Vanesa Fuertes

Vanesa Fuertes is a Research Fellow at the Business School of Edinburgh Napier University, with extensive expertise in labor market policy, employment services, and social cohesion. Her academic credentials include a BSc, MSc, and PhD, with her doctoral thesis focusing on Coordination in labour market policy: the influence of governance and institutional logics. She has been actively involved in significant research projects including the EU-funded LOCALISE project (2011-2014) with a value of £210,730.

• PhD in Labour Market Policy Coordination
• MSc in relevant social science field
• BSc in social sciences or related discipline

Dr. Fuertes' research centers on the complex interplay between governance structures and labor market outcomes, with particular emphasis on coordination challenges in employment service delivery. Her work examines how institutional logics shape policy implementation across different administrative levels and service providers. More recently, she has expanded her research to address demographic challenges, particularly the impact of aging populations on workforce dynamics in service sectors across different national contexts including Hong Kong.

Analysis of her publication record reveals a consistent trajectory in comparative labor market policy research, with increasing attention to demographic transformations and their implications for employment systems. Her work demonstrates a methodological preference for qualitative approaches including document analysis and semi-structured interviews, often employing cross-national comparison frameworks that examine policy implementation in the UK alongside other European countries.

Dr. Fuertes has secured substantial research funding from diverse sources including the European Commission, Skills Development Scotland, and the Scottish Government, demonstrating her ability to develop competitive research proposals addressing contemporary labor market challenges.

• EU-funded LOCALISE project (2011-2014, £210,730)
• The Impact of an Ageing Workforce on Employers in Hong Kong (2016-2017, £28,780)
• Women in ICT in Scotland (2015-2016, £26,650)
• EU PROGRESS: Social Experimentation for Active Ageing (2010-2012, £19,255)

As part of the Employment Research Institute at Edinburgh Napier University, Dr. Fuertes collaborates with an international network of researchers across six European countries. Her work with the LOCALISE consortium demonstrates her capacity to contribute to large-scale, multi-institutional research projects addressing complex social policy challenges related to social cohesion and integrated service delivery.