New Approaches to studying the link between education and the labour market: using big data to explore employer demands

4.15 to 5.45 pm, 16 June 2016, Room 639, UCL Institute of Education, 20 Bedford Way, London WC1H 0AL

Presenter: Professor Manuel Souto-Otero

A large body of sociological research examines the relationship between educational qualifications and a range of social outcomes -including employment outcomes. An interesting development in recent times is a clear surge in interest within social mobility and social stratification research in ”unpacking’ the role of employers in the allocation of occupational positions and associated rewards. After all, it is employers and not teachers who make hiring decisions. The session will explore the approaches that sociologists are employing to study the link between education and the labour market and the types of questions that are being addressed to move forward the debate in this area. It will then focus, specifically, on the potential and limitations of big data to explore those questions, and will illustrate this with reference to my current research, in collaboration with Phil Brown, examining mis(conceptions) of merit in the UK labour market.

Dr. Manuel Souto-Otero is Senior Lecturer in Social Sciences (Education) at Cardiff University. Prior to this he worked at the University of Bath. His current research interests are: education and the future of work, education and values, and internationalisation in education -in particular European education policy-making. His work has appeared in Educational Researcher, Evidence and Policy, the Journal of Education Policy and Comparative Education Review, amongst other journals. His has recently co-edited two books: ‘The Palgrave Handbook of Higher Education Policy and Governance’ and ‘Evaluating European education policy-making: privatization, networks and the European Commission’. Over the past 15 years he has also undertaken a large body of work for the European Commission, the European Parliament, Cedefop, the OECD, the European Youth Forum and other international and national organisations in his areas of interest. He is an Associate Editor of the Journal of Education and Work, and a member of the editorial board of the British Journal of Sociology of Education.

The seminar is free to attend, but prior registration would be helpful: please contact  to book a place.