We work with schools and colleges to encourage understanding of economics and other social science issues, and help motivate students considering further study in the area. Whilst we seek to respond where possible to requests for speakers, our preference is to work with groups of schools to support events which can attract the large numbers of participants from across a range of institutions.
Examples of such events included our working with the Royal Economic Society and Woodhouse College (Finchley) to organise a North London Schools Day in December 2018. Year 12 and 13 students from eight schools heard talks from NIESR Director Professor Jagjit Chadha, Dr Rhiannon Sowerbutts (Bank of England), Sarah Billingham (Government Economic Service), Dr Babak Somekh (University of Bristol), Romesh Vaitilingam (RES), Dr Lea Samek (NIESR and Kings College London) and Dr Michela Vecchi (Middlesex University and NIESR).
The same month saw NIESR host a visit from the Sixth Form of Drayton Manor High School, an academy school located in Hanwell, West London. Forty of so students, some actively considering a degree in Economics, listen to presentations by Professor Chadha, NIESR Economist Thomas Lazarowicz, Dr Samek and NIESR Research Director Professor Peter Dolton on subjects ranging from the productivity puzzle to public finance ending in a thought-provoking segment on the value of going to university.
NIESR welcomes enquiries from schools and individuals about any aspect of outreach activity, and also from organisations who might be interested in sponsoring such events.