Working Lives Research Institute
January 2005 - June 2005
Ofcom Supported Project
Supported by Ofcom, this 6-month project seeks to develop greater understanding of the audio-visual industry. In particular, it considers the reasons why BME workers who are positively encouraged into the industry by both the industry and policy makers, then choose to leave the sector and where they go to. Speculation suggests there may be issues of continuing discrimination against experienced workers within internal labour markets - in internal promotions, in access to continuing training and in job-typing - and also in the external labour market.
Over a 6-month period from January to June 2005, the project will undertake:
· Initial desk based research will identify turnover issues in the industry and among BME groups in general
· In-depth face-to-face interviews with sector leavers
· Questionnaire survey of both BME and non-BME workers
· Focus groups of current BME AV sector workers to consider ‘What would make you consider leaving your existing firm/the industry as a whole?’
An advisory group of student and industry bodies, employers, trade unions and sector skills councils including SERTUC, BECTU, and Skillset has been set up to support and guide the project and help inform the research team on the significance for policy and practice of the research design.
The project is currently in its first phase of development with desk based research into turnover issues and identifying BME people who have recently left the industry.