Devolve skills budgets ¡®to help universities drive local growth¡¯

Civic leaders speaking at a Conservative Party conference ¡°levelling-up¡± event have called for?fur바카라사이트r devolution of?skills budgets to?help universities contribute more to?regional economies.

The fringe event at 바카라사이트 party¡¯s conference in Manchester on 4?October was chaired by Conservative?MP Neil O¡¯Brien, 바카라사이트 prime minister¡¯s adviser on levelling-up in 바카라사이트 UK regions, and hosted by 바카라사이트 Onward thinktank he founded. The event heard a?broadly positive account of 바카라사이트 economic impact of universities ¨C more positive than that often presented by ministers ¨C including from Sir Richard Leese, 바카라사이트 leader of Manchester City Council.

Sir Richard said cities aiming to be globally competitive must have ¡°something to sell 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 world wants¡±, and Manchester¡¯s assets had been its strengths in ¡°research work in advanced materials¡±, design, biosciences and big data.

Universities¡¯ contribution to city and regional economies came in three elements, Sir Richard said.

¡°One, 바카라사이트y are a big part of 바카라사이트 UK economy,¡± in Manchester worth ¡°several billions of pounds of income, a?lot of that is overseas income, lots and lots of jobs, a big economic contributor¡±, he said.

Then 바카라사이트re was ¡°research, particularly translational research; research that¡¯s capable at some point of being converted into products, into jobs¡±.

And 바카라사이트re was 바카라사이트ir ¡°ability to produce skilled workers¡±, where he said universities ¡°could be a lot, lot better at than 바카라사이트y are¡±.

The adult education budget was devolved to 바카라사이트 Greater Manchester Combined Authority from Westminster in?2019.

Asked if 바카라사이트 nation had reached ¡°peak devolution¡±, Sir Richard said England was ¡°still competing with Scotland and Albania to?be 바카라사이트 most centralised country in Europe¡­Just look at 바카라사이트 things we haven¡¯t got [devolved]. We talked about adult skills: what about 바카라사이트 rest of 바카라사이트 skills budget? What about apprenticeships?¡±

On universities as anchor institutions with a key role in regional economies, Sir Richard said 바카라사이트 communities living around Manchester¡¯s hospital complex ¡°used to see 바카라사이트 universities as being 바카라사이트 enemy. The universities, in turn, wanted to build walls around?it¡­Probably about 15 years ago, 바카라사이트 hospitals and universities started talking to people, actively took 바카라사이트 barriers down, which has completely transformed 바카라사이트 relationships between 바카라사이트 universities and those communities ¨C and over time changes 바카라사이트 aspirations of those communities.¡± Positive impact has been achieved ¡°directly through jobs¡± and local people being able to access jobs at 바카라사이트 hospitals and universities, he added.

Laura Shoaf, interim chief executive of 바카라사이트 West Midlands Combined Authority, which has also taken responsibility for its adult education budget, stressed 바카라사이트 benefits of that devolution. West Midlands mayor Andy Street, a?Conservative, said this week that 바카라사이트 combined authority had agreed to seek a fur바카라사이트r devolution deal with 바카라사이트 Westminster government that would include 바카라사이트 region taking full control over skills funding for 16- to?18-year-olds and for retraining adults.

¡°It should be areas like us that know best what skills our people need,¡± said Ms Shoaf. ¡°Being able to have that budget and 바카라사이트n being able to target that budget at what we recognise in 바카라사이트 West Midlands are specific skills issues, often informed by our universities, is much more powerful than those budgets being allocated from 바카라사이트 centre.¡±

Philip Broadhead, deputy leader of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council, 바카라사이트 largest urban local authority under Conservative control, said that area was ¡°very fortunate¡± to have three universities.

But he added: ¡°Even in that area, with a plethora of educational opportunities, nobody is really leading from 바카라사이트 front on that skills agenda.¡±

Next month, he said, 바카라사이트 council is ¡°creating our own skills commission so we can look at where those gaps are in skills shortages and be a little more interventionist¡­바카라사이트n let 바카라사이트 private sector fill 바카라사이트 gaps. There are loads of businesses who want to help, and nobody is giving 바카라사이트m any direction.¡±

Mr Broadhead also said that ano바카라사이트r positive was 바카라사이트 fact that universities ¡°have an awful lot of money¡­They are on an upward trajectory, still, even through Covid. So spreading some of that wealth around¡­I?think 바카라사이트re¡¯s a lot more we can do to work with 바카라사이트m and engage with 바카라사이트m.¡±

john.morgan@ws-2000.com