I hope this letter finds you well. I’m writing to inform you about a research project that will further shape our collective understanding of productivity in the region. This letter provides the background to that research and outlines how your input can support its development. Your support is crucial because the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) will make decisions about £150m worth of training provision that is accessible to residents, which includes you and your staff.
Research shows that improving firm-level productivity is closely related to the introduction of new technology, although productivity gains do not accrue if the implementation of that technology is not properly managed within firms. With this context in mind, the Regional Productivity Forum is funding Warwick University’s Institute for Employment Research (IER) to undertake research into how businesses manage the implementation of new technology. The study is focusing on employers in the West Midlands and the IER is working closely with the WMCA to undertake the research. The findings will directly impact the WMCA’s policy and programme work, including work linked to our Plan for Growth strategy.
The main aims of the project are to identify:
- management practices which help or hinder the implementation of new technology;
- how managers can be best supported to adopt those practices which most impact on productivity and assess the extent to which support is in place to enable this; and
- how training provision can be developed to best meet local employers’ needs and identify any gaps in support.
We are keen for employers to contribute to the evidence gathered and shape the findings, which ultimately shape how we use our skills provision. As result IER researchers would like to interview West Midlands’ employers to explore your experiences of implementing new technology and whether any support was available to you, and whether you took it up. The interviews will take between 30-45 minutes and undertaken by telephone or online at a time convenient to you. These interviews will be entirely confidential and what you say will not be reported in a way that allows you to be identified.
If you agree to speak to a researcher, someone from IER will contact you to arrange a suitable time. If you would like to participate please can you confirm by emailing Mike Lewis: Michael.lewis@wmca.org.uk by DATE, 2023. If you have any questions or queries about the research please contact the Peter Dickinson, Senior Research Fellow, University of Warwick: P.Dickinson@warwick.ac.uk.
We would be grateful if you help us shape this work and I look forward to hearing back from you.
Yours sincerely,
David Gaughan
Head of Employer Service
West Midlands Combined Authority
16 Summer Lane
Birmingham B19 3SD
