Million Plus

Pam Tatlow, Chief Executive of the university think-tank million+, said:

“We welcome the publication of Lord Adonis’s report Mending the Fractured Economy: Smarter state, better jobs. It reflects in its references to the smarter state and its ambitions the agenda that million+ set out in Smarter Regions Smarter Britain when we made clear that government had a responsibility to address the inequities in regional growth.“

“Lord Adonis has confirmed that universities are key drivers of innovation and the Labour Party will need to put further proposals on the table to ensure that the work of modern universities which lead the way in supporting small businesses and in delivering relevant research in their regions is fully supported.”

“We also welcome the proposals to establish a Small Business Agency, regional investment banks and an improved system to support the expansion of apprenticeships. However graduate supply plays a key role in economic growth and many degree courses have both a professional and technical focus. Labour must be cautious about putting all of its eggs into the apprenticeship basket because graduates play a crucial role in regional growth and many graduates reside, study and then work in the same region.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors
1. For further information or to arrange interviews with Pam Tatlow, contact Alan Palmer, Head of Policy and Research, million+ on 020 7717 1657 or press@millionplus.ac.uk
2. million+ is a leading university think-tank. More information can be found at: www.millionplus.ac.uk
3. Smarter Regions Smarter Britain was published in March 2014 and is available to read and download on the million+ website. Among other recommendations in the report, million+ called for the establishment of a new Small Business Agency with a regional focus, and an evaluation into the effectiveness of Local Enterprise Partnerships to ensure coherent coverage and activity across regions.