Skills
A Great Western Powerhouse is the 'missing piece of the jigsaw'
The ‘missing piece of the jigsaw’ for driving inclusive growth at scale is a Great Western Powerhouse waiting to happen, according to a landmark report launched yesterday at the House of Lords.
Non-metropolitan councils need the power to tackle barriers to growth
The Post-Brexit England Commission’s final report has set out a prospectus to Government of ‘tangible, practical proposals’ with the potential to ‘make a difference to local communities quickly’.
Mid-sized cities should be Government’s automatic choice for tech impact pilots
Chair of the Key Cities Group Cllr Peter Box says mid-sized cities are ideally positioned to be the UK's automation pilot areas (AutoPilots)
Brexit and austerity blows threaten service delivery
Nearly half of local authorities say some councils will fail to deliver essential services over the next year, says PwC’s latest annual local government survey.
Council chiefs cut through the social class barriers
So local government is less elite than most. Does it matter? Heather Jameson would argue it does.
Shaping careers for the nation
Tees Valley Combined Authority has been awarded a Careers Hub extension after being involved in the Department for Education’s first national pilot to improve careers support for young people. Ben Houchen outlines the region’s winning approach.
What can local authorities learn from the local industrial strategies signed so far?
Last week Manchester Combined Authority backed by local public and private sector leaders agreed England’s second local industrial strategy (LIS). Adam Cunnington says local government is central to this process
Regeneration schemes need to be about more than bricks and mortar
Damian White outlines how Havering Council's joint venture housing regeneration scheme for 3,000 new homes will deliver social value through increased investment in local SMEs, education, training and skills.
Searching locally for the antidote to populism
How can local government leaders help cohesive communities to flourish in a time of growing populism and in the middle of a central political and policy vacuum? Ann McGauran reports
Mapping out a bright future for Hampshire
Cllr Roy Perry outlines the work of the Hampshire 2050 Commission of Inquiry and its focus on maximising the benefits of technological advance and managing the impact of climate change so everyone can continue to enjoy a good quality of life.
Bringing town and gown together
David Harvey hopes the signing of a statement of intent between Westminster City Council and King's College London will enable it to increasingly tap into the skills within the university
Delivering on the cities challenge
Cities face the huge task of boosting their economies and creating places where all can thrive post-Brexit. Chief executives from some of the UK’s largest cities joined a round table debate with PwC and Core Cities to discuss progress.
We need a public policy rewrite to fix social mobility
Donna Hall says the real burning issue at the heart of the social mobility debate is the need to fundamentally reboot the economy alongside local economies and develop a more effective national skills strategy.
Fresh push on apprenticeship levy reforms
A broad coalition to push for more flexibility in the apprenticeship levy could be formed to mark the two-year anniversary of the reforms, The MJ understands.
Anchors away
David Godfrey explains the symbiotic link between prosperous communities and productive places, and why Localis’ new report stresses the need to deepen the relationship between business and place.
'Productivity deals' with big business needed to jump-start local economies
Councils should strike ‘productivity deals’ with the biggest businesses in their region to ensure residents benefit from private sector growth, a new report urged today.
Many Tower Hamlets' businesses not well enough prepared for 'no deal'
There has been insufficient planning for a ‘no deal’ scenario among many businesses in Tower Hamlets, a new report has revealed.
Tackling the urban and rural divide
A new report ‘lays out an uncomfortable truth that county areas are some of the least socially mobile’ – but Carl Les says ‘small tweaks’ if taken together could deliver big results
Building a future
Women working in the construction industry are very much in the minority, but they could be a valuable source of much-needed skills especially post-Brexit. Mark Whitehead reports on a round table discussion attended by executives from industry and Waltham Forest LBC to provide some answers
Seeing the regional picture
In uncertain times, more people are drawn to the public sector. David Slatter examines how a finely tuned selection process can meet the skill challenges faced by local authorities