Join the No. 1 Economic Development Community
Launching in December 2025, Economic Development World will provide:
Insights, guidance and professional development resources
Free foundation course on local and regional economic development
Online videos, courses, podcasts
Lean learning: learn what you want when you need it
Use the form below to send us a message
Our experts
Glenn Athey
Glenn (BA, MA, PhD) has 31 years of experience in local and regional skills and labour market policy and analysis. Glenn has held senior roles at Futureskills Scotland, London Development Agency, Centre for Cities, The East of England Development Agency, and Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough LEP.
Our Clients are Superfans
“Glenn delivers high quality advice and insights based on years of experience with no fuss, he just delivers the results you need.”
“
“Glenn’s work is highly professional, demonstrating a very high level of stakeholder management, workshop and facilitation skills.”
Local London
“Glenn is an uber-consultant, a cut above the rest.”
UK Innovation Corridor
“Glenn, Mike and Hannah delivered us a high quality and locally focused employment, careers and skills strategy and action plan that allows us to take our approach and reputation for skills to the next level.”
What do 100+ Labour Market Research and Policy Reports Tell Us About AI and Occupational Change?
The Impact of AI on Occupations, Roles and Skills I've read 140 UK labour market research and policy documents over the past four months. Here's a precis of what they are saying about AI and occupational change. The Scale and Pace of Change Across all the documents...
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗘𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿’𝘀 𝗩𝗶𝗲𝘄: 𝗣𝗼𝗹𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗗𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗦𝗵𝗶𝗳𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝗿𝗸𝗲𝘁𝘀
Political pronouncements don't shift markets unless they are backed by tangible co-investment, legislation, incentives, changes to tax codes and/or demand stimulus This is the first article in a regular weekly series, where I reflect on a common issue that I see a lot...
Free Executive Track Course in February: Poverty, Inclusion and Inequality
We've just made the Executive Track course module on poverty, inclusion and inequalities free on ourCPD site - which can be accessed by joining with the free membership 𝙀𝙭𝙥𝙡𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙧 tier at https://www.economicdevelopment.world/joinThis 1 h course includes a workbook to...
Best Practice Supporting Industries and Clusters
The book I'm launching next month - 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘤𝘢𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘙𝘦𝘨𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘌𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘤 𝘋𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘏𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 - is packed with practical advice and case studies. Here's a sample of what's in the book regarding industrial clusters...The UK has oscillated between active industrial strategy...
𝗙𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗮𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝘄𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻
After reviewing dozens of local skills plans, I see the same fundamental misunderstandings repeated. Here's what actually matters: 𝟭. 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝘀𝗸𝗶𝗹𝗹𝘀 An aerospace manufacturer needs accountants, IT staff, administrators, and delivery drivers - not just...
𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 “𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝗘𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝘆 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗴𝘆” 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗹𝗱 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗼𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗰𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗿𝘆
Most economic developers treat net zero as a compliance exercise. They shouldn't. Here's what the evidence actually shows: Green industries in the UK already contribute £71 billion in GVA. They support 840,000 jobs at an average wage of £42,600 (versus £33,400...