Inclusive Growth Strategy Launch Event

On Thursday 21st September 2023, we launched our brand-new Inclusive Growth Strategy at a packed-out event at Horizon Leeds attended by key stakeholders from across the city.

But what is Inclusive Growth and how do we achieve it? Simply put, Inclusive Growth is creating a strong economy that works for everyone. Our new strategy is focused on three priorities that form the work that we are doing; People, Place and Productivity.

Underpinning everything is our Team Leeds approach, working together to deliver for all. Our Inclusive Growth Partnership has now grown to over 1000 members, allowing people to come together and explore what we’re doing as a city. You can sign up here to be kept up to date with future events and information.

As Councillor Lewis (Leader of Leeds City Council) and Tom Riordan (CEO of Leeds City Council) reflected in their opening remarks at the event, it’s been a difficult five years since we released our first Inclusive Growth Strategy with austerity, the EU Exit and Covid-19 having had far reaching consequences on our ability to deliver services. But they have also shown how well the city can come together. Inclusive Growth is driven by radical collaboration, shifting power to citizens, delivering public sector innovation and devolution to allow leaders in Leeds to make key decisions. You can check out Tom’s blog for the Centre for Progressive Policy here.

Throughout the launch event, key aspects of the strategy were unpacked at a panellist talk. For culture, Kully Thiarai (CEO of Leeds 2023) spoke about the role culture plays when developing Inclusive Growth, and how cultural projects such as the WOW (Women of the World) Barn have had a positive impact in defying gender roles and breaking barriers in the construction industry. In the realm of tech, Sarah Tulip (Senior Director of Cognizant) spoke about the importance of diversity in the sector to her and shared her personal motivations to show that there is still work to be done.

On the topic of developing future talent, Bill Jones (Executive Principal of Leeds City College) spoke about the role education providers play in upskilling adults for the jobs of the future. A workshop was also held on the Future Talent Plan and how it is supporting people to thrive in a rapidly changing labour market. You can find out more about the Future Talent Plan here.

And on Mass Transit, Simon Warburton (Exec. Director of Transport at West Yorkshire Combined Authority) stressed the importance of creating a green, accessible, and successful mass transit system for the city. Additionally, Connecting Leeds (the team behind major transport projects in Leeds) also held a workshop about the role transport plays in Inclusive Growth, how they are making Leeds a greener city to travel, and what can be done going forward.

Alongside the launch of the new strategy, we were also delighted to launch our Business Anchors network on the day. Our new Business Anchor Network allows businesses to work together, and with other partners in the city, to understand and unlock their potential to maximise their positive contribution to the city. You can find out more about Leeds Business Anchors here.

So, what’s next? On our website, you will be able to find updates on upcoming partnership activities and events, see Inclusive Growth updates from across the city and track the progress we are making through the Social Progress Index and economic indicators. In terms of events, we are planning our next one to take place in January 2024.

Finally, we wanted to say a massive thank you to everyone who attended and participated in the day.