To round off Chamber’s recent event economy and sustainability event in Hull, a roundtable ensued between several of the event’s attendees. The session was recorded in accordance with Chatham House Rules which helped to promote an open and frank discussion around several key issues.
On the agenda for the session were skills enhancement and development in the Humber region, job creation, the lack of government understanding on local councils, and renewable energy and sustainability.
Skills Development in the Region: The Levelling Up Agenda
The Levelling Up Agenda has been a constant topic of discussion over the past five years after Boris Johnson included it as a key part of his manifesto for the 2019 General Election. The idea and concept of Levelling Up is largely appreciated, even by Sir Keir Starmer who has pledged to build on the policy should Labour win the next general election.
One aspect of Levelling Up is improving the skills of workers in regions across the UK, something that is becoming more pressing as the country attempts to reach Net zero by 2050. New skills are needed, and the government’s Skills Act of 2022 seeks to provide workers with the skills they need to progress.
During the roundtable discussion, speakers emphasised the importance of professional recognition for engineering and technical skills in the region and highlighted the mechanical engineering sector as a sector that is desperately in need of skills support.
Out With the Old and In with the New
The Humber region is a part of the UK that is fully embracing decarbonisation and new energy. For many people, if the government can’t get decarbonisation right in this area, then they have little hope of achieving their goal of reaching Net Zero by 2050.
Different businesses in the area are targeting a variety of green-friendly projects from carbon capture to low carbon hydrogen. The ultimate aim is to deliver clean energy in the future and for the region to effectively power the UK and bring it into the new era of fossil fuel-less energy.
The reality of that is thousands of job losses across the region, something that needs to be addressed to avoid an unemployment crisis. One speaker at the roundtable spoke about their experiences with marine renewables and their efforts to support local businesses to create new job opportunities in this area.
Meanwhile, another discussed the need to collaborate with the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Michael Gove, to promote devolution to allow local authorities to create more new jobs and projects without central red tape.
The Relationship Between the Government and Local Councils
Devolution has been something that the UK has welcomed since the 1990s, and is a concept in principal that both major parties agree upon. There are concerns, however, that the current form of devolution still doesn’t give enough power to local councils to make decision on their own.
In terms of Levelling Up, how funding is allocated between different regions has been a bone of contention for a couple of years now with some areas receiving more funding than others for seemingly ‘unfair’ reasons.
Discussing the Humber’s region with the central government, one speaker at the roundtable said that a lot of the issues don’t relate to local areas not wanting to do more for their people but rather the government not providing local areas with enough power to make significant change.
They also had some sympathy for the government and they stated that some local areas have more tolerance than others in terms of collaboration which makes it hard for the government to incorporate a one size fits all approach.
Talking about how other nations deal with devolution, one speaker explained how German municipalities are provided with more stable funding streams which helps them to make more efficient and long-term decisions. Could the UK learn a thing a two from their European neighbours?
Renewable Energy and Sustainability: levelling Up
With a sustained focus on renewable energy and the future of green energy in the region and the whole of the UK, key ideas were discussed with regard to how smaller regions can aid the Net Zero target.
The importance of giving local councils a platform in the wider energy market to ensure that consumer benefit from renewable energy production was highlighted.
Energy-efficient solutions for creative industries while also looking at green hydrogen as a solution for creating a more sustainable market was further emphasised.
Ultimately, there was consensus that if Net Zero is to be achieved sooner rather than later, then serious collaboration needs to take place between councillors, industry and government.
Health, Care and Life Sciences Research Group
Curia’s Life Sciences Industrial Strategy for a New Government interim report will be launched soon, where subscribers to Curia’s Health, Care and Life Sciences Research Group will be invited to attend. You can sign up to the Curia Newsletter here to be kept informed about our events and reports. If you are interested in subscribing, please email team@curiauk.com to find out more.
We are delighted to be working with sponsors IQVIA and Genomics Plc to deliver the Life Sciences Industrial Strategy for a New Government Programme.
