Fraser HarperJul 30, 20213 minLevelling-up – revisiting regional development (again!)Using a combination of measures of employment rates, pay rates, health, formal education attainment levels and productivity provides a...
Fraser HarperJul 30, 20211 minLevelling-up – International ExperienceWe found this interesting… Note: Higher Education is virtually free in Estonia, France and Germany. Source: Industry Strategy Council:...
Fraser HarperJul 30, 20212 minLevelling-up – what’s beneath the bonnet?As the discussion rages across what levelling-up means, might mean, and what is might deliver, we need to look beneath the bonnet. What...
Fraser HarperNov 13, 20201 minInnovation, technology policy, and skillsThe development of a successful national set of policies that can capitalise on specific industry and technology developments in a...
Fraser HarperOct 16, 20202 minUK Sectors in which lack of skills is holding back innovationHere are some findings from our recent research: UK Sectors in which the lack of skills is holding back innovation Level 4:...
Fraser HarperOct 16, 20204 minInnovation is more than just R&DThere is a direct link between skills and innovation and, to be truly innovative, businesses need people with balanced sets of...
Fraser HarperOct 16, 20201 minThe UK’s new R&D Roadmap: where’s the D in Boris?In UK businesses, innovation has fallen alarmingly in recent years. So the publishing of the UK government’s new Research and...
Fraser HarperAug 28, 20201 minInnovation in Advanced Manufacturing 1For manufacturing businesses in the UK, building workforces to be able to take advantage of Advanced Manufacturing (AM) innovations is...
Fraser HarperAug 14, 20201 minThe state of UK InnovationMore UK businesses need to be innovating. At a national level, R&D investment needs to be raised, together with the related spend on...
Fraser HarperJul 10, 20202 minLooking for the golden threads: Don’t just focus on productsThe business of information: looking for the golden threads? This post follows on from our main post here. Barrier 2: Focusing too much...
Fraser HarperJul 6, 20208 minThe business of information: looking for the golden threads?An abridged version of this post can be found here. The value of information – reliable and timely information – has been highlighted...
Fraser HarperJul 6, 20203 minThe business of information: looking for the golden threads?A more detailed version of this post is available here The coronavirus pandemic has shown just how unreliable and untimely data can be. ...
Fraser HarperMar 20, 20203 minTowards a Space Technology Occupational MapThe space technology industry is large, global and rapidly growing1. It splits into three major areas: Upstream; Downstream; and Beyond...
Fraser HarperFeb 28, 20202 minCounting Digital Jobs and SkillsMost countries have a digital strategy and policies around promoting innovation and skills. But how many digital jobs are there? And how...
Fraser HarperFeb 21, 20203 minTracking down apprenticesIn England, there are two key sources of data on apprentices. One is the Department for Education (DfE), which releases quarterly data...
Fraser HarperFeb 11, 20208 minManufacturing the Future WorkforceHigh Value Manufacturing Catapult and Gatsby Foundation. January 2020. 68 pages. Understanding the processes by which skills are defined...
Fraser HarperJan 31, 20206 minA World Without Work?A World Without Work. Technology, Automation and How we Should Respond (Daniel Susskind, 2020)1 and Tickbox (David Boyle, 2020)2 – Some...
Fraser HarperJan 27, 20205 minTechnicians, Technologists and Engineers: what are the differences?These days, there is a distinct role called “technologist”. While technologists are clearly recognised in the USA and Canada, in the UK...
Fraser HarperJan 18, 20203 minA question of completing apprenticeshipsAt every stage of education, students may drop out for a raft of reasons. In our current work, Blue Mirror Insights (BMI) is looking for...
Fraser HarperJan 13, 20205 minHow many apprenticeship entry occupations are there?At the current time, 702 apprenticeship standards are listed on the UK Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (IfATE)...