Hertfordshire Futures is developing a new Economic Strategy for the county for the next 10 years and beyond. This strategy places residents and businesses at the heart of plans to create a resilient, productive, inclusive and sustainable economy. While the focus will be on local growth and productivity, the strategy will also consider geopolitical uncertainties and global trends and their impact locally, such as:
It also takes into account the Government’s emerging policy positions across a number of key areas including transport, infrastructure, housing and planning, devolution, tackling worklessness and barriers to employment, developing a new Industrial Strategy, and managing net zero transition.
Over the second half of 2024 (July to December), Hertfordshire Futures carried out extensive engagement with partners across health, business, places, the voluntary sector as well as neighbouring authorities. This report summarises this engagement. These discussions have highlighted that the core strategic themes of inclusion, sustainability and innovation are not just relevant for Hertfordshire but are also of national importance. At the same time, Hertfordshire Futures submitted its response to the Industrial Strategy Green Paper evidencing how its key sectors can be a catalyst for UK growth.
These webinars will enable us to take a place-based deep dive into these three broad and inter-related themes:
By bringing local and national experts together this will enable us to identify priorities for local action and the practical interventions needed to make that happen. Key outcomes include:
Format
Each 60-minute webinar will be chaired by Matt Deegan, radio and podcast host and director. The series will be recorded and available on demand. The panel will include one nationally/regionally respected expert in conversation with local panellists. The webinars are due to take place between January- March and will inform the final version of the Economic Strategy. Adrian Hawkins OBE, Chair, Hertfordshire Futures, will open and close the series.
Target Audience
Webinar 1: Get Hertfordshire Working
29 January, 09.30-10.30
The number of people leaving the labour force due to mental and physical ill health is at record levels. The Government’s recent White Paper, Get Britain Working, comes as stark figures show almost one and a half million people are unemployed, over nine million people are inactive, a record 2.8 million people are out of work due to long-term sickness. Young people have also been left behind with one in eight young people not in education, employment or training, and nine million adults lack the essential skills they need to get on in work.
Poor health and well-being are putting more people at risk of social exclusion and poverty, while employers are facing significant recruitment challenges and skills shortages. This brings huge societal and individual consequences as well as driving up welfare costs.
Hertfordshire is in-line with this national trend. Recent data locally shows that the number of people who are out of work and not seeking a job has grown at a dramatic rate over the past decade. These are not the officially unemployed but those who are ‘economically inactive’ due to a range of reasons, including long term sickness.
In the first of three webinars designed to take a more collaborative, locally led approach to key issues we bring experts from across skills, work and health leadership to examine the latest policy reforms to tackling economic inactivity and hidden unemployment.
Economic Inactivity and Long-Term Sickness: Recent data reveals that while Hertfordshire boasts higher economic activity rates compared to the national average, the number of people who are economically inactive due to long-term sickness has surged in a decade. We will investigate reasons behind this trend.
Claimant Count Rates: Despite being below the national average, claimant counts locally are high, with varying rates of post-pandemic recovery from district to district. We will investigate the reasons behind these disparities, and the link to long-term sickness.
Policy Priorities and topics for discussion: Assessing next steps for addressing economic inactivity due to long term sickness - should there be an inquiry as to why – and perhaps a pilot programme developed in response? Why have some parts of the county improved post pandemic and others got worse? What steps can be taken next to reverse these trends and build better pathways to work? How can the public and private sector become better aligned to support those at a disadvantage back into employment?
Panellists:
This webinar has now taken place, watch the recording below and view the PR summary here:
Webinar 2: Shaping a greener economy
24 February, 11.30-12.30
This webinar will explore how we can attract the green economy and better incentivise sustainable development and nature recovery. It will also look at the valuable contributions our rural communities and agri-sector can make to support innovation and diversification, while at the same reducing costs, and hear how businesses have successfully embedded sustainability into their operations.
Panellists:
For more information and to book your place, click here
Webinar 3: Are We AI Ready?
5 March, 10.00-11.00
New and emerging technologies and AI are revolutionising our key sectors, driving growth and productivity, but there are risks for industries and people left behind. How are we adapting training needs for industry to be ready for the impact AI will have? Equally, are we training the right people for the right jobs and available amount of work? This webinar will also look at the digital arena from the innovation side – how can this cross-cutting sector drive innovation across key sectors, as well as skills and inclusion to ensure that we better harness its benefits and future-proof our economy for a digital age.
Panellists:
Neil Hayes, CEO, Hertfordshire Futures, said: “The extensive engagement process has taught us that these key strategic themes are not just the rights ones for the county but are also nationally significant. How we respond to these issues will help shape Hertfordshire’s future in the long term. These public webinars are intended to be just the start of that conversation – the real works begins when we start to deliver on the actions identified in our emerging Economic Strategy and take steps to create a more equitable and sustainable economic future.”
All the webinars are open to the public and free to attend.
Booking details will be advertised well in advance on our website and each webinar will be available to view on demand.
The extensive engagement process has taught us that these key strategic themes are not just the rights ones for the county but are also nationally significant.