We are delighted to be supported by a project advisory board, comprised of academic and stakeholder representatives with expertise in the areas of gender, youth and work. You can learn more about the members below:

Ashley Austin: Ashley is the Research and Evaluation Lead at Young Women’s Trust, a charity aiming to create a more equal world of work for young women. She leads Young Women’s Trust team of peer researchers who shape and conduct research with other young women to understand their experiences and the challenges they face.

Dr Fiona Christie: I am a careers professional who has moved into an academic career combining research and lecturing (based at Manchester Metropolitan University). My professional life included extensive advice and guidance, teaching and management in higher education, having originally qualified and practised in the secondary/further education sector. In my research life I completed my part-time PhD in Educational Research (Higher Education) with Lancaster University in 2018. My research and teaching are in the areas of employability, career development, higher education, work, employment and young people.

Gill Frigerio is Associate Professor in the Centre for Lifelong Learning where she leads on professional development programmes for career development practitioners.  A former practitioner and career service manager she is currently working on women’s working lives and faith, career and calling.

Lauren Mistry is the Deputy CEO of Youth Employment UK, a national organisation tackling youth unemployment. Passionate about putting youth voice at the heart of solutions Lauren leads the national Youth Voice Census. 

Phillip Mizen: Phil is Professor in Sociology at Aston University. Phil’s research focuses on children and young people with a particular interest in child work and youth labour, the informal sector, political protest and qualitative research methodology.

Eilish Peters: I am a Policy and Youth Voice Coordinator at Youth Employment UK. I work closely with our Youth Ambassadors and feed their views and experiences into our policy work.

Dr Signe Ravn is an Associate Professor in Sociology at Melbourne University. Her work explores processes of marginalisation and positions of marginality, with a focus on youth, gender, disadvantage and risk. DECRA research project website: www.girlsgrowingup.net 

Tracy Scurry is a Professor of Work and Employment at Newcastle University Business School. Current research embraces: graduate careers (notably graduates in ‘non-traditional’ graduate employment/underemployment), identity narratives of global workers and career development programmes. Her work seeks to reframe understandings about graduate careers by demonstrating their multi-level and relational nature. She is interested in exploring how individual and societal factors interplay to influence outcomes, current research examines how imbalances and inequalities frame career experiences.

Dr Jessica Simpson is a Lecturer in Sociology at the University of Greenwich. Her research explores Higher Education and gendered work and employment, with a specific focus on student/graduate engagement in sex work and hospitality. 

Claire Toogood is Research and Insights Manager at the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services (AGCAS). Claire is also a visiting lecturer at Birmingham Newman University, a Visiting Scholar at Harper Adams University and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. Claire’s research work includes the 2024 AGCAS ‘What Happens Next?’ report, which reviewed the outcomes of disabled students graduating in the pandemic. Claire has also recently published a peer reviewed article on case study engagement principles, and is currently working on publications relating to career calling, and to third space professionals in higher education.

Dr Tracey Warren is a Professor of Sociology in the Nottingham University Business School. Her areas of research include work time, job quality, underemployment, atypical working, work-life balance, the division of domestic labour and, recently, the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic on work in/equalities.

Youth Advisory Group

Importantly, we are also supported by a youth advisory group, in partnership with the Young Women’s Trust, which is made up of members of their Peer Researcher Network. We are consulting with the youth advisory group several times a year, to support the development of our research plans and shape the analysis.