Providing the Right Support for the Right Firms in the Right Places

With less funding available in the future, Professor Simon Collinson discusses the need for national and local agencies to provide targeted support to the right kind of businesses to help achieve better regional growth. This blog post was produced for inclusion in the Birmingham Economic Review for 2021. The annual Birmingham Economic Review is produced … Continue reading “Providing the Right Support for the Right Firms in the Right Places”

Business Support: Referrals to Regional Universities by the GBSLEP Growth Hub

In this blog, Freya Williams, Alice Pugh and Juliane Schwarz examine the referral of businesses by the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership (GBSLEP) Growth Hub to universities in the West Midlands, including what sectors they come from, the size of businesses and what kind of support they receive.  GBSLEP Growth Hub The Greater … Continue reading “Business Support: Referrals to Regional Universities by the GBSLEP Growth Hub”

Hidden Potential? The Role of Universities in the Development of Space-Related Innovation Clusters

Professor Simon Collinson outlines the important role of universities as both R&D producers and skills developers within the development of space-related innovation clusters in the West Midlands region.  This blog has been produced to provide insight into a City-REDI / WMREDI project looking at the development of a Space Cluster in the West Midlands. The … Continue reading “Hidden Potential? The Role of Universities in the Development of Space-Related Innovation Clusters”

Meeting the Skills Needs of the Space Sector

Professor Anne Green outlines the skills shortage in the space sector, the types of skills needed, how the industry can attract a wider pool of recruits and what opportunities are available in the West Midlands and beyond. This blog has been produced to provide insight into a City-REDI / WMREDI project looking at the development … Continue reading “Meeting the Skills Needs of the Space Sector”

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?”

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”

Geographical and Social Mobility

Professor Anne Green investigates social mobility, both within classes and geographically reviewing how factors such as education, housing, internal migration, and socio-economic and cultural backgrounds makes a difference to people’s opportunities. Introduction On 23rd July the Social Mobility Commission published an important report entitled ‘Moving Out to Move On’ investigating the link between internal migration … Continue reading “Geographical and Social Mobility”

City-REDI / WM REDI Round Up – July 2020

In the Media A policy brief from Professor Simon Collinson and Dr Amir Qamar called “The West Midlands’ Automotive Industry in the Aftermath of COVID-19: Survival of the Fittest?” featured in several articles in July: Union demands support for region’s workers as ‘8,000 jobs lost in a week’, The Business Desk.Com Unite backing summit to … Continue reading “City-REDI / WM REDI Round Up – July 2020”

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?”

Perspectives on Skills and the Value of Training: Trends, Challenges and Priorities

In this blog, Professor Anne Green and Dr Abigail Taylor discuss their new report  “Workplace Perspectives on Skills” examining employer perceptions relating to skills and the value of training, with the aim of understanding the specific skills and skills investment challenges employers face. Previous research for the Industrial Strategy Council highlighted that by 2030, 7 … Continue reading “Perspectives on Skills and the Value of Training: Trends, Challenges and Priorities”