A Partnership Approach: The Role of Employment Support and Skills in Levelling Up

Welcome to REDI-Updates. REDI-Updates aims to get behind the data and translate it into understandable terms. In this edition, WMREDI staff look at the government’s flagship policy – Levelling Up. We look at the challenge of implementing, understanding and measuring levelling up. In this blog, Professor Anne Green and Dr Abigail Taylor discuss the key … Continue reading “A Partnership Approach: The Role of Employment Support and Skills in Levelling Up”

Place-Based Employment Support Conference

On Thursday 16th June, 11:00-15:15, the Heseltine Institute at the University of Liverpool and City-REDI/ WMREDI at the University of Birmingham are co-hosting an event in Liverpool on the theme of Employment Support and Future Skills: Benefits of a Place-Based Approach. In the context of the government’s levelling up agenda and the opportunities and challenges … Continue reading “Place-Based Employment Support Conference”

Levelling Up: There Are International Success Stories the UK Should Look To

Welcome to REDI-Updates – providing expert data insights and clear policy guidance. In this edition, WMREDI staff look at the government’s flagship policy – Levelling Up. We look at the challenge of implementing, understanding and measuring this Levelling Up. In this blog, Dr Abigail Taylor looks at how the UK’s approach to levelling up compares … Continue reading “Levelling Up: There Are International Success Stories the UK Should Look To”

The National Minimum Wage: An International, National and Regional Perspective

Maryna Ramcharan and Abigail Taylor examine the National Minimum Wage in terms of how it compares to minimum wage rates internationally, its national impact and its implications for the West Midlands. The 1st of April 2022 marks the 23rd year since the introduction of the National Minimum Wage (NMW) in the UK by Tony Blair’s … Continue reading “The National Minimum Wage: An International, National and Regional Perspective”

Investing in Infrastructure: Best Practice From Bilbao to New South Wales

Abigail Taylor, Anne Green and Gina Coe discuss how governments around the globe have focused on infrastructure investment in attempt to address regional inequalities.  Governments have turned to infrastructure development to stimulate economic growth. From the UK’s Plan for Growth and the European Green Deal to the US’s Build Back Better Plan, infrastructure has been … Continue reading “Investing in Infrastructure: Best Practice From Bilbao to New South Wales”

Other Countries Have Made Progress in Levelling Up – Here’s How the UK’s Plan Compares

Dr Abigail Taylor looks at how the UK’s approach to levelling up compares with regions that have been successful in reducing inequalities. She draws on recent research she contributed to led by Anne Green, Professor of Regional Economic Development, City-REDI and Jeffrey Matsu, Chief Economist at CIPFA. Liam O’Farrell, Hannes Read, Gina Coe, Ben Brittain, and … Continue reading “Other Countries Have Made Progress in Levelling Up – Here’s How the UK’s Plan Compares”

The Levelling Up White Paper is Here – Some Challenges and Key Points to Welcome

Dr Abigail Taylor, Professor Anne Green and Professor Simon Collinson take a look at the recently published Levelling Up White Paper, to assess the likely success of these policies in addressing regional inequality.  The Levelling Up White Paper indicates how the government intends to level up the country through enabling regional economies to grow faster … Continue reading “The Levelling Up White Paper is Here – Some Challenges and Key Points to Welcome”

Levelling Up: Lessons From Four Global City-Regions

Dr Abigail Taylor discusses a new report led by City-REDI that identifies lessons for levelling up from the experiences of four international city-regions trying to address regional inequalities. New Research Today new research conducted by City-REDI with the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) is being launched. The research finds policies designed to … Continue reading “Levelling Up: Lessons From Four Global City-Regions”

The Future of UK Employment in a Post-Pandemic World

Dr Abigail Taylor and Ben Harrison analyse the impact of the COVID-19 on employment to date before discussing what the future might hold. It also introduces the Social Policy Association’s ‘Employment Policy in Context’ group, explaining the group’s aims, plans for the coming year and how to get involved. This blog was first posted on … Continue reading “The Future of UK Employment in a Post-Pandemic World”

Priorities for up-Skilling and Re-Skilling: What Role Can and Should Universities Play?

In this blog, Dr Abigail Taylor, Professor Anne Green and Dr Sara Hassan share findings from their recent research project examining the role that universities and colleges in the West Midlands can and should play in up-skilling and re-skilling. Today WMREDI are publishing findings from a research project examining the role of universities in skills … Continue reading “Priorities for up-Skilling and Re-Skilling: What Role Can and Should Universities Play?”