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Exploring what a good work city looks like

Today Nottingham Civic Exchange is working with academics, practitioners and our visiting Professor Matthew Taylor to begin a debate about the potential of a ‘Good Work City’ approach for Nottingham.

Alongside launching the new People, Work and Organizational Practice Research Centre at Nottingham Business School, Matthew Taylor will highlight the potential of a local response to his Review of Modern Working Practices. At Nottingham Civic Exchange, we are working with our academics, local stakeholders and the RSA to build a programme that highlights the potential for a Good Work City approach.  We recognise that a place-based approach to enhancing work for citizens can have a dramatic impact on people employed locally.

Our analysis of Ordinary Working Families and Economic Insecurity highlights that people locally are struggling - earning less than the regional average and suffering depressed opportunities to progress. Whilst central government policy can and will make an impact, we want to foster a conversation with people here in Nottingham about the role of work in our society.  This will mean listening to local employers and employees (and the self-employed) to explore the best ways to create a city that provides fair pay and fulfilling employment for all.

Good Work Nottingham will look at the academic evidence, relate it to the local context and work with citizens and organisations to develop a Good Work City offer.  As recent work from the RSA’s Future of Work Centre highlights:

Rather than help people escape these roles (traditionally framed low skill jobs) for non-existent jobs up the career ladder, the energy of policymakers and educators would be better spent empowering people to develop within them.

Benedict Dellot, Head of the RSA’s Future Work Centre

Head of the RSA’s Future Work Centre Benedict Dellot stresses the need to ensure we find ways to value and recognise the skills required in all jobs.  There will be many different opportunities to engage with this programme and we want to hear your ideas.

During today’s event, participants will be asked to reflect on five key questions.  Please get in touch if you would like to offer responses to these questions.

  1. What could you do to improve the quality of work in your setting?
  2. Why do we accept poor quality work?
  3. What can we do in the Midlands to create better working lives for our citizens?
  4. What are the benefits of fostering high-quality work? What challenges are there and how can employers overcome them?
  5. Are job quality and productivity mutually beneficial or is there a tension?

If you would like to join the conversation, email us or follow us on Twitter. We will be sharing thoughts from the event today via #GoodWorkNotts on Twitter.

Nottingham Civic Exchange

Nottingham Civic Exchange has been established by Nottingham Trent University to maximise research, policy and practical impact by bringing together university expertise with partners seeking to address the needs of local communities. Nottingham Civic Exchange acts as a resource to look at social and economic issues in new ways. This means facilitating debate, acting as a bridge between research and policy debates, and developing practical projects at a local, city and regional level.

Visit our website - www.ntu.ac.uk/nce Contact us - notts.civicex@ntu.ac.uk Follow us - @NottsCivicEx

Published on 17 September 2018
  • Category: Nottingham Civic Exchange; Nottingham Business School; School of Social Sciences