Gemma Piercy

I am a qualitative researcher interested in policy analysis, the use of interviews in gathering empirical information and auto-ethnography. My research interests include: employment relations and tertiary/adult education and training, the changing nature of work, work identities and craft. As a labour studies and adult education trained academic I have investigated apprenticeship systems in Aotearoa New Zealand, Australia and Britain. I am currently working on a range of projects that traverse the macro level concept of skill formation and at the micro level workplace learning. My PhD research, completed in 2018, united my research interests on identity, the changing nature of work (economy and society) and craft through an investigation into the work identit(ies) of baristas as a case study of interactive service sector work. Currently I am named investigator on The expression, experience and transcendence of low skills in Aotearoa New Zealand, an MBIE Endeavour Grant funded project spanning five years over October 2019-2024 providing insights on the policy frameworks on adult education in Aotearoa New Zealand.