Students as catalysts for regeneration Moira Munro University

Students as catalysts for regeneration Moira Munro University of Glasgow. March 2010.

Key questions n What are students’ impacts on urban areas? As residents n As workers n n And are there differential regional regeneration impacts?

Methods 1. 2. 3. Large scale analysis of census; LFS and APS data Case study – qualitative work Employers’ survey

Case studies Glasgow Cardiff Sunderland Nottingham Belfast

Context: Growth of student no. s 1995/6 -2007/8 Cardiff 64. 0% Sunderland 24. 4% UK: 39. 5% Nottingham 24. 6% Glasgow 22. 7% Belfast 18. 6%

Impacts: studentification

And more positively… n n Café culture Benefits to local businesses More strongly expressed where students more ‘novel’ Policy for new universities?

Students as workers: Employer Survey n Key types of student employer: Retail – supermarkets; high street n Hospitality – hotels, bars n Call centres n Events n

Do students displace local workers? n n Attractive workers – bright, motivated, soft skills? Evidence – more mixed

Are students more or less attractive as workers than local young people More – 27% n Less – 9% n Same – 64% Do you actively seek to recruit students? n Yes – 28% n No – 72% n

Students as workers 58% Attractive chstics n 22% - Flexibility n 12% - Young, energy, enthusiastic n 11% - need work, motivated 57% unattractive n 36% - unreliable n 21% - less motivated n 17% - lack of flexibility/availability

Do students displace local workers? n n n Attractive workers – bright, motivated, soft skills? Evidence – more mixed Strongly segmented part of labour force: n Flexibility – un-social hours Part-time, uncertain, casualised. n Symbiotic with 24 hour economy n

Do students drive down wages or conditions in local labour markets? n n n Part of high churn, high turnover market Employers said they treated all employees the same High supply of students likely to reduce any upward pressure

Broader economic impacts

More complex picture

Majority of local students stay local

Do students attract businesses? n Some evidence: Local businesses n Contact centres – ‘hygiene’ issue n n Do students add to regional talent pool? n n Bread and butter work vs internships Didn’t find regional differences. .

Policy Implications n Growth in student numbers largely left to be accommodated by markets: Remarkably efficient private rented sector response n Ready supply of student jobs n Catch-up response by LAs; Universities n

Looking to the future n n Student number decline? Student jobs in economic downturn? Reduced student contribution to some local economies… Potential for more joined up thinking?