Subscribers may be interested to know of two seminars of which
details follow. These are the first two in an annual series of one
day events relating to topics in urban regeneration and labour
market studies.
Further details can be obtained from the Local Economy Policy Unit,
South Bank University, Wandsworth Road, London SW8 2JZ, tel. 0207
7798, e-mail [log in to unmask]
Making it count: new ways of analysing local economic change
LEPU, South Bank University, Wandworth Road, London SW8 2JZ
Wednesday October 11th 2000
SPEAKERS:
* Dr Martin Evans, Centre for the Analysis of Social Exclusion,
London School of Economics * Dr Anne Green, Institute for Employment
Research, University of Warwick * Andrew Jones, Senior Consultant,
Local Futures Group * Ray Thomas, Social Sciences Faculty, Open
University * Dev Virdee, Regional and Local Statistics Unit, Office
for National Statistics
Local regeneration and social inclusion strategies must be underpinned
with up-to-date and meaningful local indicators. While summary local
deprivation indices are becoming increasingly sophisticated, they
cannot identify all economic change affected by local initiatives. A
huge gap persists between potentially available local data and that
which is actually used to inform policy.
The barriers to accessing relevant data for local regeneration have
been identified in the National Strategy for Neighbourhood
Regeneration PAT18 paper. This seminar examines improvements in
monitoring economic development at local authority and smaller area
level, plus longer term prospects presented by the national strategy.
Dev Virdee who is developing a comprehensive data set of neighbourhood
statistics at national level discusses priorities for constructing geo
referenced data from agencies, national and local, public and private,
and shows how the PAT 18 recommendations are being implemented in
today's more favourable financial context.
Martin Evans considers how local agencies can benefit from the recent
release of income support data at ward level, focusing on data
analysis for groups dependent on benefit - the elderly, children, lone
parents and the unemployed.
Anne Green reviews the available evidence for measuring 'poor skills'
at local and regional level, while Ray Thomas illustrates the problems
of different approaches to estimating local unemployment rates.
Andrew Jones develops the discussion of tools for assessing local
progress in improving the skills base by considering the data needs of
the Government's 'Learning to Succeed strategy. He considers how to
cope with changes to the boundaries of agencies responsible for
delivering the Government's skills agenda, showing how they can
combine labour market data at various geographical levels to monitor
local progress and compare their areas with others.
Programme
9.45 Registration, tea, & coffee
10.00 Bringing it together: prospects for a comprehensive national
neighbourhood database, Dev Virdee, ONS
10.30 Questions & Discussion
10.50 Tea & Coffee
11.15 Understanding the local dynamics of poverty with area based
welfare benefits data, Martin Evans, LSE
11.45 Questions & Discussion
12.10 Measuring 'poor skills' at local and regional level, Anne
Green, University of Warwick
12.40 Questions & Discussion
1.00 LUNCH
14.00 How to measure local unemployment , Ray Thomas, Open University
14.30 Questions & Discussion
14.50 Tea & Coffee
15.10 Deriving a robust assessment of local economic prospects
with existing data, Andrew Jones, Local Futures Group
15.40 Questions & Discussion
16.00 Close
Second seminar:-
Employability and the 'Jobs Gap': issues for local unemployment - a
seminar in the series 'CHANGING YOUR LOCAL WORLD'
LEPU, South Bank University, Wandworth Road, London SW8 2JZ
Booing enquiries to 0207 815 7798 or
[log in to unmask]
Wednesday October 18 2000
SPEAKERS
Professor Ivan Turok, Department of Urban Studies, University of
Glasgow Professor Ian Gordon, Department of Geography and the
Environment, LSE David Webster, Glasgow City Housing Zahid Hamid, Head
of Agency, Black CARD Professor Ray Hudson, Department of Geography,
University of Durham
ISSUES
What is the right balance between `supply' and `demand' side
employment policies at local level? Should we provide more jobs, or
try to improve the `employability' of those who need work? These
issues have recently been highlighted by the House of Commons
Education & Employment Committee report `Employability and jobs; is
there a jobs gap?'
Ivan Turok seeks answers by analysing the `jobs gap' in relation to
employment expansion, changes in migration and commuting patterns and
the growth of 'incapacity' as hidden unemployment. He argues that
the job vacancies shortfall in many high-unemployment areas means
Government stress on improving `employability' is insufficient.
David Webster amplifies this, by considering housing stock and public
transport problems which are creating barriers to geographic
mobility.
Ian Gordon takes another tack, presenting new evidence on London,
where some groups of long standing residents have been increasingly
marginalised over the past 25 years, despite strong economic
performance in the capital. The cumulative effects of selective hiring
practices during periods of demand-deficiency are not readily reversed
by job creation, nor by up- skilling measures for the currently
unemployed. This implies a need to promote occupational advancement
and equal opportunities among those already in work.
Zahid Hamid continues the equality theme, describing his Sheffield
organisation's practical strategies for combatting racial
discrimination in the job market and promoting ethnic minority led
small businesses.
Finally Ray Hudson uses recent research material on the North East to
discuss what kinds of institutional support are needed to ensure that
inward investment by branch plants of multinationals delivers long
term job creation, and minimises the risk that quality jobs will be
lost to foreign sub-contractors.
FULL PROGRAMME
MORNING
9.45 Registration, tea & coffee
10.00 Bridging the jobs gap - Professor Ivan Turok, Glasgow University
10.30 Questions & Discussion
10.50 Tea & coffee
Moving on down the car; responding to structural unemployment in
London - Professor Ian Gordon, LSE
11.45 Questions & Discussion
12.00 Housing, transport and commuting; jobs to people or people to
jobs - David Webster, Glasgow City Housing
12.30 Questions & Discussion
12.50 Lunch
AFTERNOON
13.50 Combatting ethnic discrimination in local job markets - Zahid
Hamid, Black CARD, Sheffield
14.20 Questions & Discussion
14.40 Tea & coffee
15.00 Embedding the branch plant economy; when do the new jobs come to
stay? - Professor Ray Hudson, Durham University
15.35 Questions & Discussion
16.00 Close
Anne Gray, Research Fellow
LEPU
Tel 0171 815 7342
or messages via 7798
Fax 0171 815 7799
Office: Room 808, North Tower,
Wandsworth Road, SW82JZ
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