The Work Futures Research Centre Podcast

WFRC PhD candidate Fabien (HR professional turned academic) is in conversation with Professor Michael Tomlinson (Southampton Education School) as they tackle questions related to the concept of Meaningful Work:What even is meaningful work—and how do individuals and society benefit?What happens when work feels hollow or disconnected?And crucially, how can we bring meaning back into the workplace?From exploring the philosophical foundations to the modern ideas of “bullshit jobs,” and "quiet quitting,", this thoughtful episode blends research, real-world insight, and hopeful musings for the future. 

In this podcast Dan Ashton (Professor of Cultural and Creative Industries at the University of Southampton and one of Work Futures Research Centre Co-Directors) and Dr Karen Patel (Associate Professor in Media in the College of English and Media and Co-Lead of the Centre for Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in the Arts (CEDIA) at Birmingham City University) explore the relationship between Artificial Intelligence (AI) and creative work. Set within the quickly changing landscape of AI and the creative industries where there are ongoing debates around intellectual property, the nature of creativity and the impact on work practices, this podcast explores their research on construction of a humanoid robot artist identity.References:Will a robot take your job? The Future of Employment AI and the reformulation of cultural labour            Creative Industries and GenAI: Policy recommendations to support an industry in transition Assemblages of creativity: Material practices in the creative economy Creative Work and Artificial Intelligence: Imaginaries, Assemblages and Portfolios The Politics of Expertise in Cultural Labour: Arts, Work, Inequalities ‘People don’t buy art, they buy artists’: Robot artists – work, identity, and expertise 

Dr Ben Thomas talks to Emily about a recent report from the Software Sustainability Institute (SSI) which examines what skills software engineering graduates bring to industry, and what skills employers say are missing. They discuss the reasons behind any skills gaps, and the varying roles that higher education, industry, and government might play in bridging these skill gaps in the context of today's higher education landscape.The SSI report was worked on by:Dr Ben Thomas (Researcher)Dr Rebecca Taylor (Principle Investigator)Professor Simon Hettrick (Co-Investigator)Dr Clare Jenner (Co-Investigator)Note from Ben: Apologies for the sound quality in this episode. I'm normally behind the microphone making sure the sound levels are correct – I was obviously distracted having to speak, so my voice is distorted at times. I hope you can still enjoy the episode!

In this episode of the WFRC podcast, Maria Villares-Varela talks with Ben Brindle about the impact of Brexit and the new immigration law on migration fluxes to and from the UK, and on the British job market. The conversation reveals how unintended, and often untold, consequences of post-Brexit migration policies affect employment differently from what the national headlines usually tell us. 

In this introductory episode, Emily and Michele speak with one of the WFRC directors, Dr Rebecca Taylor. Rebecca gives us a history of the research centre, and explores our plans for this academic year.