Glasgow commission to help create healthy workforce

Published 20th Nov 2015

A commission has been appointed to get sick people fit to work in Scotland's biggest city and address the drain on the economy caused by widespread ill-health.

Glasgow has a higher proportion of working-age residents than the Scottish average - but the third largest share of inactive working-age residents.

Council leader Frank McAveety, who served as deputy health minister in the first Labour-led Holyrood administration, said the imbalance is a consequence of poor health.

He has appointed a health and inequality commission to create a healthy workforce and boost economic growth.

The commission was announced at the 18th State of the City economy conference on Friday morning and its findings will contribute to a new economic strategy to be published next year.

Mr McAveety has also called for more power to create jobs and promote the city.

He has urged the Scottish Government to devolve the functions of Skills Development Scotland and Scottish Enterprise, which he described as "distant, national bodies''.

He said: "Like other major UK cities, our productivity falls well below the UK average. Given what we know about the potential of cities to drive growth, this cannot be allowed to continue.

"Glasgow has a higher share of working-age residents than the Scottish average.

"However, we also have the third largest share of inactive working-age residents, in large part a consequence of poor health.

"Increasing productivity and growing the economy is our aim. However, there is no point developing skills and creating opportunities for business if we do not have a workforce that is fit and healthy enough to fill the jobs that will be created.

"This is relevant today because, despite apparent progress, one of the obvious and awkward barriers to economic activity in the city is poor health.

"I have appointed a health and inequality commission with a remit extending beyond the council offices I control.

"We need to foster a cross-body approach which tackles our city's poor health and creates a healthy workforce, capable of securing personally-rewarding jobs for themselves and their families, and contributing to the sort of economic growth in the city that we are aiming for.''

He continued: "Glasgow's city region currently has two governments intent on pursuing their own agendas.

"What we need is for both of them to support us and devolve the necessary tools to innovate our skill base, attract high-quality jobs and tackle the socio economic barriers that are keeping our people out of work.

"This requires more than just infrastructure funding. For example, there is currently only so much that my council can do to promote skills development amongst our workforce.

"Presently, much of the responsibility for this sits in Edinburgh.

"I would argue that, instead of entrusting this crucial function to distant, national bodies, it would be better carried out by a more localised body.

"A deep, focused understanding of the local economy is crucial to establishing what skills are needed and how they will be developed.''