The Birmingham and Solihull LEP Area – A Profile

Dr Abigail Taylor provides an economic snapshot of the Birmingham and Solihull LEP area following the five foundations of the Industrial Strategy: Ideas, People, Infrastructure, Business Environment and Place. As part of the Midlands Engine Economic Observatory work, WM REDI and the Black Country Consortium Economic Intelligence Unit developed Local Economic Partnership (LEP) level profiles. … Continue reading “The Birmingham and Solihull LEP Area – A Profile”

The Impact of Covid-19 on Jobs and Skills in Birmingham

Dr Abigail Taylor discusses the impact of COVID-19 on jobs and skills in Birmingham, an area with large automotive and education sectors and a younger than average population. This blog post has been produced to provide insight into the findings of the Birmingham Economic Review. The Birmingham Economic Review 2020 is produced by City-REDI / WM REDI, University of … Continue reading “The Impact of Covid-19 on Jobs and Skills in Birmingham”

Lifelong Learning: A Current and Future Imperative

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, Dr Abigail Taylor discusses the importance … Continue reading “Lifelong Learning: A Current and Future Imperative”

Regional Assets and COVID-19 Impacts

This blog is based on a review of assets carried out as part of the Midlands Engine Independent Economic Review and the development of LEP profiles. We have also looked at what the major risks are to those assets going forward. You can find full details in the State of the Region 2020.  Tourism Assets … Continue reading “Regional Assets and COVID-19 Impacts”

How Can the UK Learn From Different International Skills Systems to Develop Post-Compulsory Education?

In this blog, Dr Abigail Taylor discusses her new report “Skills System International Case Studies” which identifies the key features and challenges of different international skills systems. For the third paper resulting from my recent ESRC-funded secondment to the Industrial Strategy Council, I produced case studies of the post-compulsory education systems in Canada, France, Japan, the Netherlands … Continue reading “How Can the UK Learn From Different International Skills Systems to Develop Post-Compulsory Education?”

How Can We Mitigate the Impact of the COVID-19 Unemployment Crisis Through Lifelong Learning?

A new report by City-REDI and the Industrial Strategy Council presents evidence on some of the skills challenges facing the UK and how they might be addressed. Dr Abigail Taylor considers the key points in the report that are relevant to the West Midlands as it seeks to plan its recovery from the COVID-19 crisis. … Continue reading “How Can We Mitigate the Impact of the COVID-19 Unemployment Crisis Through Lifelong Learning?”

When It Comes to Inclusive Growth, Place Definitely Matters. And Here’s Why

Welcome to REDI-Updates. REDI-Updates is a bi-annual publication which will get behind the data and translate it into understandable terms. WM REDI staff and guest contributors will discuss various topics, with this first publication focusing on how inclusive growth can be a tool to tackle regional imbalances across the UK.  In this article, Dr Abigail … Continue reading “When It Comes to Inclusive Growth, Place Definitely Matters. And Here’s Why”

The Role of Short-Time Working Schemes in Mitigating the Impact of Financial Crises: Learning From France and Germany

Current approaches France and Germany have introduced large financial rescue packages to seek to lessen the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on their economies. Bruno Le Maire, the French Finance Minister, has announced an aid package to help businesses and employees worth over 300 billion Euros. The German Federal and state governments have announced measures … Continue reading “The Role of Short-Time Working Schemes in Mitigating the Impact of Financial Crises: Learning From France and Germany”

New Research From the Midlands Engine Economic Observatory Examines the Drivers, Opportunities and Barriers Facing the Midlands

We are happy to announce that the Midlands Engine is today publishing key outputs from the Midlands Engine Economic Observatory (MEEO). The MEEO is a partnership led by City-REDI, which includes Nottingham Trent University, the Black Country Consortium, SQW, and Cambridge Econometrics. It aims to provide essential research capacity and grow contemporary insights into the … Continue reading “New Research From the Midlands Engine Economic Observatory Examines the Drivers, Opportunities and Barriers Facing the Midlands”

City-REDI Book Club – The Wealth and Poverty of Cities: Why Nations Matter

As the COVID-19 pandemic forces people to stay at home, it is increasingly changing our ways of living and working. Major phone networks and internet providers in the UK have reported a surge in demand whilst the online streaming platform Netflix has reduced its streaming quality to respond to increased traffic. Remote working tools such … Continue reading “City-REDI Book Club – The Wealth and Poverty of Cities: Why Nations Matter”