The socio-economic impact of businesses in the railway arches
No. FTEs taken by local residents
% local FTEs (Arch areas)
% local FTEs (borough wide)
Total FTEs
Local authority
Explanation and notes
Birmingham is one of the largest local authorities in the country, with a large resident pool to take jobs. The Arch Company space is located to the southeast of the city centre in traditionally industrial areas, notably around Digbeth, and as a result is estimated to have a high local jobs share. Differing from Southwark, spaces in Westminster are positioned away from the City's main office district, particularly around Queen’s Park. These areas record higher local employment rates, though they still attract significant in-commuting. Similarly to Birmingham, Newcastle is a relatively large local authority area with a large resident pool to take jobs, explaining the high local jobs share. Much of The Arch Company space in Newcastle is located in proximity to the central train station within the city centre, with other clusters to the south such as Gateshead. The Arch Company space in Sheffield is located to the northwest of the city centre, away from the traditional core of the city in
Birmingham
250
160
62%
6 3%
Westminster
700
60
9%
7%
Newcastle upon Tyne
380
110
29%
4 5%
industrial-focused areas such as Castlegate. These areas support
Sheffield
210
150
70%
71%
businesses that disproportionately hire local residents, explaining the high local jobs share. Most of The Arch Company in Exeter is located around the Exeter St Thomas station, away from the city centre with relatively lower levels of in-commuting. Similarly to Southwark, The Arch Company space in Tower Hamlets is in highly accessible areas that generally experience higher levels of in-commuting.
Exeter
210
130
65%
4 9%
Tower Hamlets
1,440
440
30%
22%
Source: Volterra estimates, 2023. ONS, 2023. Travel to work estimates using assumed pre-coronavirus travel behaviours. ONS, 2021. Census 2021: Location of usual residence and place of work by ethnic group.
6.12
However, the most significant impact of The Arch Company and its customers on skills and training is not a result of the formal programmes or placements they operate, but is delivered by the types of organisations operating in the spaces and the job opportunities they offer. By offering spaces for small businesses, The Arch Company disproportionately supports employment that is accessible to people with a range of educational backgrounds. Figure 6.1 presents estimates of the share of jobs supported by The Arch Company portfolio under different occupational classifications compared to London and England and Wales. As shown, jobs supported within the portfolio are generally more accessible to people without formal qualifications than the average across London and England and Wales. Jobs within The Arch Company portfolio include a lower proportion of ‘professional’ jobs and a higher proportion of ‘sales’ and ‘machine operatives’ occupations. The differenc es are significant in some cases, with the proportion of ‘machine operatives’ being twice as high in the portfolio as they are in London, for example.
6.13
30
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