Podcasts presented by Nick Peters

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, Nick looks at British management and just how good it really is, alongside Patrick Woodman from the Chartered Management Institute. We look at the issue of runaway pay for executives and the practical and political issues this raise with Bobby Reddy, lecturer in company law at Cambridge university. With the internet constantly expanding and connecting more of us together, Nick discusses the idea that we are actually becoming more disconnected with Roger Gorman, Founder and CEO at ProFinda. And finally, Nick joins Mike Falconer from the Industrial Cadets, to discuss initiatives to get young people to study STEM subjects

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.

This week, whistleblowing, the continuing debate over how to define those who work in the gig economy, why some employers are doing themselves no favours by ignoring the wealth of talent among ex-service personnel and we ask if a new C Suite role should be created, the Chief Workplace Officer.

This week Nick talks to Ben Blackledge of WorldskillsUK about the Skills Show, the UK's biggest skills and careers fair taking place in Birmingham; Neil Withey, training centre director at the EEF on how business is starting to equip young people with the skills needed in the workplace; Bill Sullivan about IBM's recent challenge at Do It Day and its tool to trace missing persons more effectively, and Marina Lumley of Greengrass Consulting about a recent report which revealed the gender gap among executives shows no sign of narrowing.

This week’s Shop Floor comes from the NEC in Birmingham, where the UK’s top manufacturers have gathered to discuss the challenges they face and to exchange ideas about the automation revolution, or the ‘4th industrial revolution’. The Manufacturer Live comprises a conference, expo and The Manufacturer of the Year awards ceremony.

This week Nick talks to Lord Kenneth Baker about the allegedly failing University Technical College network, Rob Hiron of Kronos about the impact of the fourth industrial revolution on employees and Ana Karakusevic about how executive coaching is still relevant today. Plus, Share Radio reporter Matthew Cook speaks to Rowland Manthorpe about the attention economy.

This week Nick talks to Hannah Reed of the TUC on how self-employed workers' rights, Tony Robinson of Enterprise Rockers, former LibDem MP and founder of the Equal Power consultancy Jo Swinson and Jane Chesters of Orion Partners HR consultancy on why business often fails to implement good management practices.

Nick talks to the GMB Union about the tribunal being brought by Uber drivers, the UK's 'gig economy' in the 18th century, the RSA's commission to address Britain's social imbalance and the Georgetown students celebrating their Unsung Heroes.