Organised by the Yorkshire, Humber and North East Productivity Forum and led by Sheffield University Management School, the ‘People, Technology and Productivity in Yorkshire, the Humber and North East’ event held last week at the Millennium Gallery saw 130 business leaders, policymakers, academics and other key stakeholders come together to discuss the impact of AI and digital technology on skills, productivity and jobs and how local actors can build more inclusive pathways into sustainable work.
The event was held as part of National Productivity Week, a campaign led by ESRC-funded The Productivity Institute, that aims to raise the profile of productivity and its importance for the economy and society.
Professor Jason Heyes, Forum Academic Lead, highlighted key insights from the Forum’s new research report on training practices and skills needs in Yorkshire, the Humber and the North East, based on a survey of over 520 organisations across the regions.
There were excellent presentations by Fiona Fletcher, Systems Service Manager from Rotherham Metropolitan Borough Council and Ash Hibberd, Managing Director of Marvel Training, who talked about the Pathways to Work programme in Rotherham, showing how targeted personalised support in the community can help individuals find and stay in work.
Charlie Bartle, Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer at Zygens, an AI agentic consultancy firm, spoke about AI’s potential to improve business practices, but also said that businesses can sometimes be overwhelmed by the pace of change. People need to develop confidence and understanding if AI is to be used in ways that benefit organisations and employees.
Keynote speaker, Professor Andy Haldane, University of Sheffield Chancellor and former Chief Economist at the Bank of England, gave a fantastic speech, arguing that although the UK has seen nearly two decades of lost productivity, there are reasons to be optimistic about the future if the full potential of UK businesses can be unlocked. Commenting on the event, Professor Haldane said:
“The world faces unprecedented challenges but also contains unprecedented opportunities, notably in AI. This meant this event could not have been more timely in charting a way forward for the North in boosting productivity, pay and growth, locally and practically”
Chaired by Sarah Tulip, Forum Chair and Managing Director of And Then Consulting , the excellent lively panel discussion gave the audience detailed insights into how organisations are using AI and digital technologies, the impacts on how work is performed and business performance and ways to get people into decent work. Panel members included Rob Hamilton, Assistant Director for Economic Strategy and Innovation at The North East Combined Authority, Crispin Read, CEO of the Coders Guild, Mel Kanarek, Co-Founder of Sheffield Digital, Victoria Tomlinson, Chief Executive of Next-Up and Malcolm Clifford, Data Science Strategy Director at Jaywing.
Sarah Tulip said: "The event is a great example of how the Forum, led by Sheffield University Management School, brings together regional business leaders, policymakers and other major stakeholders, to discuss important productivity challenges and opportunities for the region and their impacts."
Yasmin Knight, Director Regional Engagement & Innovation at the University of Sheffield said: "The event was excellent, particularly enriched by the number of diverse voices in the room that allowed some deep and challenging conversations particularly around AI in relation to productivity. Despite the low base from which the UK is starting it was good to hear insights on how South Yorkshire and the University of Sheffield are helping to get it right in places. The area around the University's AMRC in Rotherham has had the fastest-growing sub-regional economy in the North, with a 63.9% increase in productivity between 2004 and 2023."