East London’s Digital Divide

I have long thought that the digital economy has the potential to offer new horizons to many of the young East Enders who for whatever reasons feel excluded from many of the other employment options available in London. The issue was touched on at two conferences I attended recently, Future London, and the London Policy Conference.

Here are a few notes:

One of the most stinging challenges levelled at the government’s championing of the inner East London tech scene is its lack of diversity. In stark contrast to the local communities, a recent report for the think tank Centre for London on the Tech City policy found that the Shoreditch-centred tech community was overwhelmingly white, male and British.

For the report, A Tale of Tech City, I interviewed chief executives at many of the digital economy companies that are clustering in inner East London. There may be a lack of diversity, but I found a huge amount of good willing waiting to be tapped for the benefit of young Hackney residents, with many CEO personally committed to helping the local community bridge the technology knowledge gap.

“We’ve done workshops in skills and when you show kids how creative they can be with something like programming, like make something happen on a screen by moving their hands in the air, they’ll go nuts, “ said one chief executive.” Just show them the potential.”

The digital economy mushrooming around the Old Street roundabout offers a real possibility for Hackney’s unemployed youth. Digital technology not only inspires those who’ve been turned off by mainstream education, it’s also more accessible: the best coders, like musicians, are self-taught.

Some CEOs volunteer their skills in programs like Apps for Good, run by CDI Europe, or Devcamp, both of which teache young people to create imaginative mobile apps. Others offer internships or take part in schemes such as the recently announced Tech City Apprenticeship programme.  Delivered by Hackney Community College, this government-backed scheme will give 500 unemployed young people the opportunity to work in companies including Google Campus, Facebook, TechHub, Moo.com, Poke London, The Trampery and Passion Capital.

For young people, there are real jobs at the end of such courses. One teenager who taken part in Devcamp was finding work only a few months after learning how to code.

“I don’t need to worry about getting a job anymore,” she said. “I don’t have to worry about my young age or lack of previous experience: code wins the argument.”

Gavin Poole, CEO of the iCity bid to provide a tech hub in the broadcast and media centres of the Olympic Park, said at the recent London Conference 2012 that there could be an “explosion of jobs and growth” in the area – but more efforts may be required if local communities are to benefit.

Speaking at the same conference, Rushanara Ali, MP for Bethnal Green and Bow, said it’s a “disgrace” how few jobs the Olympics provided for the local community. She called on the government agencies in charge of the legacy of the Games to do better in future.

Why London and Paris should talk more #1

Very interesting report from the Startup Genome reserahc prohects and Telefonica Digital into the world's top 20 tech centres.Based on information from 50,000 start-ups it shows the dominance of the U.S., which has 5 of the 6 top spots. Silicon Valley remains in pole position, although it is looking less secure in that place, challenged at No. 2 by Tel Aviv.

London takes the top European place at No. 7, scoring particularly well in terms of mentality, government support and finance. Where it falls down is in its ability to come up with new differentiated ideas. Interestingly, that is where Paris, at No. 11 Europe's second highest scorer, does well. Where Paris is strong London is weak and vice versa. Perhaps the two capitals, only two hours apart on the train, should stop scrapping and start learning from each other. Although that would require overcoming centuries of rivalry.... hmmmm.....

Hastings

It is not often I disagree with The Economist. But their latest article on seaside towns in the south east doesn't chime true with what I know of Hastings. They dsecribe the burnt out pier, recently awarded a £11.4 million lottery grant, as a symbol of the town's decline. I'm not sure if they visited the town for the article, but I've spent a bit of time there recently and every time I return, it is getting livelier.

Autolib

I remember first reading about the proposals for Paris' Autolib, the city-and-suburbs electric car-sharing scheme. Similar to the successful Velib bike rental scheme, subscribers can pick and drop off these handsome so-called Bluecars (even if they are grey) from charging points across the Ile de France. Almost a year old, the service has 37,000 registered subscribers, of which 13,000 have an annual subscription. I first became aware of the plans from a leaflet distributed at my local market, and I never thought it would happen. Where would they find the space, for one thing? Let alone the cost. I'm very happy to have been proved totally wrong and was delighted to see this car nonchently recharging on the streets near my appartment on a recent visit. But I wonder who is in charge of making sure the car gets plugged in.....

Good looking Manchester

What a pleasure to see Manchester looking so well! I was at university there in 1996 when a massive IRA bomb destroyed a large part of the city centre. Before today, I had been back only once. It was after Jason Prior and his team had rebuild much of what had been lost, but it was not a happy time for the city and any improvements in the streetscape were lost against a backdrop of people fighting and being sick. Once glamorous districts, such as Canal Street, had become grubby. I didn't rush back.

Today, it is a confident city once again. The everyday buzz was perhaps enhanced by the hosting of the Labour Party Conference (my reason for coming), and a food and drink fair - aswell as a lack of rain. But walking to the conference centre from Victoria station, I went past good looking squares and happy looking people. Just like in Lowry's day, folks still like to hang out in Piccadilly Gardens, which is an attractive place from some angles (just don't look towards the Mercure Hotel). Meeting old university friends in a bar overlooking the square, we looked out onto a confident city centre. Even the large Queen Victoria statue seemed to approve.

Media City, Salford

I wanted to go for two reasons: I had memories of hope for the Salford docks from my university days, reignited when I heard former BBC  Director General Greg Dyke talking at last year's London Policy Conference about why he insisted on shifting part of the BBC -- and its programming department (aka the folks with money) up to Manchester. But it was also because I grew up with a tapesty hanging in my grandparents Huddersfield home of folks going to work and I wanted to see it for myself at the Lowry arts centre.

The Peel Group, who own Media City land, and the local authorities have done everything right according to the cluster policy guidebook. The transport is excellent: a modern tram whisks you there from Manchester City Centre in minutes, a fact hammered home in much of the promotional material. There's a waterside location, and not one but two museums (including The Imperial War Museum, with a fantastic view from the roof), each in signature Guggenheim-esque style (even if the architecture has been criticised). They've scored a prestigious client in the BBC, whose money and pretige is likely to attract supplier firms to settle in the area. ITV is even relocating the entire set of Coronation Street. There's a shopping centre, which was reasonably busy on a wet Sunday, even if the art gallery staff moaned about the choice of shops (mainly discount designer - we stocked up on Molton Brown). A few restaurants, mainly chains, cling onto the shops, and if you eat in them you can park for free for six hours. The security staff in the BBC buildings are friendly and knowledgeable, happy to talk you through recent changes, and those still to come. If that weren't enough, Manchester United football grounds are 10 minutes walk away.

Still, it's a very different fish to the gritty urban grain of London's Tech City. With so much going for it (and prices for a waterside loft much cheaper than anything I could imagine in London), Media City has got to be a success, of sorts. But the creative vibe that people told us they valued so much in inner East London is, for the moment at least, missing.

Bury market

Lucky Bury. Unlike neighbouring Rochdale, whose unhappy recent fame is coupled with a decaying city centre,  Bury has a thriving "world famous" market, which signs proclaim has been voted the Great British Market of the Year.

I ventured the market's favourite produce: black pudding. Not usually my favourite food.....