The Birmingham Economic Review was produced in October 2017 by City-REDI, the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce and the West Midlands Growth Company. The review highlights the current strengths and weakness of the Birmingham economy, as well as looking at the opportunities and threats that might impact upon it in the future. This is a commentary on Chapter 7 of … Continue reading “The Birmingham Economic Review 2017: Skills and Labour Market”
Month: December 2017
Growing and Aligning Demand and Supply of Skills for Inclusive Growth
A key challenge for the UK and its regions and cities is low productivity vis-à-vis competitors. Employers are not necessarily investing in capital: uncertainty is a key factor here. But employment levels are at historic highs at 75.3% in September 2017, with 32.14 million people in employment. Unemployment rates have fallen: a rate of 4.3%, the … Continue reading “Growing and Aligning Demand and Supply of Skills for Inclusive Growth”
Is the government’s new industrial strategy really a game changer?
The blog was first published in the NS Tech, part of the New Statesman. The reality is when dealing with productivity there are fundamental drivers academia and policy have recognised for a long time, so making the next iteration of policy different and new is incredibly hard. The government’s industrial strategy white paper is no different; there is … Continue reading “Is the government’s new industrial strategy really a game changer?”