Publication of the Annual Report and the Benefits Realisation Plan

On Friday 4 September, the City Region Deal’s Joint Committee approved an important plan for reviewing and evaluating the effectiveness of the Deal’s activities and deliverables, and signed off our second Annual Report.

Annual Report

This year’s Report details the strong progress we’ve made in finalising business cases across the different themes of Innovation, Housing, Transport, Skills and Culture, gaining approval for 55% of the £1.3bn investment committed in the Deal Document. But – critically – the Report also explains how, in early Spring, the Deal partners quickly responded to the rapidly emerging Covid-19 pandemic across a number of fronts:

• The launch of a COVID-19 Jobs Support portal on 3 April, just 11 days after the country was locked down.

• Regional councils, SEStran and Transport Scotland formed a Transport Transition Group, and worked with operators to prepare measures for the main transport corridor routes into and out of Edinburgh.

• The Data-Driven Innovation Programme allocated up to £200,000 in small grants to enable university staff and students to apply data-driven-innovation ideas in support of communities, services and businesses in the city region.

• Construction commencing at the Borders Innovation Park and at the Queensway Industrial Estate in Glenrothes as part of the Fife Industrial Innovation Investment.

To read the full Report, follow this link

Benefits Realisation Plan

Our Benefits Realisation Plan (BRP) is a major step forward in evidencing outcomes and impacts from the Deal. It will demonstrate to both the UK and Scottish Governments the benefits of their support and ensure continued focus on inclusive growth to reduce inequality and increase wellbeing.

The BRP was developed over many months in consultation with both governments, as well as other key stakeholders. Not only does it address how the Deal is performing against objectives and delivery plans, but it also measures wider economic, social and other impacts that may be generated within the Region, Scotland and elsewhere in the UK.

In January 2020, Audit Scotland highlighted its keen interest in Scotland’s City and Growth Deals implementing monitoring and evaluation processes, so we are proud to have achieved this important milestone for our deal.

To read the Benefits Realisation Plan, follow this link

Covid-19 Jobs Support Portal is a Success

The sudden onset of Covid-19 in March this year caused an immediate major economic disruption across the region, with the sudden closure of businesses and uncertainty for many citizens.

Employers and employees were navigating a quickly changing landscape to prevent job disruption. Many of those affected are not known to local employability systems, including those working in low skilled jobs and the gig economy, and employers unprepared for cutting contracts and hours. While the Job Retention Scheme was introduced it became apparent it would not necessarily prevent on-going job losses and the need for further economic security for many.

Regional partners noticed a surge in job opportunities with sudden growth sectors, including take-away food and beverages, logistics, supermarkets and the NHS / care sector, agriculture, among others and saw a gap for a job promotion service to meet the needs of both employers and at-risk employees as well as jobseekers with an opportunity to match skills to opening opportunities.

The Covid-19 Jobs Support portal was quickly developed by Hanlon Software Solutions as a regional offer for employers still recruiting and Covid-19 impacted employees facing job losses, and launched on 3 April.   

The portal gives support that is specific and clearly visible and captures the scale of the challenge as we also collect data through registration details of those affected. It offers additional links to local services across the region and manage the considerable information flow currently being generated, including welfare rights support and links to PACE activity and Business Development support for employers.

The portal was promoted via a maximum impact marketing campaign through the region. The site has now welcomed its 14,500 unique visitor with over 70,000 page views. With 305 employers promoting over 796 vacancies.

In the site’s infancy the majority of roles were within customer service in the retail and logistics sectors, but as time has progressed these vacancies have reduced and a steady increase in health and social care roles are becoming available daily. A total of 476 health and social care vacancies have been advertised which amounts to 60% of all advertised roles, confirming the need for ongoing support for this ever-growing sector.

HMRC who are relocating their service offices from multiple locations within the city region to their new purpose-reconfigured facilities welcomed the introduction of the Covid-19 Jobs Support site to support their mass recruitment drive. They have since received 900 job applications from across the travel to work area.

A local care employer said:

 “Following advertising on wwwc19jobs.org, we were overwhelmed by applications received in March and April and had to place a hold on recruitment for all of May. It was not a position I ever expected to find us in I can tell you!”

Manager, Odeon Cinema said when approached by the employer engagement team:

“During such unprecedented times, reaching out to others has never been more crucial, as an employer but also in society. Although we do have an employee assistance programme within our company, to know that there are options for my team is beneficial to their wellbeing. I feel much better knowing there is support there for them through this portal, whatever happens during these uncertain times”

The site has also been well received by jobseekers across the regions, one job seeker from the Scottish Borders who registered with Covid-19 Jobs Support has secured a contract with NHS Borders. Another jobseeker in Fife has secured a role with Amazon.

Following the launch of Covid-19 Jobs Support, the Integrated Employer Engagement team has actively engaged with a number of other Scottish local authorities through the Scottish Local Authorities Economic Development Group (SLAED) to promote the software and functionality of the site and to date three other local authorities are rolling out this product within their areas, with a further eight in discussions with the developer Hanlon.

For more information please contact c19jobs@capitalcitypartnership.org

City Region collaboration at heart of world-first hub for global open finance

The University of Edinburgh’s Futures Institute will host the Global Open Finance Centre of Excellence.

One of the City Region Deal’s Data-Driven Innovation hubs is set to host a newly announced open finance centre that will develop leading research, innovation and educational capabilities to improve the efficiency and safety of data-driven financial services.

The University of Edinburgh’s Futures Institute (EFI) will house the Global Open Finance Centre of Excellence, which has been awarded a £22.5m investment from UK Research and Innovation’s Strength in Places Fund.

The Centre – which is a collaboration between the University of Edinburgh, the Financial Data and Technology Association and Fintech Scotland – aims to provide a neutral, trusted environment for cross-industry cooperation to tackle pressing societal challenges and Open Finance research.

Adam McVey, leader of the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “Like all cities, Edinburgh’s industries have been hit hard by the impact of Covid-19. But our local economy and institutions are resilient and strong, positioning us well for our recovery from this crisis.

“This City has always placed knowledge and innovation at the heart of everything we do, leaning on the strengths of our financial, creative and tech sectors to work with our world-leading universities and create new jobs. It’s this collaborative approach which led to the City Region Deal – a £1.3bn investment to drive inclusive growth across Edinburgh and South East Scotland and create an economy that everyone who lives and works here can benefit from.

“This will help us build a sustainable future for key industries in the City and shows that our City Region Deal is having a real impact now in the Capital. The pledge of £23m from the Strength in Places Fund is a prime example of Edinburgh’s attractiveness as a place to invest and a vote of confidence in our city’s strengths and sectors. Housed within the Edinburgh Futures Institute, it will create new jobs and training opportunities, drawing on expertise from across our universities, financial services and fintech sector.”

Professor Lesley McAra CBE, Director of the EFI, welcomed the announcement, commenting: “We are delighted that this important Centre will be a part of the EFI eco-system. The Centre aligns with our participatory approach to education and research in a challenge-led environment and in particular with our aim to support inclusive economic growth across the Edinburgh City and the wider City Region. We hope that the Centre will reshape the face of financial services for communities and citizens in the context of the transition from lockdown into Covid-19 recovery.”

EFI Director of FinTech, Dr Gbenga Ibikunle said that the new Centre aligns well with EFI’s approach to Fintech and, as a committed partnership, it would bring established research expertise at the University of Edinburgh together with other Scottish universities and industry partners, creating an opportunity to change the industry for the better. Dr Ibikunle added, “The strong support for the Centre shown by UK regulatory bodies – including the Competition and Markets Authority, Financial Conduct Authority, Information Commissioners Office, and Centre for Data Ethics and Innovation – is a good indication of how important and timely this initiative is.”

Faith Reynolds, Independent Consumer Advocate, said: “Covid-19 has reminded many of us of the value of community and working together for the common good. At the same time, technology has come to the fore connecting us with people and services, highlighting the importance of privacy, independence and the ethical use of data.

“GOFCoE’s establishment is an extremely timely initiative to develop ethics and trust frameworks for data sharing, improving security and privacy for individuals while realising the benefits of data for all society.

“The Money and Pensions Service UK Strategy for Financial Wellbeing showed that pre-Covid 11.5m people had less than £100 in savings and 9m were borrowing to pay for essentials. Insights from the Global Economic Observatory will improve our understanding of how people spend, save and earn across the UK. Usually the preserve of large corporates and bigtech, the power of data will be available to everyone including charities and consumer organisations helping them to get help to the people and businesses who need it most, when they need it.”

The bid for the centre was developed through the University of Edinburgh’s Data-Driven Innovation initiative, which is part of the City Region Deal. In addition to the University of Edinburgh, the centre will also work closely with the Universities of Glasgow, Strathclyde, and Stirling, Napier University, Heriot-Watt University and other partners.

For more information, contact: GOFCOE@ed.ac.uk

Data project boost to aid local Covid-19 recovery

A host of data-driven projects have received funding from the City Region Deal’s Data-Driven Innovation programme to support local responses to the Covid-19 pandemic.

Almost a quarter of a million pounds has been awarded to 19 projects that will use data-based approaches to benefit businesses, communities and services in Edinburgh and South-East Scotland.

Data innovations

Projects include initiatives encouraging greater local food production, tackling mental health issues exacerbated by lockdown, and assessing the impacts on care provided to pregnant women.

The projects will involve collaboration with partners including the Scottish Government, NHS Lothian and local social enterprises.

Project funding

The funding has been provided by the Data-Driven Innovation programme’s Response and Recovery scheme. It has allocated £243,000 to projects from across the University’s three Colleges.

The Data-Driven Innovation programme is part of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal, which aims to accelerate productivity and inclusive growth by funding infrastructure, skills and innovation.

“Considering the short space of time applicants were given, the 36 applications we received were outstanding. Because of this, and our aim to help the Edinburgh and South East region recover from Covid-19, we doubled the funding pot. Data innovation has the capacity to improve the livelihoods and medical treatment of those most affected by the virus. The 19 projects awarded will link academics with local and global organisations to deliver solutions using data innovation that assist our region in its recovery.”

-  Jarmo Eskelinen

   Executive Director, Data-Driven Innovation

Related Links:

Data-Driven Innovation  

City Region’s Data Skills for Work service launches

Anna Scott explains how the City Region Deal is aiming to help those in work, or returning to work, to develop the skills needed to participate in a data-driven economy.

When I joined The Data Lab last November to set up the Data Skills for Work (DSW) programme, I had no idea how timely the development of an upskilling and reskilling programme like this was about to become.

Whilst the increasing use of data science, machine learning and artificial intelligence has been creating uncertainty about the shape of the future jobs market for some time, COVID-19 has hurried the arrival of the ‘future of work’. For many people this has meant a swift introduction to remote working, for others it may mean a threat to their current role as employers increase their use of automation to enhance future resilience.

Data skills for work

The DSW programme is part of the Data Driven Innovation Skills Gateway, funded through the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal. We aim to ensure that routes exist for those already in work, or returning to work, to develop the skills needed to participate in a data-driven economy.

The ambition is to enhance the local labour market with a range of data skills – ensuring that those in occupations like manufacturing production, administration, secretarial and sales, where technology is likely to have a big impact over coming years, and those experiencing barriers to training and employment – are given the opportunity to acquire vital skills, from basic data literacy to advanced data science, and contribute to a pipeline of talent in the region.

We all need data skills

But DSW isn’t about training everyone to become a data scientist – our wider workforce needs a broader set of skills to help them to understand and creatively solve problems using data. Our programme will help data citizens understand how their personal data is used and their rights and responsibilities over this. We will identify learning journeys for data workers who are seeing changes to their roles and who are increasingly being required to work with large quantities are data to inform their work activities. We also want to ensure equality of access for data workers to upskill into data professional roles where possible.

Upskilling and retraining can be part of a post-pandemic recovery

As a first step, The Data Lab has commissioned consultants EKOS to engage with a range of employers across the region to talk about how upskilling or retraining can be used to respond to changes in job roles as the use of technology offers opportunity to makes changes to  business delivery models.

Through the roll out of a new Data Skills Credits scheme, we want to provide funding for at-risk and low paid employees in roles that are likely to be changed by automation, and to those returning to work who are keen to upskill and reskill - signposting to relevant courses provided by the region’s colleges, universities, and other training providers. Funding will also be available for businesses to access leadership training through The Data Lab to help them understand how data might be used to transform their business models, guiding them to the development of a data literate workforce.

Anna Scott is Project Delivery Manager for Data Skills for Work, part of the City Region Deal’s Data-Driven Innovation Skills Gateway

If you want to find out more or get in touch, please have a look at our new website www.dataskillsforwork.com