, funding and other changes in the sector. It also considers these issues in relation to recommendations from professional educators and government policy for future development of enterprise in HE and comments on the policy impact of this work.
Originality/value
The timing of the survey, in May-July 2010, was important as it reflected the end of a period of over ten years of sustained investment in enterprise in higher education by the previous Labour government in the UK, through a range of funding initiatives. As major public expenditure reductions in support for HE and enterprise activity followed, this represented the “high water mark” of publicly funded enterprise activity in the HE sector, and raised the question of how enterprise education and support activities would become sustainable for the future. The report analyses existing provision, assesses its development over the 2006-2010 period, and provides conclusions and recommendations covering future policy, development, resourcing, and sustainability of enterprise and entrepreneurship provision in higher education.
Female Employment and Fertility - The Effects of Rising Female Wages
a CEP Discussion Paper (No 1156 (July 2012)) by Christian Siegel (Centre for Economic Performance, London School of Economics and Political Science)
Abstract
Increases in female employment and falling fertility rates have often been linked to rising female wages. However, over the last 30 years the US total fertility rate has been fairly stable while female wages have continued to grow. Over the same period, we observe that women’s hours spent on housework have declined, but men’s have increased.
I propose a model with a shrinking gender wage gap that can capture these trends.
While rising relative wages tend to increase women’s labour supply and, due to higher opportunity cost, lower fertility, they also lead to a partial reallocation of home production from women to men, and a higher use of labour-saving inputs into home production.
I find that both these trends are important in understanding why fertility did not decline to even lower levels. As the gender wage gap declines, a father’s time at home becomes more important for raising children.
When the disutilities from working in the market and at home are imperfect substitutes, fertility can stabilize, after an initial decline, in times of increasing female market labour. That parents can acquire more market inputs into child care is what I find important in matching the timing of fertility. In a mode l extension, I show that the results are robust to intrahousehold bargaining.
JEL Classifications: D13, E24, J13, J22
Full text (PDF 56pp)
See also: Clash of Career and Family: fertility decisions after job displacement
Abstract
Increases in female employment and falling fertility rates have often been linked to rising female wages. However, over the last 30 years the US total fertility rate has been fairly stable while female wages have continued to grow. Over the same period, we observe that women’s hours spent on housework have declined, but men’s have increased.
I propose a model with a shrinking gender wage gap that can capture these trends.
While rising relative wages tend to increase women’s labour supply and, due to higher opportunity cost, lower fertility, they also lead to a partial reallocation of home production from women to men, and a higher use of labour-saving inputs into home production.
I find that both these trends are important in understanding why fertility did not decline to even lower levels. As the gender wage gap declines, a father’s time at home becomes more important for raising children.
When the disutilities from working in the market and at home are imperfect substitutes, fertility can stabilize, after an initial decline, in times of increasing female market labour. That parents can acquire more market inputs into child care is what I find important in matching the timing of fertility. In a mode l extension, I show that the results are robust to intrahousehold bargaining.
JEL Classifications: D13, E24, J13, J22
Full text (PDF 56pp)
See also: Clash of Career and Family: fertility decisions after job displacement
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