Young people’s pathways into work On 28 September 2017 a team of researchers from various Midlands’ universities launched their preliminary findings report Present Tense, Future Imperfect: Young people’s pathways into work at the final event for an ESRC project on Precarious Pathways into Work for Young People. The event was chaired by Matthew Taylor, following … Continue reading “Young people’s pathways into work”
Connectivity and growth – are Engines, Powerhouses, Combined authorities the solution?
“If devolution is a journey, the current deals are not the destination”, was an underlying theme in the discussion at the City-REDI sponsored the Labour Party Conference fringe event on connectivity and growth (organised by Devo Connect). The current approach of making cities and (as Sir John Peace pointed out) other areas compete for limited … Continue reading “Connectivity and growth – are Engines, Powerhouses, Combined authorities the solution?”
Supporting more inclusive employment outcomes in growth sectors
In National Inclusion Week and as part of The Work Foundation’s autumn event series, on 27th September City REDI’s Anne Green, with Paul Sissons from Coventry University and Neil Lee from the LSE, presented findings and discussed policy implications from their ESRC-funded research project on Harnessing Growth Sectors for Poverty Reduction: What Work to Reduce Poverty Through … Continue reading “Supporting more inclusive employment outcomes in growth sectors”
Smart Cities
Given that by 2050 approximately two thirds of the world’s total population will be living in cities, we have to make cities creative, innovative and sustainable places to do business. This emphasises the importance of ‘smart cities’, and we recommend the following: Developing the right kinds of skills and expertise is central to unlocking opportunities … Continue reading “Smart Cities”
City REDI round up
It’s been a busy month for the City-REDI team. Here’s a round-up of what we’ve been up to… Local and Central Government: On the invitation of the Mayor of Birmingham, Andy Street, Professor Simon Collinson has joined the ‘West Midlands Funding for Growth Commission’. The Commission met on Monday 4th September 2017 and will work … Continue reading “City REDI round up”
New City REDI publications series
As part of a new blog series, we will be highlighting the excellent research produced by the City-REDI team since 2015, with the aim of creating an online searchable library. You can view this work by searching the blog with the relevant tag, either using the name of the author or the year of the publication. We … Continue reading “New City REDI publications series”
City REDI to host two fringe events at the Labour and Conservative party conferences
City REDI is hosting fringe events at the Labour and Conservative party conferences this autumn, called “Devo Question Time: Connectivity and Growth”. The events, being organised by Devo Connect, focus on transport and connectivity, which have become vital issues where Metro Mayors can have a real impact on the economic growth of their cities. With … Continue reading “City REDI to host two fringe events at the Labour and Conservative party conferences”
City REDI and the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce (GBCC) to produce economic review of the region
City REDI and GBCC are working together to produce the second annual Birmingham Economic Review. It promises to build on the first review which provided a unique insight into Birmingham’s economic geography, skills, key sectors and opportunities and challenges facing the region. Professor Simon Collinson, director of City-REDI, said: “This report, and our broader partnership … Continue reading “City REDI and the Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce (GBCC) to produce economic review of the region”
What should the Mayor do on skills & housing?
Skills is a significant issue for the West Midlands but it’s structural and deep seated nature means 100 days of Mayoral activity is only the start. Solutions are long term and require fundamental changes to the regional economy, labour market and delivery structures. It’s vital the Mayor puts in place a programme of change that … Continue reading “What should the Mayor do on skills & housing?”
Shedding new light on innovation policy
The following piece was written by City-REDI’s Max Nathan, for the What Works Centre. Industrial strategy is one of the big issues for the What Works Centre and its local partners and innovation is one of the main themes of industrial strategies in the UK, and around the world. Public policy plays a number of important … Continue reading “Shedding new light on innovation policy”