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Our experts
Glenn Athey
Glenn (BA, MA, PhD) has 32 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.
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“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.”
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝘀𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝘀 𝘂𝘀𝘂𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴
In the late 1990s I spent the best part of two years inside the engine rooms of economic development. I interviewed chief executives, directors and managers of development agencies in Scotland, London, Belfast and Berlin for my doctorate, and I went looking for the...
𝗥𝗲𝘄𝗶𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗶𝘀 𝗮 𝗴𝗼𝗼𝗱 𝗽𝗵𝗿𝗮𝘀𝗲. 𝗕𝘂𝘁 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝗶𝘀 𝗴𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗼 𝗶𝘁 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗼𝘄?
Before the promise of local and regional devolution and integrated funding settlements, when money came in competitive pots with the criteria written in Whitehall, the shape of your programme was somebody else's fault and the honest appraisal was somebody else's job....
25% off handbook and new book on delivery out on 28 September
Paperback Edition of The Local and Regional Economic Development September Sale! £31.99 UK + P&P I've sourced another high quality print on demand service at bookvault which allows me to give email subscribers discount coupon codes! Head over to the Great...
Do you want to be great at economic development?
I mean the question literally, and I think everyone in this field should answer it. Not “do you want your place to prosper” – everyone wants that, the way everyone wants good weather. I mean: does your institution intend to become genuinely excellent at the discipline...
𝗜’𝘃𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲, 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗴𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀
Not because they weren't smart. Not because they didn't work hard. But because nobody had ever explained to them what economic development actually is. What is the mission? What is the function? What are the dilemmas you'll face when public purpose and private...
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗺𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁? 𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴
I sat in meetings early in my career where decisions were being made and I didn't know the local backstory. Who had tried what before? Why certain approaches had been abandoned? What are the political sensitivities? What the community actually needed versus what...