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Workers making shoes in a cluttered factory.

Modern slavery and digital technology in ‘Fast Fashion’: the transparency dividend

Dr Jonathan Daves - author headshotRose BroadAuthor photograph By , and Filed Under: All posts, Science and Technology, Work Posted:

Modern slavery and exploitation are critical challenges in the UK garment manufacturing and fast fashion sectors, which continue to require urgent attention from policymakers and regulatory agencies. Despite the potential for digital technology to enhance supply chain transparency, its effectiveness in mitigating labour exploitation is under-researched and underutilised. In this article, Dr Jon Davies, Professor […]

Supermarket aisle with unhealthy food

The childhood obesity crisis – driven by deprivation?

Rachel Griffith By Filed Under: All posts, British Politics, UK economy Posted:

Children growing up in the most deprived areas of the UK are over twice as likely to be obese as children growing up in the least deprived areas. Obesity and associated malnutrition in childhood can have significant long-term impacts on physical and psychological health, and on children’s long-term social and economic outcomes. In this article, […]

Image of microfibres under a microscope.

Untangling the threads: addressing microfibre pollution

Headshot of Libby Allen. Libby pictured smiling in to camera, wearing black top.Headshot of Jingyi Li, pictured smiling into camera. By , and Filed Under: All posts, Environment, Science and Engineering Posted:

As clothes are washed and worn, tiny fibres below 5mm in length are broken off or released from the fabric itself, which are called microfibres. With increasing concerns over the persistence of this pollution, Libby Allen, Dr Claudia Henninger and Jingyi Li are exploring preventative solutions to reduce pollution released from the laundering of clothes. […]

A lead-acid solar home system battery being refurbished

Electricity access vs toxic lead pollution: tackling waste from solar power in sub-Saharan Africa

Dr Christopher KinallyDr Alejandro Gallego Schmid By and Filed Under: All posts, Energy and Environment, Environment, Science and Engineering Posted:

Millions of short-lived solar energy devices are being sold to households across sub-Saharan Africa each year as a strategy to increase access to electricity. However, the current lack of infrastructure to safely manage the resulting toxic waste flow raises significant environmental, human health, and social justice concerns. Here, Dr Christopher Kinally and Dr Alejandro Gallego […]

Can we upskill the health and social care workforce to meet the growing demand for digital transformation?

Dr Alan Davies headshot photoProfessor Angela Davies By and Filed Under: All posts, Digital Futures, Health and Care, Health and Social Care Posted:

There has been growing interest regarding the potential of digital transformation to aid the UK’s health and social care system in its ambition to meet modern demands placed upon it. But what skills do different employees in this sector need – and is the infrastructure in place to support them? Here, Dr Alan Davies and […]

Woman holding a baby while working

The Future of Work: Women’s Experiences of Employment in Greater Manchester

Anna SandersRosalind Shorrocks By and Filed Under: All posts, Inclusive Growth, Work, Working Futures Posted:

Women in Greater Manchester face a range of barriers relating to their employment. As of December 2022, 72% of women in Greater Manchester aged 16-64 were in employment, compared to 80% of men. Women’s economic activity in Greater Manchester is also lower than the national level, where 75% of women aged 16-64 are in employment. Increasing […]

Mind the gap: supporting prison leavers with mental illness

Dr Charlotte Lennox By , and Filed Under: All posts, Health and Care, Health and Social Care, Open Minds Posted:

Many people in prison have severe mental health problems, but what is being done to help these individuals resettle when released? And how can policy and practice reduce reoffending rates, while ensuring prison leavers with mental illnesses are given the support they need to reintegrate into the community? Here, Dr Jane Senior, Professor Jennifer Shaw, and Dr Charlotte […]

Torso of nurse using digital tablet

Implications of the digital revolution for the nursing workforce

Photograph of author Dawn DowdingPhotograph of author Sarah Skyrme By and Filed Under: All posts, Health and Social Care, Science and Technology Posted:

As the largest professional group in the healthcare workforce, nurses have been at the frontline of a digital transformation. In this article, from our publication Working Futures, Professor Dawn Dowding and Dr Sarah Skyrme assess what this means for the workforce and suggest policy interventions. Ambitions for all NHS organisations in England to be paperless […]

Locked up like adults – COVID-19 experiences for children in custodial settings

Dr Charlotte Lennox By Filed Under: All posts, Health and Care, Health and Social Care, Open Minds Posted:

During the early period of the pandemic, there was a lack of detailed guidance for many groups, including the secure estate. For children in custodial settings, this meant staff often applied measures intended for adult prisons, in lieu of any other information. Here, Dr Charlotte Lennox shares her research showing children in such settings were an invisible group […]

Temporary Workers sort asparagus in a production line

Precarious Work: The Consequences for Later Life Security

Kristian Fuzi By and Filed Under: All posts, Inclusive Growth, UK economy, Work, Working Futures Posted:

The concerning trend of precarious work is increasingly the focus of policymakers and researchers. Here, Kristian Fuzi and Professor Debora Price advocate for greater attention to the multiplicity of sectors and the widening age range of the workforce now affected by these working conditions.  Precarious work trends have serious consequences for the financial security of workers […]

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