In this blog, Peter Kenway, Director for the New Policy Institute discusses their new report looking at the state of economic justice in Birmingham and the Black Country. NPI’s new report on economic justice, published by the Barrow Cadbury Trust, assembles the statistics to tell a story that people who live in Birmingham and the … Continue reading “Economic Justice in Birmingham and the Black Country Shows That Levelling-up Needs to Focus on People Not Areas”
Author: Guest blogger
A First Look at Quantifying Skills Pathways
In this blog, Alex Smith from the West Midlands Combined Authority looks at what data can tell us about where in the education and skills system, social mobility is the strongest, and where it is weakest. This blog is an introduction to the WM REDI project “Understanding and Addressing Skills Impacts and Needs“. The project … Continue reading “A First Look at Quantifying Skills Pathways”
Anchor Networks in Practice:“Why?” to “How?”
This is the first in a series of blogs exploring the mechanisms for anchor institution networks to deliver on their aspiration to create and reinforce local economic ties. View the second blog. Conrad Parke, Birmingham Anchor Network Coordinator, explores the mechanisms of turning buy-in into action. This blog was first published on the CLES website. … Continue reading “Anchor Networks in Practice:“Why?” to “How?””
International Trade Is the Key to Economic Recovery in the West Midlands
Welcome to REDI-Updates. REDI-Updates is a bi-annual publication which will get behind the data and translate it into understandable terms. In this edition, WM REDI staff and guest contributors will discuss some of the key topics when trying to understand the long-term economic impacts of the pandemic. In this article, Matthew Lowe, from the Black Country … Continue reading “International Trade Is the Key to Economic Recovery in the West Midlands”
The Impact of COVID-19 on Homelessness
What impact has Coronavirus and the lockdown had on homelessness in the UK? Maryna Ramcharan from the West Midlands Combined Authority discusses a paradigm shift in policy dealing with homelessness but notes that we have still not eradicated it completely. The eviction ban has been extended until 20 September 2020 On 21 August 2020 government … Continue reading “The Impact of COVID-19 on Homelessness”
Devolution and Local Recovery
Kevin Johnson, Managing Director of strategic communications firm Urban Communications, looks at the Government’s upcoming White Paper on Devolution. Will the government propose to increase powers for local authorities or continue a policy of delegation rather than devolution? The Government is set to publish a White Paper this Autumn on Devolution. As well as building … Continue reading “Devolution and Local Recovery”
Informing Regional Recovery With Community Priorities: WM Citizens’ Panel
Anna Humphreys and Adam Hawksbee from the West Midlands Combined Authority explain why the West Midlands Recovery Coordination Group set up a panel of citizens to help with the recovery in the region, as well as the findings from the group, and what they prioritised. Over the past few months, the UK Government has asked an … Continue reading “Informing Regional Recovery With Community Priorities: WM Citizens’ Panel”
Brexit and UK Manufacturing
Manufacturing is still important The UK is largely seen as a ‘service-based’ economy, which means that services – such as financial, legal, research & development (R&D), real estate and so on – account for the bulk of economic output and employment. Manufacturing, on the other hand, only formally accounts for around 10% of the economy … Continue reading “Brexit and UK Manufacturing”
Rental Market Liquidity in Birmingham and Coventry: What Will Happen in the Next Few Months?
In this blog, Dr Okan Yilmaz, Professor Sasha Talavera and Dr Joy Jia examine the impact student housing demand has on rental markets in Birmingham and Coventry and how COVID-19 might change this. As with many other markets, the real estate market follows predictable seasonal patterns every year. It heats up during hot periods and winds … Continue reading “Rental Market Liquidity in Birmingham and Coventry: What Will Happen in the Next Few Months?”
Implementing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): The Lessons for Cities From International Examples
In this blog, Taichi Kato explains Sustainable Development Goals, why they are important for cities and how they can be implemented. The “Sustainable Development Goals” or “SDGs” for short. You probably have come across this term recently on the news, at school, or perhaps in your workplace. Indeed, an increasing number of local governments have … Continue reading “Implementing Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs): The Lessons for Cities From International Examples”