Andy Westwood

National Productivity Week returns 27 Apr–1 May! Events across the UK will explore innovation, skills, technology and better outcomes for people, firms & places. More events & info on the National Productivity Week website: www.productivityweek.co.uk/whats-on/

#NationalProductivityWeek #NPW #NPW26

America rethinks how to train its workforce A ‘skills gap’ is not some blight on free enterprise that someone else will fix

America rethinks how to train its workforce ft.trib.al/A6tdBXL | opinion

Quite possibly - but there are better ways of acknowledging and tackling this problem (maybe with better outcomes/overall value besides)?

I remember St Patrick’s…

This is well worth reading - and Jim is bang on re rapidly growing numbers/profits in franchised provision. This is absolutely not where subsidy should be going.

NEW on Wonkhe: The Treasury exerts control where it can, while HE gets trashed in the process buff.ly/HZ0OnYJ

If true, Nigel Farage's claim that the real reason why net migration numbers are down in because of "exodus" of British people escaping a broken society would show up in this red line spiking dramatically up - but it is very flat indeed.

His claim is made up to claim immigration hasn't fallen

Oh that’s a good one (in the broader canon)…

The links between sectoral and regional investment and sectoral, regional, and aggregate productivity in the United Kingdom - The Productivity Institute This paper documents significant regional and sectoral productivity disparities in the UK with important implications for aggregate productivity and living standards

This latest @productivity.bsky.social working paper from NIESR @econstevem.bsky.social, @fergusjimeneze.bsky.social, @antonioharob.bsky.social & Monica George Michail explores the significant regional and sectoral productivity disparities in the United Kingdom
www.productivity.ac.uk/research/the...

Flag of tiger face in yellow on a blue background with pearl in black on a yellow background.

Happy Shropshire Day.

The Shropshire flag is flying today in New Palace Yard, recognising the people and heritage of this historic county.

Shropshire is represented by seven constituencies in the House of Commons.

Perhaps a minor point given the scale of the Send system’s out of control costs, but these were the sorts of “hidden” things that went first when councils began cutting budgets post 2010. It’s taken 15 years, but the consequences of local govt cuts are increasingly a national problem

A tour de force from Jim.

Kemi Badenoch vows to cut student loan interest and boost apprenticeships The Conservatives propose to lessen graduates’ debt burden by reducing the number of university entrants by 100,000

This reveals the major problem with the student loans debate: it cannot be solved only within the confines of the loan system- you have to change at least one other aspect of HE.

And that can only *sustainably* be done by a proper review of HE funding, governance and regulation.

‘Is university still worth it?’ is the wrong question The graduate earnings premium isn’t really measuring what most people think

Full piece here: giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/... ‘Is university still worth it?’ is the wrong question

Some great (if utterly depressing) charts and commentary from @jburnmurdoch.ft.com in @data.ft.com today. First one is a zinger… #studentloans

SEND transport bill could hit £3.4bn by 2030, councils warn Local authorities could be transporting 100,000 more pupils with SEND to school by the end of the decade unless there is significant reform, say councils

The cost of providing home-to-school transport for pupils with SEND could be £1.4 billion a year more by the end of the decade, councils warn

Labour market stats not great. A worrying 1 in 7 18-24 year olds now unemployed. Retail & hospitality bearing the brunt, with 122k fewer people in payroll employment. Rising employer costs & flat economy taking a toll. But figures subject to revision. Last months 43k PAYE drop now revised to 2k.

Are Plan 2 student loans 'unfair'? | Institute for Fiscal Studies Student loans now top £50k for many graduates. We explain how repayments work, who pays most, and whether the system is 'unfair'.

Student Loans - essential background/explanations (and predictions) from @theifs.bsky.social @helenmiller.bsky.social Kate Ogden and @nickhillman.bsky.social. Well worth a listen.

ifs.org.uk/articles/are...

On it last week. Beats Euston.

Starmer cancels plans to delay 30 local council elections Setback comes after weeks of controversy over the proposal

Starmer cancels plans to delay 30 local council elections ft.trib.al/fC51bUX

Student loans show that hard policy choices will only get harder The debate over university funding is a good example of the intractable challenges facing the UK government

Another Martin enters the fray.

giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/... Student loans show that hard policy choices will only get harder

Could Manchester be a model for the UK to kickstart growth? With an annual growth rate of 3.1%, Manchester's economy has performed twice as well as that of the UK as a whole.

Like Faisal, I grew up in GM. The 70s/80s there were bleak. I’ve been a bit involved in its post-2008 devolution journey. One lesson I draw is that growth rests on many years of effort and support www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Watch ‘Small Prophets’. You won’t regret it.
www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/epis...

The Industrial Revolution was powered by that cob.

Land of my forefathers (shame about the flag)…

Scrapping REF should be ‘serious’ option, says Manchester VC - Research Professional News Duncan Ivison questions “usefulness” of “massive, bureaucratic” research assessment exercise

Scrapping REF should be “serious’ option”, says Manchester VC.

Duncan Ivison questions “usefulness” of “massive, bureaucratic” research assessment exercise.

www.researchprofessionalnews.com/rr-news-uk-u...

Top civil servant could become third key No 10 departure in days Exclusive: Cabinet secretary Chris Wormald is expected to follow Morgan McSweeney and Tim Allan out the door

EXCL: Chris Wormald, the most senior civil servant in Downing Street, is negotiating his exit as part of a wider shakeup of Keir Starmer’s operation after dramatic day - @kiranstacey.bsky.social
www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

The way UK govt funds science is in the midst of a major transition, with creation of a much more direct link between government priorities & UKRI research funding.

My attempt to set in context the biggest upheaval in UK science funding policy since the 1980s:
softmachines.org?p=3252

‘If I think about what this means, I want to cry’: what happens when a city loses its university? When Essex University’s Southend campus opened, it was a message of hope for a ‘left behind’ UK seaside town. Its closure will be felt far beyond its 800 students, some of whom will not get their degrees

‘If I think about what this means, I want to cry’: what happens when a city loses its university?

This feels a lot like the aftermath of 2007 Spending Review - particularly the STFC part. Both kept me pretty busy at the time.