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In the past few months in Britain, an unprecedented interest has been shown by The Government in the promotion of new opportunities for women to enter or re‐enter the labour market in the 1990‘s. This relatively sudden renewal of interest in equal opportunities derives from the anticipated reduction of labour supply of young people in the 1990’s. As Mr. John Patten, Home Office Minister colourfully argued “a demographic time bomb (is) ticking away under employers”(1). Due to a fall in the birth rate, the number of school leavers will fall by between 20% and 25% from 1991–1995(2).

To study the reasons why UK social enterprises are not yet fulfilling their potential due to the lack of support and trust on the part of key decision makers.

The study was based in Tees Valley, the southernmost sub‐region in northeast England, which has suffered from a decline in its traditional industries over the past 30 years. Reports the results of in‐depth qualitative interviews with 18 local authority economic regeneration officers and leading local strategic partnership managers across the five borough councils as key stakeholders across Tees Valley to explore potential barriers to the development of the social enterprises sector in this sub‐region. Explains that each interview focused on: perceived differences in the culture of the social enterprise sector compared with private business and the public sector; representation of the sector in key decision making in the sub‐region; the potential for developing entrepreneurship and foresight in the sector; and opinions on the level of support required for capacity building.

The results indicated that key stakeholders in the public sector assume that there is a value continuum between the voluntary and community sector, through the social enterprise sector, to the small and medium enterprise (SME) sector, while the assumption is also that the closer an organization is to the voluntary and community sector, the more likely that it will be driven by its social values. Supports the view that social enterprises are both “value led” and “market driven”.

Draws on previously unpublished data from a research project that aimed to assess the size, shape and scope of the social enterprise sector for Tees Valley Partnership.

From a study of graduates′ experiences after three years in the labour market, the author comments on differences between men and women in relation to occupational status and salary. Means of overcoming problems of women′s underemployment are examined (the study finds women to be at lower grades), namely through changes in the education system and initiatives for employees with families.

Assessing Equal Opportunities Policies. This is the title of an article by Sonia Lift in Volume 18, Number 1 of Personnel Review in which the strengths and weaknesses of equal opportunity codes are discussed, in the light of the recently issued Equal Opportunities Code of the Institute of Personnel Management.

When the new Internepcon Production Show and Conference opens its doors on 8th April 1986, at the NEC Birmingham, it will be the UK's first event to concentrate its product profile and conference sessions on electronics production line technology. To ensure that this exciting show is of even greater benefit to the visitors, the emphasis will be on production line technology in action, with many of the products actually operating on the stands.