Plymouth Event Aiming To Improve The Future For Residents

Are you aware that Plymouth residents earn below the national average, an average of £50 a week less?

Plymouth City Council are aiming to deliver high value jobs in the city, with the goal of driving up aspiration for better schools, first class care and health services and better quality of life.

In June 2022, Plymouth businesses are being invited to take part in an event that will help to shape a more prosperous and inclusive future for Plymouth following the pandemic.

Hosted by the Inclusive Growth Group of Plymouth Growth Board on 21 June, Inclusive 2040 will explore the current and emerging pressures on key sectors within the city. It will use existing data to look at what the future holds and where radical approaches are needed to move towards a more inclusive city for 2040.

Plymouth is a great environment to live and work, with a strong leisure and hospitality offer to both locals and visitors. It has nationally significant economic strengths in manufacturing, marine and maritime, defence, health education and technology.

However, the sectors that are driving the city’s economy are where full time, well paid jobs are predominantly held by men. Recruitment and retention in these sectors is proving a challenge – graduates are leaving the city for better opportunities and wages, older people are stepping away from careers, lack of flexible working is excluding some women and many others don’t have the right skills.

Other significant sectors in the city, such as health and social care, retail and hospitality offer more flexible working and as such employ more women, but generally these are lower paid and lower skilled roles. Therefore, a wider range of flexible working needs to be available to balance the opportunities for all ages and genders, which will significantly boost the potential growth for Plymouth.

Low wages, even when in-work benefits are added, are not keeping pace with the cost of living crisis with its escalating housing and energy prices. It is clear that growing employment does not necessarily help people out of poverty. Many are holding down more than one job or are locked out of accessing good jobs, resulting in a lack of the shared prosperity that will help the city to flourish in all ways. 

Plymouth’s aim is to grow a prosperous economy that reduces inequality, is sustainable and truly serves the wellbeing of local people. The ambition is to shift behaviours and culture in support of long-term inclusive growth.

Inclusive growth enables the widest range of people and businesses to both contribute to, and benefit from economic success. It addresses social, economic, environmental and health inequalities by looking at different ways of achieving growth that benefits society as a whole.

The event will be opened up by Lindsey Hall, Chair of the Inclusive Growth Group of the Plymouth Growth Board, Mark Shayer, Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Pat Patel, Cabinet Member for Community Economic Development for Plymouth City Council.

Mark Shayer said: “As part of the city’s drive towards higher value jobs, now is the time for us to re-think what we do and how we respond to current and emerging pressures on businesses.”

Pat Patel said: “Lots of Plymouth’s working age people face challenges in the workplace and this event will explore where radical approaches are needed so that by 2040, Plymouth’s economy is thriving.”

Lindsey Hall added: “The Inclusive 2040 event brings experts with a range of different perspectives and ideas to Plymouth, enabling us to explore new ways forward in our ongoing ambitions to build a fairer, greener, future for Plymouth.”

Inclusive 2040 takes place on Tuesday 21 June, 12pm to 5pm. While places to attend in person at Market Hall, Devonport are very limited, there is plenty of availability to attend online. To book a free place please visit Inclusive 2040 Plymouth Tickets, Tue 21 June 2022 at 12pm | Eventbrite. If the preferred attendance option is full, there is a waiting list and joining instructions will be sent if a ticket becomes available.

The event will have award-winning journalist and presenter, Alexis Bowater OBE as the Master of Ceremonies and the programme includes:

• Key-note speaker, Stephen Evans, CEO of the Learning & Work Institute to set the scene for Plymouth as part of the UK economy
• Scenario planning with Matthew Finch from the SAÏD Business School – exploring scenario planning and help identify where radical approaches are needed 
• Data and prospective scenarios with Fiona Tuck from Metro Dynamics to help understand future scenarios 
• Facilitated session to agree next steps with Dr. Tim Sydenham on communication to the current and future workforce about changes in jobs and employment