March 2020 highlights
Week 14: 30 March - 3 April
Explore this curated list of resources, from funding and volunteer opportunities to ways to share your data to help fight the spread of COVID-19:
Get funding
- International support for tech solutions
- Challenge prizes for bold ideas
- UK Community Foundations
- Funding for Scotland’s third sector
Volunteer
- Support the most vulnerable in your community
- Get fit while helping neighbours self-isolating
- Help build digital skills
Contribute data
- Track your symptoms to support the medical respons
- Map the impact of COVID-19 on the creative industries
- Share your COVID-19 story
Be inspired
- Explore creative solutions from around the world
- An open-source ventilator
- 750,000 volunteers supporting the NHS
The toolbox
- Get to grips with tech
- Help your children learn the skills they need
- Debunk COVID-19 myth
- Support for the voluntary sector
Report: Resolution Foundation - Economic effects of coronavirus in the UK, utilising timely economic indicators
"The economic effects of coronavirus in the UK are already dramatic – as they are in affected economies around the world. Early indicators suggest that the ‘sudden stop’ in general economic activity is more severe than during the depths of the financial crisis. The labour market has been hit; unemployment looks to be rising faster than at any point during 2008/09."
The-economic-effects-of-coronavirus-in-the-UK.pdfReport: Durham University - Covid19 Supply Chain Risk Management
"This report examines the impact of Covid19 on the supply chains in the North & Midlands of England. Data from 1,739,669 companies shows that supply chains are complex networks and often part of global trade corridors. Impact on one part of this network can cause huge disruptions across the entire supply chain network. The intensity of any external shock (like Covid19) is dependent on several factors like supply chain configuration, internal and external resilience characteristics of companies, agility in managerial decision making capability and the adoption and use of technologies."
COVID 19 and supply chains.pdfHouse of Commons Library Insights
This is a fast-moving issue and should be read as correct at the date of publication (01.04.20).The coronavirus outbreak will have a huge impact on the UK economy. Many businesses will have to close, or reduce the amount they do, at least temporarily. This will lead to a loss of jobs across the economy, although the outbreak will have a greater impact on certain sectors.
This Insight provides an overview of the importance of different sectors to the economy. It looks at the latest statistics on the total value of goods produced and services provided (measured by Gross Value Added), the number of jobs and average earnings in each sector.
This is a fast-moving issue and should be read as correct at the date of publication (31.03.20).The coronavirus pandemic has prompted concern about critical national infrastructure, such as the telecoms, energy, and water networks. Critical infrastructure providers are required to have practiced emergency plans in place. Some workers in these sectors have been designated as “critical”. This Insight examines the issues faced, and action being taken, by critical infrastructure providers during the pandemic.
- Children of the Pandemic
- Beyond bailout - The global Covid-19 pandemic has required unprecedented government action at an unprecedented pace
- Migrant workers and coronavirus: risks and responses
OECD Secretary General Angel Gurría, in preparation for the G20 Virtual Summit that took place yesterday (25 March), unveiled the latest OECD estimates showing that the lockdown will directly affect sectors amounting to up to one third of GDP in the major economies. For each month of containment, there will be a loss of 2 percentage points in annual GDP growth. The tourism sector alone faces an output decrease as high as 70%. Many economies will fall into recession. This is unavoidable, as we need to continue fighting the pandemic, while at the same time increasing efforts to be able to restore economic normality as fast as possible.
Commentary: Project Syndicate - 'Capitalism’s Triple Crisis' by Mariana Mazzucato
"After the 2008 financial crisis, we learned the hard way what happens when governments flood the economy with unconditional liquidity, rather than laying the foundation for a sustainable and inclusive recovery. Now that an even more severe crisis is underway, we must not repeat the same mistake."
Kate Raworth exploring the coronavirus crisis through the lens of Doughnut Economics.
This blog, the latest in the HEPI series about Covid-19, was kindly contributed by Professor Sir Chris Husbands, Vice-Chancellor at Sheffield Hallam University, and Natalie Day, Head of Policy and Strategy at Sheffield Hallam University, authors of HEPI Report 125 Making Universities Matter: How higher education can help to heal a divided Britain.
Blog: WonkHE - '#UniSupport: ten things to consider in working with partners'
Universities are stepping up to the plate to help with local and national efforts to tackle Covid-19. Alex Favier has ten suggestions to help get the best from partnerships. Universities across the UK are springing into action to help with national, regional and local efforts to tackle the COVID-19 crisis and its impact on our communities. The response of our institutions, our staff and students has been, frankly, inspiring to see. Considering everything else we’ve been doing over the last couple of weeks, this is nothing short of astonishing.
Blog: NCUB - 'New norms highlight the value of scientific experts and research collaboration' - Dr Joe Marshall
"The current crisis has underlined the critical role played by the UK’s experts and researchers and the institutions supporting them, as well as the need for collaboration between them."
Blog: NCUB - 'How will Covid-19 shape the UK skills landscape?' by Abigail Hilditch
"Starting a new job is always daunting, juggling responsibilities and learning the ropes. New Apprenticeship and Skills Minister Gillian Keegan has only been in post for a matter of weeks, and doubtless, leading UK skills through a global pandemic was not part of her on-boarding process. "
Blog: YU - ‘Place, the economy and COVID-19' by Dr Peter O'Brien
"As we head towards week three of ‘lock-down’, my thoughts are foremost with those people suffering from COVID-19 and on the front line in the fight against the disease. Whatever our challenges have been in adjusting to the new norm of homeworking, nothing compares to the immediate personal risks facing many in the UK and across the world."
THE article: It’s now or never for universities to be civic
"Universities are facing immediate challenges, but they’d be short-sighted to not prioritise civic activity, says Richard Calvert. Just 12 months ago the idea of universities supporting their local communities – “being civic” – seemed eminently sensible. It is now critical.
In February 2019, Sheffield Hallam University – like many other institutions – signed up to putting in place a Civic University Agreement, a pledge that committed us to prioritise the economy and quality of life in our city and region. This challenge, laid down by the UPP Foundation Civic University Commission, called on universities to reshape their role and responsibilities to support their local communities."
Publication: Papers in Evolutionary Economic Geography - # 20.18 Institutions and the fortunes of territories
Regions and cities face unceasing pressures to adapt in response to processes of globalisation, changes in industrial production, and new patterns of migration and trade. At the same time, the dominant development policies are proving less than capable of providing answers to these challenges. Strategies based on a mix of physical and human capital and technology have not succeeded in dealing with growing territorial inequality and its treacherous economic, social and political consequences. There is thus an urgent need to understand why territorial divergence occurs and why there is what seems to be a growing decline in the returns of public intervention targeting economic development. In search for answers, scholars have turned to the examination of institutions. But despite progress in our grasp of how institutions affect development, crucial knowledge gaps remain. This paper reviews recent progress in our understanding of the role of institutions for development, unveils the most important gaps, and proposes a series of avenues to improve how a better understanding of how institutions shape regional and urban development can lead to more efficient development policies.
Report: City & Guilds Group and EMSI - Missing Millions
Undertrained, underemployed and unprepared: the UK is squandering the potential of millions of workers
- New research from City & Guilds Group finds only 33% of working age people in the UK feel positive about their future career prospects
- 34% of respondents have either not received workplace training in the last five years or have never had any such training – equating to 17.8 million people with outdated skills
- 31.3 million people (60% of respondents) feel their skills are underutilised
cg-missing-millions-web-single-page-pdf.pdfData, research and analysis:
The Department for Education (DfE) has published results from the 2018 to 2019 survey into the views and experiences of employers and learners involved in apprenticeships. Degree apprentices were the most likely to be satisfied (94%) whilst Level 5 and Level 6+ non-degree apprentices were the least satisfied (78% and 72% respectively). By subject area, overall satisfaction was highest among Science apprentices (94%). Arts (79%) and Education (81%) apprentices had the lowest proportion satisfied.
HESA releases:
- Two-part methodology statement on Graduate Outcomes which provides a comprehensive overview of the survey’s history and operations.
- 2 April: HE Provider Data: Finance – Open data release: includes the accounts of both publicly and privately funded HE providers for the first time.
- 3 April: Higher Education Provider Data: HE Business and Community Interaction updated with 2018/19 data.
- Version 1.0.0 of the HESA Data Futures manual indicates that the long-planned overhaul of student data collection will be going ahead. The new materials suggest three data collection points (one per “reference point”) each year, confirming the move away from continuous collection.
Postponed:
- The expected publication of the Knowledge Exchange Concordat has been postponed.
- The COP26 UN climate change conference set to take place in Glasgow in November has been postponed due to COVID-19.
Climate Commission Statement – Association of Colleges, EAUC, Guild HE & Universities UK have published the following:
“Rightly, as the world unites to save lives and fight COVID-19, the decision has been taken by the UN to reschedule COP26. Scheduled for Glasgow this November, it will now happen sometime in 2021.
While a setback for the work of the Climate Commission for UK University and College Students and Leaders, our commitment and workplan remains unchanged as Climate Commission partners will continue working tirelessly across the sector to deliver the ambition, momentum and agreement needed to tackle the climate crisis which remains at the highest priority for universities and colleges and their 4.5 million students and 549,000 staff in this unprecedented year”
A reminder of upcoming virtual evidence gathering events:
- Wednesday 29th April 1300-1430: Priority 3 – Measuring and Reporting - Scope 1, 2 & 3
- Tuesday 19th May 1000-1130: Priority 4 – Deep Adaptation
- Tuesday 2nd June 1500-1630: Priority 5 – Education and Student Experience
You can see full updates on the work of the Climate Commission to date.
Week 13: 23-27 March
If you have any expertise relating to COVID-19 or its impacts (for example, on welfare, employment, education and other key areas), and if you would be prepared to provide expert insights to Parliament (for example, providing insights to contribute to a Library briefing, briefing a Member of Parliament, helping respond to an enquiry), we would be extremely grateful if you would sign up to our database.
The CSR is to be delayed from the summer while ministers tackle the coronavirus emergency, Rishi Sunak, the Chancellor, told the Cabinet this morning (24 March 2020).
The submission deadline on 27 November 2020 will no longer apply, and a new submission deadline will be announced no later than eight months prior to the deadline.
UKRI identifying key points of contacts at HEIs
Research England has contacted the Vice-Chancellor or Principal at higher education institutions (HEIs) in England asking that they identify a principal point of contact (and alternative in case of absence) through whom requests for information and updates relating to research and knowledge exchange matters relevant to the COVID-19 outbreak can be addressed. If your HEI has not received this notification, it is important that you contact communications@re.ukri.org as a matter of priority so we can update our records accordingly. The relevant funding bodies in the devolved administrations are taking this forward with the HEIs which they fund.
The Office for Students has announced that it will refocus regulatory requirements to prioritise the response to Covid-19.
"UCEA and the EIS, GMB, UNISON and Unite have come together to agree this joint statement for the HE sector regarding staffing issues associated with Covid-19. We are aware that this is a fast-moving situation. The overarching approach in this statement is that institutions and unions seek to work together to help the sector navigate the staffing issues created by the Covid-19 pandemic."
Bank of England: Agents summary of business conditions - 2020 Q1
Due to fast-moving developments since the outbreak of the virus, this publication focuses on intelligence gathered by the Bank’s Agents during the first few weeks of March.
Collecting data from across the sector to help policymakers understand and respond to the ongoing crisis. At a time of huge uncertainty in all areas of the economy, including the creative industries, many are trying to understand the ongoing impact of COVID-19 on our sector. Public venues, freelance workers, and micro and small businesses are important features of the creative industries, and all are threatened by the pandemic. At the PEC we want to help policymakers by signposting in one place the rapidly growing number of initiatives to collect survey data on the impacts.
OECD: Covid-19 SME Policy response
This note is developed by the OECD Centre for Entrepreneurship, SMEs, Regions and Cities (CFE). It examines how SMEs are likely to be affected by the current coronavirus epidemic, reports on early evidence and estimates about the impact, and provides a preliminary inventory of country responses to foster SME resilience.
OECD Covid SME policy responses.pdfCivic University Network to develop a coordinated sector response to the Covid-19 crisis:
- Sheffield Hallam University wins bid to host UPP Foundation’s Civic University Network.
- Separately, the Network will support universities which have committed to developing a Civic University Agreement by developing and promoting best practice.
- Arts Council England will be providing a further £20,000 to the UPP Foundation to help establish the Network
Sheffield Hallam University has been chosen to be the host of the Civic University Network, following a competitive bidding process. Hallam’s bid was judged as outstanding by the panel for its ambition and detailed plans to support civic engagement across the UK. The bid was also clear on ways for the Network to become an independent and sustainable entity.
"We are all – in this and every other university – adapting quickly to a new way of working as the nation responds to the challenges posed by the Coronavirus. Just a fortnight ago, it was unclear what impacts the virus would have on the nation; just a week ago the Prime Minister asked everyone to avoid pubs, bars, restaurants, cinemas and large-scale events and to work from home if at all possible. The restrictions on movement and daily life are yet more stringent in some countries – notably in France – and may soon be implemented here in the UK."
"Today is my eldest daughter’s 14th Birthday; one that she will spend, like millions of children, being home-schooled, but also apart from her grandparents, whom we are socially-distancing ourselves from in line with medical advice. I can’t recall a time like this in her young life or even my own – which is considerably longer – where the world has faced such an acute crisis as that caused by the COVID-19 virus."
Blog: Bennett Institute for Public Policy - United we stand, divided we fall by Prof Diane Coyle
"Economist Professor Diane Coyle writes on why our interdependent economy means the coronavirus pandemic will cause unavoidable pain in the short term but presents important choices about the long term recovery. "
"Universities will be changed forever by the Coronavirus crisis and its aftermath. A welcome harbinger has been a greater sense of unity and collective mission among universities than at any point in recent – sometimes – difficult years, and indeed for years before. Universities UK has emerged as a strong sector leader, with the voice of Alistair Jarvis clearly articulating the HE sector’s interest – and contribution – to government and across the media."
The World Happiness Report is a landmark survey of the state of global happiness that ranks 156 countries by how happy their citizens perceive themselves to be. The World Happiness Report 2020 for the first time ranks cities around the world by their subjective well-being and digs more deeply into how the social, urban and natural environments combine to affect our happiness.
WHR20.pdfThis release reports on innovation activity in UK businesses in 2016-18 and compares innovation activity to previous surveys.
- In 2016-18, 38% of UK businesses were innovation active. This is a decrease compared to 49% in 2014-16 and is the lowest level since 37% in 2008-10.
- Large businesses were more likely to have innovated than small and medium businesses (SMEs). In 2016-18, 49% of large businesses were innovation active, compared to 38% of SMEs.
- Production and construction businesses tend to be more innovative than those in distribution and services. The percentage of innovation active businesses was highest in manufacture of electrical and optical equipment (63%) and lowest in accommodation and food services (23%).
UKIS_2019_Headlines_Findings.pdfTesting how new ideas and technologies work in practice is a critical part of ensuring that they are both fit for purpose and safe before they reach a wider audience. For example, a new medical product, an automated vehicle or a new method of construction all need to be thoroughly tested close to real-world conditions before they can be commercialised.
To support regions in the UK, MIT has launched a short UK-focused pilot of its global Regional Entrepreneurship Acceleration Program (MIT REAP), supported by the Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy (BEIS), with a first workshop on 9-10 March 2020. Drawing on MIT’s insights in fostering innovation and entrepreneurship, and its data-driven approach, this shortened but impactful MIT REAP–UK pilot will work with six regions (local enterprise partnerships or LEPs, with a real commitment to ‘place’, see details below) to create actionable strategies during 2020, intended to make an immediate impact.
Devolution to local government in England
This Commons Library briefing paper summarises the main developments regarding the process of devolution of powers to local government within England since 2014. Download the full report:
Week 12: 16-20 March
- The ongoing situation regarding coronavirus has significantly impacted the research and innovation community. The nature of these impacts will evolve and increase over the coming weeks and months.
As of 5.00pm on 18 March, the government has advised all education settings to pause face-to-face provision. This is a change from previous guidance, which was still being promoted until very recently.
Have a look in more detail here.
“Territory matters” has got a new meaning these days, as do some other spatial planning and regional development concepts. The following is a brief reflection on what the corona virus does to us in territorial policy terms:
Letter: OFS - An update from the OFS on Covid-19
This letter shares the planned approach by OfS, it also provides important updates on reporting requirements and consultations.
covid-19-accountable-officer-update-17-march-2020.pdfBriefing: Resolutions Foundation - Doing what it takes - Protecting firms and families from the economic impact of coronavirus
The coronavirus health crisis is now a full-blown economic crisis, and one that may last for much more than a few months. Firms will go bust and unemployment will rise. The majority of this economic damage will be driven not by the direct impact of coronavirus itself, but by the necessary measures – such as social distancing – that we put in place to respond to it.
Lower earners are likely to be hit most swiftly, in stark contrast to the 2008 financial crisis. Sectors already heavily affected have typical weekly pay of £320, compared to £455 for the economy as a whole. Less than one-in-ten of those in the bottom half of earners say they can work from home, making it much harder for them to protect their incomes in the face of social distancing measures.
Doing-what-it-takes.pdfEmail: Bank of England: For businesses: collection of links to schemes & relevant info re access
bank fo England_ For businesses_ collection of links to schemes & relevant info re access.pdfThe coronavirus pandemic poses huge risks to workers’ health, jobs and livelihoods, of a kind unseen outside wartime. The Chancellor has started to announce a package of measures to try to protect jobs and workers. But more is needed. At present, too many workers will face tough choices about whether they can afford to follow public health advice, and tough prospects as businesses deal with reduced cash flow and demand. This report sets out what the TUC believes must happen next to ensure that we enable people to follow vital public health advice, protect jobs and livelihoods, and enable our economy to survive this unprecedented disruption.
CoronavirusReportV1.pdf"As we come to terms with what Coronavirus could mean for us and our families, we urge the Government to keep people who are restricted by low incomes front of mind.
In a just and compassionate society, we all rely on one another for support in difficult times, within communities, and when acting together through national and local government, as well as charitable responses. "
Evidence: Science and Technology Committee - Subject: Budget 2020: Research and Innovation Spending
Witness(es): Professor Sir Mark Walport, Chief Executive, UK Research and Innovation; Sir John Kingman, Chair, UK Research and Innovation; Alexandra Jones, Director, Science, Research and Innovation, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy; Harriet Wallace, Director, International Research and Innovation, Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
Author: John Holden is Associate Vice-President for Major Special Projects at the University of Manchester with responsibility for attracting national and international activities to the University and city region, working in partnership with regional and national government and private, commercial and charitable organisations in the UK and globally. He is part of the University of Manchester team working to develop the ID Manchester innovation district, which is a 26-acre, £1.5bn development on the University's former North Campus in Manchester city centre with the potential to create more than 6,000 jobs. Prior to joining the University of Manchester, John was Assistant Director for Strategy & Research at the Greater Manchester Combined Authority and led the development of the Greater Manchester Local Industrial Strategy.
Trailblazing_a_Local_Industrial_Strategy_in_Greater_Manchester.pdfReport: Connected Places Catapult - Identifying Potential Growth Centres Across Great Britain
Connected Places Catapult launched a new report that examines how proposed investments in research and development might be best directed to realise the government’s levelling up ambitions.
Authored by Centre for Cities, a non-partisan think tank, ‘Identifying potential growth centres across the UK’ also identifies how places themselves can harness the opportunities presented to them by the Government proposals.
Identifying-growth-centres-across-the-UK_Final.pdfReport: HEPI - New restrictions on university places could create ‘unlucky generations’
In a new report from the Higher Education Policy Institute, After demand driven funding in Australia: Competing models for distributing student places to universities, courses and students (HEPI Report 128), Professor Andrew Norton warns against controlling student numbers when the population of young people is rising.
The number of school leavers in the UK, which has been falling for years, will soon start rising again and Australia’s 18-year old population will increase rapidly from the mid-2020s.
After-demand-driven-funding-in-Australia.pdfReport: Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport - Cyber Security Skills in the UK Labour Market 2020
Research into the UK cyber security labour market, carried out on behalf of the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) by Ipsos MORI.
Cyber_security_skills_report_in_the_UK_labour_market_2020.pdfTES article - How West Yorkshire is setting the skills agenda
As West Yorkshire receives its devolution deal, Stephen Exley reports on how it is already working hard to upskill its workforce.
Yorkshire Business Daily article - Minister Commends 3M BIC On Its Partnership Between Education And Enterprise
Minister of State Simon Clarke MP visited the 3M Buckley Innovation Centre (3M BIC) in Huddersfield, after signing the new devolution deal for West Yorkshire alongside the Chancellor of the Exchequer and local leaders.
The 3M BIC is a subsidiary of the University of Huddersfield, designed to foster academic and industry collaboration and enable businesses to innovate, exchange knowledge with the University, and facilitate regional regeneration.
Blog: WonkHE - Research should be at the heart of government by Nick Heckels
"In his 2014 review of research councils, Sir Paul Nurse asserted that 'research should be at the heart of government'. So it’s pleasing to receive his endorsement of the findings of a short report, published by the Universities Policy Engagement Network (UPEN), that makes some practical suggestions towards that ambition."
Blog: WonkHE - What's in the budget for universities and research?
Though by any standards Rishi Sunak’s first Budget was full of spending promises, the main financial levels affecting higher education remained untouched.
Data and statistics:
- Apprenticeships in England by industry characteristics 2018 to 2019:
- Experimental statistics on apprenticeship starts, between the 2012 to 2013 and 2018 to 2019 academic years, by employer size, sector and region.
- Graduate outcomes (LEO): outcomes in 2017 to 2018:
- The Department for Education is due to release Longitudinal Education Outcomes (LEO) statistics for graduates between 2017 and 2018.
Week 11: 9-13 March
Budget 2020
You can read the speech in full here.
Read the related documents below:
Annex A: Financing - Annex B: Welfare cap - Annex C: OBR’s economic and fiscal outlook
Responses:
LEP Network Budget 2020:
An ambitious West Yorkshire devolution deal unlocking more than £1.8 billion in investment to drive up living standards through better transport, improved skills and stronger businesses, while tackling the climate emergency, has been secured for West Yorkshire. In summary:
- £38 million per year for 30 years into West Yorkshire Investment Fund with significant freedoms to spend on local priorities
- Government commitment to work with West Yorkshire to develop modern mass transit system through access to a new five-year integrated transport settlement
- £317 million to invest in public transport, cycling and walking through Transforming Cities Fund with local flexibility on delivery
- A £25 million fund to support the development of a British Library North in Leeds
- Control of the £63 million annual Adult Education Budget for West Yorkshire
- £500,000 of Government funding to support master-planning in Bradford City Centre to maximise regeneration opportunities from Northern Powerhouse Rail
- Funding for the next stage of development of the outline business case for Leeds station redevelopment.
- £3.2 million to support the development of a pipeline of housing sites across West Yorkshire.
- £200,000 Government funding for collaboration at a Yorkshire-level through the Yorkshire Leaders Board
A joint-statement from Councillor Stephen Brady, Leader of Hull City Council, and Councillor Richard Burton, Leader of East Riding of Yorkshire Council, said the deal between the two local authorities would focus on maximising their strong economic and social links.
The Rt Hon Alok Sharma MP's first speech as COP26 President Designate at the UN with the Secretary-General, Italian Permanent Representation and British Ambassador to the United States.
Government unveils almost £3 million new fund for visionary, entrepreneurial female innovators.
- Government unveils almost £3 million new fund for visionary, entrepreneurial female innovators;
- 10 female inventors will receive £50,000 each to develop solutions for climate change, energy efficiency and health issues;
- support for women and science and innovation comes on International Women’s Day and during British Science Week;
NESTA Project: Arts & Culture Impact Fund
A £20 million fund offering loans of between £150,000 and £1 million to help social enterprises in the arts, cultural and heritage sectors innovate and grow.
Building on the success of the Arts Impact Fund, our new fund is the most ambitious of its kind globally and available to organisations in the UK.
OECD Publication: How's Life? 2020 -Measuring Well-being
How’s Life? charts whether life is getting better for people in 37 OECD countries and 4 partner countries. This fifth edition presents the latest evidence from an updated set of over 80 indicators, covering current well-being outcomes, inequalities, and resources for future well-being. Since 2010, people’s well-being has improved in many respects, but progress has been slow or deteriorated in others, including how people connect with each other and their government. Large gaps by gender, age and education persist across most well-being outcomes.
Report: Research England - Collaborating to collaborate: interim results of the Connecting Capability Fund
The Connecting Capability Fund (CCF) is a distinctive programme focussed on stimulating collaboration between universities to achieve more effective commercialisation with external business partners. It has provided £85 million for 18 projects involving 54 collaborating universities together with external economic partners, running for three years from April 2018.
On 10 March RE published the interim evaluation of the fund (PDF) from consultants IP Pragmatics.
The debate about value for money in higher education refects an unclear understanding of how and why universities do what they do. The issue of income cross-fows is central to this debate. As this report shows, the defning features of universities are interdependent. In particular, university research loses so much money that it cannot currently happen at scale without substantial cross-fows of income from teaching students, generally international students. This report focuses above all on the additional challenges that would arise in England if the Westminster Government opted to continue holding down the amount of funding per student (or worse) in the aftermath of the Augar report. In that scenario, achieving the planned increases in expenditure on research and development (R&D) would be very hard to achieve. Yet, if anything, the challenge is even greater than the following pages suggest for three reasons.
From-T-to-R-revisited.pdfBlog: Industrial Strategy Council - The "levelling-up" challenge by Diane Coyle
'If it were easy to “level up” towns or regions where economic outcomes such as productivity and living standards lag behind the UK’s average, it would have happened long ago. But the evidence collated on the Industrial Strategy Council’s website confirms what experience travelling around the country suggests: the gaps between different places within the UK are large by international standards and as wide as they have ever been.
The geographic pattern is complicated. Successful places lie next to struggling ones, and this is true at different geographic scales, and comparing rural to urban regions. Understanding these different experiences will be key to developing policies that have a chance of succeeding.'
Blog: City REDI - A First Look at Connections Between Creative Industry Presence and the Wider Urban Economy by Diana Gutierrez Posada
'Creative industries have long been a focus of urban researchers and policymakers. There is a good reason for this: creative industries tend to cluster heavily in cities. In the UK, for example, 53% of creative industries jobs and 44% of firms are found in just five cities. There is a large academic literature describing these location patterns, and linking them back to larger changes in national economies: the shift to post-industrial structures, and a greater demand for ‘experiences’.
For policymakers, though, there are two more urgent questions. How does creative clustering influence urban economies? And how much does the spatial imbalance of creative activity matter?'
Blog: HEPI - FE versus HE, HE versus FE? by Nick Hillman
'Very often, people speak as if there is a trade off between further education and higher education. It is vocational versus academic. Useful versus ivory towers. Colleges versus universities. Anyone who spends more than a few seconds thinking about this swiftly realises it is largely nonsense. Higher education originally trained people for the church, the law and medicine. You don’t get much more vocational than that.'
Week 10: 2-6 March
"The first pioneering councils to demonstrate their commitment to supporting local community organisations and sign up to Locality’s Keep it Local Network are revealed today (Tuesday 3 March 2020). Keep it Local councils are moving away from bureaucratic commissioning and big outsourcing contracts following a series of high profile failures across the country. Instead they are choosing to unlock the power of community by commissioning local community organisations that put local people at the heart of the services they receive."
Signatories in Yorkshire include:
- Bradford Metropolitan District Council
- Calderdale Council
- Kirklees Council
Budget 2020
The 2020 Budget should deliver on five key priority areas for the UK that will, in turn, underpin wider social and economic transformation for the country over the coming decades:
- Develop a new approach to deliver place-based economic growth
- Turbocharge investment in fundamental research
- Launch strategic science-based missions for high-risk, high-return
- Strengthen the talent pipeline for high-level skills
- Maximise our opportunities for global collaboration.
Letter from UUK to Government ahead of Budget 2020: Golden opportunity for government to reverse decline in adult learning
Greater financial support would supercharge lifelong learning. The continuing decline in adult learning could be halted through greater access to financial support when studying shorter courses, according to Universities UK (UUK). Ahead of the upcoming Budget, UUK has written to ministers to highlight how positive action could be taken to break down the financial barriers deterring adult leaners from study, in turn encouraging more people to pursue these opportunities.
Policy highlights: OECD - Enhancing Productivity in UK Core Cities Policy Highlights Connecting Local and Regional Growth
Policy Highlights_REV2bis.pdfReport: Research England - KEF Clustering and narrative templates
This report sets out further detail on clustering and narrative templates for the knowledge exchange framework (KEF).
The reports sets out the revised KEF cluster descriptions, confirmation of cluster placements and detailed information and guidance for completion of the narrative templates and self-assessment.
Individual Microsoft Word narrative templates are provided for download and completion by 29 May 2020.
Institutions in scope for the first iteration of the KEF are also provided in excel format alongside UKRPN, cluster membership and NUTS1 region.
AOB - KEF clustering and template publication.pdf"The importance of graduate employment outcomes in UK higher education can be seen very clearly in the overall context and the specific policy initiatives referred to in this report. It is important to acknowledge that while the general emphasis on the importance of graduate outcomes is UK-wide, specific initiatives are not uniform across the nations of the UK and some of the responses to the survey of Heads of Careers Services carried out for this report rightly reflect this."
Getting-on.pdfReport: IFS / DfE - The Impact of undergraduate degrees on lifetime earnings
"Going to university is a very good investment for most students. Over their working lives, men will be £130,000 better off on average by going to university after taxes, student loan repayments and foregone earnings are taken into account. For women, this figure is £100,000."
R167-The-impact-of-undergraduate-degrees-on-lifetime-earnings.pdfReport: NHS Confederation - Knowing who to call: Supporting integrated care systems in influence local labour market
This report is intended to guide integrated care system (ICS) leaders on how they can shape their local labour market to best determine and develop the future workforce. It outlines:
- recommendations for how an ICS can better influence local decision-making
- the key sectors with which an ICS should develop system-wide strategic relationships
- and the priority skills-related policy areas on which an ICS should collaboratively focus
Knowing_who_to_call_FNL.pdfReport: Metro Dynamics - Levelling Up: Making Investment Appraisal Fit for Purpose
Related blog: How can investment level up the UK?
"One of the first commitments made by the new government since the December 2019 election, and previously in their manifesto, is to rebalance the UK economy and “level up” the regions. In short, this means to raise the level of economic performance across the country and reduce regional inequality. Details have been minimal so far although next week’s budget may shed some light on the Government’s initial plans. But the key question is this: how can the Government achieve a more balanced economy, with inclusive growth at its core?"
Peel+and+NWBLT+Treasury+Submission+Final.pdfNIC-2020-AMR-Final.pdfReport: Skills Commission, L&W Institute, Policy Connect - England’s Skills Puzzle: Piecing together further education, training and employment
Related blog in TES - 'Employers struggle in overly centralised skills system'
"Local knowledge too often fails to influence skills funding, according to a new skills commission report. Employers are struggling to engage in an overly centralised skills system, new research claims today. In a report published by the cross-party skills commission, entitled "England’s skills puzzle: piecing together further education training and employment", the commission calls for the government to give skills and lifelong learning renewed attention through devolution and the new productivity board."
englandsskillspuzzle-piecingtogetherfurthereducationtrainingandemployment.pdfReport: NewStatesman Spotlight - Northern Powerhouse: Roadmap for the regions?
ns_spotlight_northern_powerhouse_21st_feb_2020.pdfLeeds City Region FinTech ECOSYSTEM REPORT 2019-2020
Leeds-FinTech-Ecosystem-Report-2019-to-2020.pdfTimes Higher Education articles:
'UK universities must embrace the future' by Chris Skidmore
"Although his two stints as universities and science minister only added up to 400 days, Chris Skidmore has strong views about the challenges and opportunities that confront institutions as they are thrust to the forefront of the UK’s post-Brexit industrial strategy"
Working with actors in “left-behind” communities and recognising expertise beyond their walls will help close knowledge gaps on economic divisions, say Siobhan Morris, Olivia Stevenson and John Tomaney
Yorkshire Post article: End research funds gap to level up UK, northern health chiefs urge Boris Johnson
A lack of investment in vital research and innovation in northern England is stifling economic growth and helping to widen the North-South health divide, senior university and NHS leaders warn the Prime Minister today.
"It's been another busy and really positive month for us at the Independent Commission. We've enjoyed and valued reviewing the many thoughtful responses to our consultation as we work to set out a collective vision for the future of colleges."
In case you missed it:
by Natalie Day, Chris Husbands and Bob Kerslake
A new report from the Higher Education Policy Institute, Making Universities Matter: How higher education can help to heal a divided Britain (HEPI Report 125), is calling for fundamental change to ensure universities meet the priorities of their communities and help the Government bridge social, economic and regional divides.
Making-Universities-Matter-Report-125-FINAL.pdfReport: Policy Exchange - Universities at the Crossroads
"Universities in the UK are not yet in crisis – but they could be if they continue down their current path. In this report, based on over 50 interviews with vice-chancellors, chairs of council and other senior leaders, we set out the steps that university leaders must take if they are to put their institutions on a robust footing and regain the trust of the nation."
Universities-at-the-Crossroads.pdfBlog: HEPI - 'Reconnecting the civic university with the climate agenda: thinking globally acting locally' by Keri Facer
"As someone who has spent the last decade leading a research programme encouraging partnerships between universities and communities, I very much welcome the publication of the new Civic University Commission report from the UPP Foundation. There is much in here to applaud: the call for strategic commitment by universities to civic engagement; the demand for a new approach to adult education and widening participation; and the need for sustained national funding for civic collaborations. But it is hard to avoid the fact that there is a glaring blind spot in a report that claims to be making a case about the future of universities. Namely, there is no reference to climate change."
Blog: WonkHE - 'How to make a city sticky for graduates' by Adele Browne
"Like many university cities, Leicester is having a close look at its attractiveness as a place for graduates to stay and work. The benefits of establishing stronger graduate labour markets in hubs around the country seem compelling – regions will be enriched as knowledge centres through increased interplay of research, enterprise and graduate talent, businesses will see greater access to skills through robust graduate pipelines, and graduates will be better served to identify and transition into stimulating jobs with progression opportunities."