Podcasts from Shop Floor presented by Nick Peters related to Economics - UK

This week Nick looks at the gig economy in 18th century Britain, with Judy Stephenson, a researcher in economic history at Wadham College Oxford. Lord Baker slams the government's education policy as inadequate to the needs of industry. What does the fourth industrial revolution mean for business? We find out with Rob Hiron of Kronos and finally Gerwyn Davis, Labour Market Analyst at the CIPD, talks to Nick about shared parental leave.

This week on the Shop Floor, the world we live in is about to become super-connected to the Internet of Things, Nick explores some of the issues this raises with Nigel Upton. Do you fancy a career in wine? Nick visits the one place in the UK where you can actually get a wine qualification, Plumpton College on the Sussex Downs to meet Paul Harley. We discuss corporate governance with Laurie Fitzjohn Sykes, director of research at Tomorrow's Company and finally Nick finds out about the leadership lag the UK is facing with John Yates from the ILM

This week Nick looks into the autumn statement and how it has addressed the skills gap with Verity O’Keefe, from the EEF, employee engagement with Ian McVey from Qualtrics, the depleted skills base and the need for more engineers in the civil sector with Charley Whitelock and Darren James and finally the social sector with Adele Blakebrough from the Social Business Trust.

On Shop Floor, in association with the Inspirational Development Group, Nick Peters analyses the effect of Brexit on Microbusinesses with Tony Robinson OBE in this time of uncertainty. Kate Jacobs, Editor of HR Magazine, explains how HR departments can provide a vital role in leadership for businesses in the post-Brexit climate. Despite these unsteady times Charlotte Cassedanne, Communications Manager at Power to Change, says Business Communities can unite others and have a positive impact on local people. Charlotte Hollins, who runs the community business Fordhall Farm, explains the story behind the farm and the financial obstacles she had to face to make the it a success. Finally, Kirsten Samuel, Managing Director of Kamwell, highlights the impact of men's mental health problems, particularly suicide, on businesses.

On this week's Shop Floor, in association with the Inspirational Development Group, Nick Peters looks at presenteeism- people who turn up to work but are not fully engaged in their tasks- with Professor Derek Mowbray of the Management Advisory Service. Michelle McQuaid, psychologist and writer, explores the concept of grit and how it can be applied to the workplace; meanwhile Tony Nevin, Director of Employee Benefits at Mazars, discusses how the Employee Value Proposition can be used as a tool to recruit new talent in businesses. Craig Preston, Managing Director at IDG, expresses his opinions on Brexit and looks over the some of the topics that were covered on the programme this month.

This week on Shop Floor, in association with the Inspirational Development Group, Nick Peters looks at the role of unions in business with Tony Devlin, National Officer for Unite the Union, and Luke Primarolo, Regional Officer for Unite the Union. Guy Standing, Professor of Development Studies at SOAS, discusses zero-hour contracts and the rise of a new social class, the precariat, whose working lives are filled with uncertainty and doubt. Craig Preston, Managing Director at IDG, explains why businesses should nurture their staff's passions in order to learn new skills about leadership and teamwork.

On this week's Shop Floor, in association with the Inspirational Development Group, Nick Peters looks at how Plant Manager John Reid saved Michelin plant in Dundee from failing. Grant Jamieson, MD of Winkworth Machinery, explains why there is a large leadership gap in the manufacturing industry, while Martin Campbell of Credit HQ discusses their recent survey on how much difficulty late payment can cause to small businesses. Finally, Mike Beesley, RSG’s Managing Director, explains how dangerous it can be to let a moaning culture develop in the workplace.

On this week's Shop Floor, in partnership with the Inspirational Development Group, Ken Cowen, founder of the charity The School of Hard Knocks, explains how young men and women who have been neglected by society are given a chance to regain esteem and drive, to help them get a job. Nick Peters discusses the importance of Inclusive Leadership, a new Inspirational Development Group workshop, with Senior IDG Consultant, Johanne Malin. Paul Harris, Co-Founder of Bright HR, explains why many HR policies are not beneficial to employees; and Katie Jacobs, Editor of HR Magazine, looks back at the evolution of HR and the publication in the last 25 years.

Shop Floor, in association with the Inspirational Development Group, opens with an insight into the Queen Elizabeth Prize for Engineering. Lord John Browne, QE Prize Trustees and former Chief Executive of BP, explains what the award represents for the profession and why there needs to be a social change to encourage children to become engineers. Neil Pickering, Industry and Customer Insight Manager at Kronos, analyses how British businesses can avoid wasting over £60 billion a year on unnecessary admin, while Leeson Medhurst, Head of Workplace Consultancy at 360 Workplace, explains why office space can affect a company's productivity.

This week's Shop Floor, in association with the Inspirational Development Group, focuses on the expanding world of business and how it affects its employees. Nick Peters also looks at the pressures of middle management and why BAME workers with degrees are more likely to be unemployed than white workers. Nick is joined by Douglas Rushkoff, Professor of Media Theory and Digital Economics at City University New York; Penny de Valk, Managing Director Penna Talent Practice; Natasha Owusu, from the TUC, and Maxine Hurley, Member Engagement Manager at ENEI.