We all think we know the internet right? It’s a vast playground where the very good and the very bad can occur. It’s an environment where political debate, memes, and likes all form the cohesion of discourse online. Yet I would dare say we don’t know the real impact the internet is having today on … Continue reading “How do the Internet and the Digital Realm Influence Political Discourse in the UK?”
Category: Government
West Midlands Economic Monitor: December 2019
December’s edition of the West Midlands Economic Monitor is now available for you to keep up to date with recent developments in the region. The headlines for this month’s monitor are: Headline West Midlands business activity—accounting for services and manufacturing—has fallen to 49.4, returning to contraction In 2018/19 there were 31,740 apprenticeship starts across the … Continue reading “West Midlands Economic Monitor: December 2019”
Making Inclusive Economic Growth Happen
This blog post has been produced to provide insight into the findings of the Birmingham Economic Review. The Birmingham Economic Review 2019 is produced by City-REDI, University of Birmingham and the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, with contributions from the West Midlands Growth Company. It is an in-depth exploration of the economy of England’s second … Continue reading “Making Inclusive Economic Growth Happen”
Towards an Integrated Transport Policy in the West Midlands
This blog post has been produced to provide insight into the findings of the Birmingham Economic Review. The Birmingham Economic Review 2019 is produced by City-REDI, University of Birmingham and the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, with contributions from the West Midlands Growth Company. It is an in-depth exploration of the economy of England’s second … Continue reading “Towards an Integrated Transport Policy in the West Midlands”
What is the State of Devolution Around the World?
Previous blogs in this devolution series have considered the political and economic benefits of devolving decision-making power, looked at the situation in England, with the new combined authorities and the office of the Mayor of London and the form devolution takes across in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. The next blog in the series looks at … Continue reading “What is the State of Devolution Around the World?”
Digital Skills as an Increasingly Important Component of the Skills Mix
This blog post has been produced to provide insight into the findings of the Birmingham Economic Review. The Birmingham Economic Review 2019 is produced by City-REDI, University of Birmingham and the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, with contributions from the West Midlands Growth Company. It is an in-depth exploration of the economy of England’s second … Continue reading “Digital Skills as an Increasingly Important Component of the Skills Mix”
Research Funding as a Driver of Growth
This blog post has been produced to provide insight into the findings of the Birmingham Economic Review. The Birmingham Economic Review 2019 is produced by City-REDI, University of Birmingham and the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce, with contributions from the West Midlands Growth Company. It is an in-depth exploration of the economy of England’s second … Continue reading “Research Funding as a Driver of Growth”
What is Transport Resilience?
Welcome to part three in our new series “What is…?” where we explain the language, terms and ideas used in our day-to-day work. Other blogs from the series include: What is GVA? What is Smart Specialisation? What are Industrial Clusters and Economies of Agglomeration? Definition and description Transport is necessary at the national and international … Continue reading “What is Transport Resilience?”
Employers Wary of Hiring Refugees and Migrants to Help Fill Shortages Need Help Understanding the Law
A recent survey I conducted of employers in Coventry in the West Midlands found that while 80% of the businesses we interviewed had hard-to-fill job vacancies, less than 5% had employed a refugee and nearly one-third had never even considered hiring one. Yet, for most refugees, integration into their new home is heavily dependent on … Continue reading “Employers Wary of Hiring Refugees and Migrants to Help Fill Shortages Need Help Understanding the Law”
Is the Government Going to ‘Make Buses Great Again’?
At the Conservative Party Conference, the Government seemed adamant to talk about buses. But, for what reason would the Government want to make buses a key transport-policy subject? At the conference, the Chancellor, Sajid Javid, proclaimed; “Buses haven’t been given the attention they deserve from politicians. But they are still the backbone of our public transport … Continue reading “Is the Government Going to ‘Make Buses Great Again’?”