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This latest research, commissioned by the , aims to increase awareness of the benefits that adult education can bring to the nation's health and well-being. It also aims to stimulate dialogue on how central and devolved government policies and practices can ensure that adult education remains a strategic priority.

So much evidence points to the fact that adult education makes a significant contribution to the health and well-being of individuals and communities. It can be relied upon to assist in addressing national policy challenges such as encouraging and enabling individuals and families to take a more active role in their own health and well-being. However, this added-value contribution is at serious risk of being lost in a policy landscape pre-occupied with apprenticeships, skills and qualification reforms. Devolution presents some real opportunities in local economies to address the skills shortages expected to follow Brexit.

Our evidence points to three key messages:

• Adult education does help keep individuals well and supports longer and productive lives.
• Adult education does help meet major challenges such as: ageing, loneliness, long-term conditions, mental health and well-being and community cohesion.
• Adult education does help save money in the National Health Service (NHS) and the social care system.

Six recommendations are outlined in the report. These are aimed at local, regional and national policymakers, educationalists, NHS 'Sustainability and Transformation Partnerships' (STPs), Health and Well-Being Boards, Clinical Commissioning Group (CCGs), Local/Combined Authorities and Local Enterprise partnerships (LEPs) and others working in the Health and Social Care Sector. This report builds upon earlier research 'Adult Education: Too Important To Be Left To Chance' (2016).

Last year’s recommended that the UK Government establish a measure of job quality. IER Director Chris Warhurst has been invited to sit on a working group in support of that recommendation organised by the Carnegie Trust UK and co-chaired by Matthew Taylor. It is due to report in early summer 2018.

Alex Hall, Director and Chief Economist in the Department of Labor and Employment for the state of Colorado, will visit IER in February. Alex is an expert advisor to the Federal Bureau of Labor Statistics in the US and will work with Professor Rob Wilson to review Working Futures, ±õ·¡¸é’s flagship programme modelling the UK labour market and funded by the UK Government.

±õ·¡¸é’s Gaby Atfield, Erika Kispeter and Clare Lyonette have been commissioned by the (NEU) and to conduct research on sexism in UK schools.

The summarising the findings will be launched today (12 December 2017) at the Houses of Parliament.

Key findings from the research include:

• Over a third (37%) of girls at mixed-sex schools have been sexually harassed while at school.
• Over a third (34%) of primary school teachers say they witness gender stereotyping in their schools on at least a weekly basis.
• 64% of teachers in mixed-sex secondary schools hear sexist language in schools on at least a weekly basis.

• Students generally do not report sexism: only 14% of those who experienced sexual harassment told a teacher and 6% who heard the use of sexist language reported it.

UK Feminista and the NEU call on the Government, Ofsted and schools to take urgent action to challenge sexism and sexual harassment in schools. The report is based on a survey of 1508 secondary school students and 1634 teachers at secondary and primary schools in England and Wales. Discussion groups were also conducted with secondary school students.

Full report:

The British Academy has launched its .

IER was commissioned by the British Academy to conduct mixed-methods research to identify AHSS graduates’ and employers’ perceptions of their skills, the benefits of AHSS graduates to the economy and to society and the need for any further skills development. The research, involving a comprehensive review of existing literature, analysis of 3 different quantitative data sources, focus groups with 22 graduates and postgraduates, and interviews with 6 employers, found that graduates with more creative approaches to work will be highly valued in the future and, if AHSS graduates can combine their creativity with good technical skills, they will be highly sought after. Those with narrow skill sets are more likely to struggle in the labour market, except in niche areas where there may be a shortage of particular skills. The research was led by Dr Clare Lyonette, with Dr Wil Hunt and Beate Baldauf, and the has been published on the .