The event was one of a series being held by the Economics Observatory across the UK with the aim of reflecting on the achievements of the past 25 years, fostering forward looking thinking, and stimulating debate as to how we create prosperous Northern Irish, Scottish, and Welsh economies.  

Professor John Turner, from Queen’s Business School and NI Productivity Forum Lead, commented: “Northern Ireland has not enjoyed much of an economic peace dividend since the Good Friday Agreement. Today’s event was very encouraging because it demonstrates that our politicians now realise the importance of productivity and skills to the future prosperity of the province.” 

The event consisted of two roundtable discussions. The first roundtable, chaired by Dr David Jordan from Queen’s Business School and NI Productivity Forum Chair, included a panel of experts on skills and the economy: Seamus McGuinness from the Economic and Social Research Institute, Sandra McNally from the University of Surrey and the Centre for Economic Performance, Graeme Roy from Glasgow University and Chair of the Scottish Fiscal Council, and Ann Watt from Pivotal. The discussion focused on educational and skills reform in the devolved nations. 

Dr Jordan remarked: “Today’s discussion showed the importance of education and skills to achieving higher productivity across the UK’s nations and regions. However, more needs to be done to help individuals reach their full potential, and this will require business, government, and educational institutions working together to meet the challenges we face.” 

The second roundtable, chaired by Clodagh Rice, featured representatives from the five main political parties in Northern Ireland. This discussion explored potential strategies for economic growth that benefit all citizens. 

Ruth Donaldson, Research Associate at the Queen's Business School and the Northern Ireland Productivity Forum said: “Today’s panels showed there are clear steps government can take to improve Northern Ireland’s economy for the benefit of all citizens, but to achieve this will require a long-term commitment from politicians.” 

Ashley Lait, Research Editor at the Economics Observatory commented: “The Economics Observatory was established four years ago to bridge the gap between academic research, government policy and the general public. Today’s event was a great example of the value of bringing together citizens, policy-makers and economic experts. The Observatory focuses on the most pressing questions of our time, so we are delighted to be partnering with Queen's University Belfast and the Northern Ireland Productivity Forum to discuss the evidence on how we can tackle the country's foundational problem of poor productivity - and ensure that workers and young people have the opportunities they need to develop skills that will be vital for the future.” 

For more information about the Northern Ireland Productivity Forum at Queen’s Business School, please visit: https://www.productivity.ac.uk/regions-nations/northern-ireland-regional-forum/  

Media

Media enquiries to Zara McBrearty at Queen's Communications on email: z.mcbrearty@qub.ac.uk