Town ‘left behind’ as automated future beckons

DUDLEY is one of the most ‘left behind’ areas in the country, according to a new report.

And the Black Country town is particularly vulnerable to an automated future which will sweep away jobs, as well as scoring low for social mobility.

The report, entitled The Future of Work: Regional Devolution, by the Centre for Social Justice (CSJ) found that the majority of the ten most vulnerable areas were former industrial communities, which “struggled when major employers disappeared in the second half of the 20th century”.

It makes a series of recommendations to the government, including creating a series of Enterprise Zones, which offer incentives such as tax concessions for businesses.

Other towns and cities in the top ten were: Doncaster, Wigan, Blackpool, Mansfield, Barnsley, Bradford, Plymouth, Stoke-onTrent and Wakefield.

Councillor Keiran Casey (Lab), Dudley cabinet member for regeneration and enterprise, said that the town wasn’t taking ‘anything for granted’ when it came to its future.

He said: “It’s clear that the findings highlight major concerns about a lack of action by Government and the need to do much more, working with local councils to ensure towns like ours get a fair deal. There are a number of points in the study about the rapid changes taking place in the economy, particu- larly with things like automation on a large scale and the impact on traditional industries.

“Here in Dudley we have a clear vision and a plan to make it a Centre of Excellence for Business, Education and Skills, working with local companies and educational facilities so we have the skills base to ensure residents can compete in the modern economy and so that we can bridge the skills gap and attract the new high-tech, high-skilled and high-paid jobs.”