Global expertise, local impact

Multifaceted and universal

Unsurprisingly, there isn’t just one simple answer; no silver bullet or Eureka moment that could ever help economists, scientists and politicians unite towards a single, straightforward solution.

Our interconnected world increasingly relies on interconnected ideas, and things are no different when it comes to matters of sustainability.

Joined-up thinking across all kinds of humanities, sciences and industries, with collaboration and synergy at its core, will be required to deliver the progress we all need.

That’s why at the University of Warwick, experts in a wide variety of fields are tackling specific problems with focus and expertise – while at the same time, sharing ideas that offer to help others make their own leaps forward.

As so often at Warwick, it’s work that starts right here in the West Midlands, with a focus on improving local skills and making a difference to the regional economy around us.

But it’s also work that has the scope to deliver national or even global change, empowering leaders to make better-informed decisions or supporting real people as the world of work transforms around them.

A project of productivity

One such example of this work is led by Nigel Driffield, Professor of International Business at Warwick Business School.

A respected expert on productivity who regularly provides insight to national media outlets and sits on the executive team committee of the Productivity Institute, his decades of experience have given him a unique perspective.

“Unfortunately, output per hour worked hasn’t really grown since the financial crisis of 2008 and the country is lagging behind,” Professor Driffield said.

“There are multiple factors at play, from a lack of investment to skills shortages and regional inequalities.

“If you take London and the southeast out of the equation, for example, productivity in the rest of the UK is on par with Alabama – the 48th richest state in the US.”

A key part of Nigel’s professional efforts, therefore, is encouraging decision makers to adopt a more local-first approach.

“Whether the government of the day uses terminology like ‘levelling up’ or not, there are cities, towns and counties across the country that are trapped in a cycle of low skills, low pay and low productivity,” he explained.

“We need a locally driven approach to economic investment that puts money to use in the places where people actually live and work.”

To that end, as Deputy Pro Vice Chancellor for Regional Engagement, Professor Driffield has explored how foreign direct investment can help an area change its economic dynamic by introducing increased demand for skills, creating more attractive jobs that require them and incentivising local workers to develop said skills.

But another part of the puzzle is providing the right education and training opportunities to people in the right places, so that demand from both businesses and their would-be hires can be met and sustained.

“It’s important to remember that we aren’t just talking about manufacturing or engineering skills,” Nigel explained.

“Foreign companies often make headlines by building a plant somewhere in the UK that creates jobs in things like car assembly – but those same firms also want arts and humanities graduates with critical thinking experience and soft skills for managerial or office-based roles, too.”

Professor Nigel Driffield

Professor Stéphanie Panichelli-Batalla

From sustainable graduates to local talent

It was with this sort of skills-first approach that Professor Stéphanie Panichelli-Batalla, now Academic Director for Sustainability, oversaw the growth of a first-of-its-kind undergraduate course at the University during her time as Head of the School of Cross Faculty Studies.

Designed to provide students with the experiences they need to tackle a wide range of real-world challenges, the Global Sustainable Development degree programme offers work and study abroad placements that prepare them for careers in the private, public or third sectors.

“It’s a Bachelor of Arts and Sciences; a flexible three-year course that covers economic, environmental and social principles, as well as modules around things like health, food security and inequalities,” Stéphanie said.

The idea for this innovative, unique kind of course was to reflect the inter- and transdisciplinary nature of sustainability itself.

“Every business and every sector needs to operate sustainably, and that doesn’t just mean paying lip service to the environment by hiring one person and ticking off a box; today’s professionals all need to think sustainably.

“The course has gone from strength to strength, and we’ve also created an MASc and an MPhil/PhD that’s open to graduates from Warwick or elsewhere – so there’s now plenty of talented young people with sustainability skills that local employers can access.”

Skills first, not job first

Similarly, thought leaders at Warwick are helping employers in the West Midlands to rethink how current and future generations of workers are trained for successful careers in fast-changing industries.

Ben Silverstone, Head of Skills Policy and Strategy at WMG, consults with businesses and local authorities to help them identify the many opportunities that professional development can provide.

“We tend to see ‘the workforce’ as a statistical figure that grows, shrinks and can therefore move around, but in reality these are real people with families and ties to specific places,” Ben said.

“If we train someone to become a steelworker in South Wales and they later lose their job when the plant closes, that person isn’t going to simply move to Scotland because there’s a new windfarm opening there.

“Instead, if we look at equipping people with transferable, more universal skills that apply to all kinds of traditional and emerging fields, we will achieve a society that can better meet employers’ needs and give people more career options.”

Championing this mindset was one reason why Ben and his WMG colleagues set up the National Electrical Skills Framework and Forum, an attempt to create a cohesive approach to deliver the capabilities needed for vehicle electrification.

The strength of the automotive industry in the West Midlands means its work greatly concerns the area immediately surrounding Warwick.

“It’s not just about considering the large manufacturers and the changes they need to make today to prepare for tomorrow,” Dr Silverstone said.

“It’s also about the small companies in Coventry and other places that make individual parts and components; how can we help them adapt and be able to manufacture what they need to as customer demands change?”

Ben Silverstone

Professor Chris Warhurst

Making work fulfilling and meaningful

Meanwhile, Professor Chris Warhurst from the Institute for Employment Research at Warwick is championing the need for managers, not just employees, to improve their skills so the nation can better utilise the technical talent within the workforce.

“Policymakers tend to concentrate on the skills people learn when they enter the world of work, but often don’t put the same level of importance on how those skills are actually used in work.

“We need to move away from the mistaken belief that having more skilled, trained people will mean they automatically get good jobs and put those talents to use – because things just don’t happen that way on their own.”

It’s right here, in the West Midlands, where Chris and his team recently studied local businesses to gain an invaluable perspective that could convince the powers that be to focus their efforts to overcome this challenge.

In a project for the Productivity Institute and West Midlands Combined Authority, Chris, Peter Dickinson and Emily Erickson from the IER conducted case studies with 11 West Midlands businesses, alongside a literature review and analysis of local training provision.

“The main conclusion was that management is crucial; businesses need to review their managers’ core and technological skills and provide them with regular training.

“The problem often isn’t that workers lack the skills they need to be productive – it’s that management isn’t effective in empowering them to use those skills.”