CPD, training and skills in Local and Regional Economic Development
Expert knowledge, proven frameworks, and practical tools for local authority officers, consultants, and practitioners delivering regional growth strategies, innovation programmes, and place-based policy – built from 31 years of working in the field
- 15 hours of on-demand courses covering the 8 disciplines of local and regional economic development
- Practical workbooks (e.g. FDI from scratch; develop a great project idea)
- Community, chatrooms, discussion
- Mentoring and coaching support
- Continuing Professional Development (CPD)
- Skills and training in local and regional economic development
Endorsements
“A big shout out to Glenn Athey who has taken his many years in economic development consultancy and created Economic Development World (www.economicdevelopment.world), the UK’s first online community for local and regional economic development that provides CPD, on-demand lean learning, a community of peers and workbooks. Built on three pillars of accelerated learning, shared knowledge and community support, it is a fabulous resource for our industry.
“From what I have seen already, this has the potential to create a step change in how the UK delivers economic development, putting the skills and development of practitioners, whether newbies or old hands, front and centre. Get yourselves signed up, get involved and support this great initiative.”
Adam Breeze, Breeze Strategy
“2026 has to be the year that economic development professionals take the important steps, from policy comment, strategic views, to decisive practictioner application and delivery. Critical is to have an accessible platform for CPD, training, and a focused community to ask questions and discuss best practice and aspects of local and regional economic development. I am delighted that an established and respected colleague Glenn Athey has founded and created this resource on www.economicdevelopment.world .”
Mark Pearson, Head of Economic Development, Reading's Economy & Destination Agency (REDA)

Want Local and Regional Economic Development Strategies that Actually Get Implemented?

Want to Persuade Political Leaders to Invest in Economic Development?

Struggling to Make the Case for Innovation Funding?
Founded by Glenn Athey, an Economic Development Professional and Advisor With 31 Years of Supporting UK Economic Development
LPIP Fellow, University of Birmingham
Author of "The Local and Regional Economic Development Handbook"
Latest News and Advice
No Results Found
The page you requested could not be found. Try refining your search, or use the navigation above to locate the post.
External news
United Kingdom x Combined authority: New report reveals how local authorities are using their £81bn procurement power to drive regional growth, support SMEs and VCSEs, and deliver social value—while highlighting where 28% of councils risk falling behind.
Source: United Kingdom x Combined authority Author: Tussell_UK Date published: 2025-08-12 [original article can be accessed via hyperlink at the end] submitted by /u/Tussell_UK[link][comments] View original article at:
CityTalk: Working with youth across the world: Cities powering inclusive climate action
Source: CityTalk Author: Barbara Riedemann Date published: 2025-08-12 [original article can be accessed via hyperlink at the end] Under the theme “Local youth actions for the SDGs and beyond,” this 12 August, the United Nations celebrates International Youth Day 2025,...
CityTalk: Youth are taking climate stock. Here are ten ways cities can act with them.
Source: CityTalk Author: Guest Author Date published: 2025-08-12 [original article can be accessed via hyperlink at the end] * This guest op-ed article was written by John Warren Tamor as part of a partnership between ICLEI and YOUNGO Cities Working Group Young people...
Bloomberg CityLab: Atlanta Proposes $1 Billion Bond to Rehab World’s Busiest Airport
Source: Bloomberg CityLab Author: Aashna Shah Date published: 2025-08-11 [original article can be accessed via hyperlink at the end] Atlanta is proposing a $1 billion municipal-bond borrowing to help finance infrastructure improvements at the Hartsfield-Jackson...
Economic Innovation Group: AI and Jobs: The Final Word (Until the Next One)
Source: Economic Innovation Group Author: Stephen Leverton Date published: 2025-08-10 [original article can be accessed via hyperlink at the end] By Sarah Eckhardt and Nathan Goldschlag Recent tremors in the labor market are being pinned on Artificial Intelligence. A...
Bloomberg CityLab: New York Warns of $34 Billion Budget Hole, Biggest Since 2009 Crisis
Source: Bloomberg CityLab Author: unknown Date published: 2025-08-08 [original article can be accessed via hyperlink at the end] New York state’s cumulative three-year budget gap has swelled to $34 billion, rising 25% from Governor Kathy Hochul’s estimate in January...
