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

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

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

4. Case studies Glasgow Belfast Cardiff Nottingham Sunderland

5. Context: Growth of student no.s 1995/6-2007/8 Nottingham 24.6% Cardiff 64.0% Glasgow 22.7% Belfast 18.6% Sunderland 24.4% UK: 39.5%

7. Impacts: studentification

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

15. Broader economic impacts

16. More complex picture

17. Majority of local students stay local

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

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

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