Abstract
Migration plays an important role in determining skills supply, and certain ethnic groups tend to be over-represented in low-paid work. This article considers the implications of the complex interplay of migration, ethnicity and workplace progression for skills policy by comparing and contrasting the opportunities faced by low-paid workers of diverse ethnicities in progressing to better paid work. This is done by drawing on a qualitative study of nine case study organisations in Scotland and England, including interviews with sixty-five workers and forty-three managers. We argue that while all low-paid workers face formidable barriers to progression, recent migrants and settled ethnic minorities face additional challenges that should be considered in skills and wider social policies related to low-paid work.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 509-522 |
Number of pages | 14 |
Journal | Social Policy and Society |
Volume | 14 |
Issue number | 4 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | E-pub ahead of print - 13 Nov 2014 |
Keywords
- Migration
- Ethnicity
- Progression
- Low-paid work
- Skills policy