Hello, I’m Glenn
I help build sustainable and inclusive local economies
vision, leadership, insights and solutions
Mylocaleconomy is a leading UK-based consultancy firm which is run by Glenn Athey, a local and regional economic development and regeneration expert with a 32-year track record of successful leadership, delivery, networks, and practical knowledge acquired working in senior roles in government agencies, partnership organisations, UK think tanks and consultancy.
CPD, training and skills for Local and Regional Economic Development
New Local and Regional Economic Development Handbook at https://www.lredhandbook.com
New community for economic development practitioners. CPD, 15 hours of course videos, workbooks, mentoring, community events – all at https://www.economicdevelopment.world
Advisor
Advice and guidance to leaders and professionals based on experience and knowledge of current policy and practice.
Local and regional strategies
Full wraparound services from strategy concept, to full economic review and research, business surveys, consultations, ideas facilitation, stakeholder and advisory board management, final authoring and presentation materials… and delivery and action planning.
Policy and investment development and advocacy
We are experts and crafting compelling policy propositions and investment cases, using evidence, robust analysis and high impact language and writing.
Skills, labour markets and inclusion
We are seasoned professionals at labour market economics, policy and practice, conducting many applied studies and developing bespoke labour market and skills strategies for clients.
Economic performance, assessment, dashboards and systems
We are amongst the best UK consultants working in this field and bring a vast amount of experience and a track record of work and publications to justify our enviable position as providers of quality, robust and insightful economic analysis that explains what it means for your city, local and regional economy.
Enterprise, investment and place promotion
We have conducted dozens of full scale regional enterprise support reviews, and have also evaluated focused enterprise support functions and programmes. We excel at analysing the complexities of local needs, current provision, policies and resources – and synthesizing new best practice solutions.
The Local and Regional Economic Development Handbook
The Practitioner’s Guide for Everyone Whose Work Shapes Places and Economies
Whether you work in planning, property, higher education, skills, government, or community development — the economic forces reshaping UK places are directly reshaping your work. And if you work in economic development itself, you’ve never had a handbook like this one.
The Local & Regional Economic Development Handbook is the comprehensive, honest, practitioner-authored guide to how local economies work, why economic development so often fails to deliver what it promises, and what those working in and around the field can do differently.
Make Your local economy a Priority.
We do.
Improve your local economy’s performance
We specialise in analysing every aspect of your local, regional or city economy and helping you understand the best solutions to improve economic growth rates, address social problems, increase labour market participation, reduce poverty and reduce inequalities.
About Glenn
Glenn has 32 years of experience in regional economic development, which includes executive leadership as well as being an expert economist and researcher. He holds a PhD from the University of Glasgow which was part sponsored by Scottish Enterprise. Glenn has wide-ranging experience in local and regional economic analysis, with specific experience in labour market research, intelligence, and demand analysis – and its application to policy, strategy, and delivery plans. Glenn specialises in evidence-based policy, from economic analysis to using this to specify and articulate policy options and delivery mechanisms. Glenn was Senior Labour Market Economist for Futureskills Scotland (part of the skills directorate at SE, and also working with HIE) 2001 to 2004, Head of Enterprise Strategy and Policy at London Development Agency 2004-2006, Head of Research at The Centre for Cities 2006-2008, Director of Research and Intelligence at the East of England Development Agency 2008 to 2011, and Executive Director of Greater Cambridge Greater Peterborough LEP 2012-2013.
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expert insights and advice
𝗜’𝘃𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗱 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗮𝗯𝗹𝗲, 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗻𝗲𝘄 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝗿𝘂𝗴𝗴𝗹𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀
Not because they weren't smart. Not because they didn't work hard. But because nobody had ever explained to them what economic development actually is. What is the mission? What is the function? What are the dilemmas you'll face when public purpose and private...
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗺𝗲 𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗰 𝗱𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁? 𝗟𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗲𝘅𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴
I sat in meetings early in my career where decisions were being made and I didn't know the local backstory. Who had tried what before? Why certain approaches had been abandoned? What are the political sensitivities? What the community actually needed versus what...
Early Career Shaping: Delivery Matters
𝗘𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝗖𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗿 𝗟𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗻: 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝗗𝗲𝗹𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘔𝘺 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵 𝘫𝘰𝘣 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘤 𝘥𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘱𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘚𝘤𝘰𝘵𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝟣𝟫𝟫𝟢𝘴 I thought I was reasonably well prepared. I had read the research, understood the theories, sat in plenty of meetings with practitioners....