Students as catalysts for Students as catalysts for regenerationregeneration

Moira MunroMoira MunroUniversity of Glasgow.University of Glasgow.March 2010.March 2010.

Key questionsKey questions What are students’ impacts on urban What are students’ impacts on urban

areas?areas? As residents As residents As workersAs workers

And are there differential regional And are there differential regional regeneration impacts?regeneration impacts?

MethodsMethods1.1. Large scale analysis of census; LFS Large scale analysis of census; LFS

and APS dataand APS data2.2. Case study – qualitative workCase study – qualitative work3.3. Employers’ surveyEmployers’ survey

Case studiesCase studies

Glasgow

Belfast

Cardiff

Nottingham

Sunderland

Context: Growth of student Context: Growth of student no.sno.s

1995/6-2007/81995/6-2007/8

Nottingham24.6%

Cardiff64.0%

Glasgow22.7%

Belfast18.6%

Sunderland24.4%

UK: 39.5%

Impacts: studentificationImpacts: studentification

And more positively…And more positively… Café cultureCafé culture Benefits to Benefits to local local

businessesbusinesses More strongly More strongly

expressed where expressed where students more ‘novel’students more ‘novel’

Policy for new Policy for new universities?universities?

StudenStudents as ts as workers: workers:

Employer SurveyEmployer Survey Key types of student employer:Key types of student employer:

Retail – supermarkets; high streetRetail – supermarkets; high street Hospitality – hotels, barsHospitality – hotels, bars Call centresCall centres EventsEvents

Do students displace local Do students displace local workers?workers?

Attractive workers – bright, Attractive workers – bright, motivated, soft skills?motivated, soft skills?

Evidence – more mixedEvidence – more mixed

Are students more or less Are students more or less attractive as workers than local attractive as workers than local

young peopleyoung people More – 27%More – 27% Less – 9%Less – 9% Same – 64%Same – 64%Do you actively seek to recruit Do you actively seek to recruit

students?students? Yes – 28%Yes – 28% No – 72%No – 72%

Students as workersStudents as workers58% 58% AttractiveAttractive

chsticschstics 22% - Flexibility22% - Flexibility 12% - Young, 12% - Young,

energy, energy, enthusiasticenthusiastic

11% - need work, 11% - need work, motivatedmotivated

57% 57% unattractiveunattractive 36% - unreliable36% - unreliable 21% - less 21% - less

motivatedmotivated 17% - lack of 17% - lack of

flexibility/availabilitflexibility/availability y

Do students displace local Do students displace local workers?workers?

Attractive workers – bright, motivated, Attractive workers – bright, motivated, soft skills?soft skills?

Evidence – more mixedEvidence – more mixed Strongly segmented part of labour Strongly segmented part of labour

force:force: Flexibility – un-social hoursFlexibility – un-social hours Part-time, uncertain, casualised.Part-time, uncertain, casualised. Symbiotic with 24 hour economySymbiotic with 24 hour economy

Do students drive down wages Do students drive down wages or conditions in local labour or conditions in local labour

markets?markets? Part of high churn, high turnover Part of high churn, high turnover

marketmarket Employers said they treated all Employers said they treated all

employees the sameemployees the same High supply of students likely to High supply of students likely to

reduce any upward pressurereduce any upward pressure

Broader economic impactsBroader economic impacts

Type Student origin Student destination Local ladder Local Local Springboard Local Elsewhere Magnet Elsewhere Local Training ground Elsewhere Elsewhere

More complex pictureMore complex picture

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

Belfast

Nottingham

Sunderland

Glasgow

Cardiff

Local->LocalLocal-> ElsewhereElsewhere->LocalElsewhere->Elsewhere

Majority of local students stay Majority of local students stay locallocal

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

100

Belfast Nottingham Sunderland Glasgow Cardiff

% Local students who stay% Outside students who stay

Do students attract Do students attract businesses?businesses?

Some evidence:Some evidence: Local businessesLocal businesses Contact centres – ‘hygiene’ issueContact centres – ‘hygiene’ issue

Do students add to regional talent Do students add to regional talent pool?pool? Bread and butter work vs internshipsBread and butter work vs internships

Didn’t find regional differences..Didn’t find regional differences..

Policy ImplicationsPolicy Implications Growth in student numbers largely Growth in student numbers largely

left to be accommodated by markets:left to be accommodated by markets: Remarkably efficient private rented Remarkably efficient private rented

sector responsesector response Ready supply of student jobsReady supply of student jobs Catch-up response by LAs; UniversitiesCatch-up response by LAs; Universities

Looking to the futureLooking to the future Student number decline?Student number decline? Student jobs in economic downturn?Student jobs in economic downturn? Reduced student contribution to Reduced student contribution to

some local economies…some local economies… Potential for more joined up thinking?Potential for more joined up thinking?