Ep 38. Jimmy's Jobs of the Future: Where Are All These New Jobs Coming From?

Welcome to the 'This Is The North' Podcast, your source of transformative conversations. An intentional challenge to the systems holding back the North of England. Hosted by Alison Dunn, an award-winning charity chief executive and former solicitor. This podcast is supported by the Society Matters Foundation and is dedicated to curating and sharing knowledge, powering the change we need for a more equal and inclusive society.

In this episode, Alison sits down with Jimmy McLaughlin OBE on the fifth anniversary of his podcast 'Jimmy's Jobs of the Future' - a show that went from stay-at-home dad project to interviewing prime ministers about the question Westminster struggles to answer: where are all these new jobs actually coming from?

When Jimmy worked at Number 10, he'd get calls at 10 to 8 in the morning. Debenhams collapsing. Wilkinson's going under. Ten thousand jobs gone. He'd brief Theresa May, who kept asking: "We're at record employment. You only tell me about losses. Where's the growth?" The answer was one or two people hired every week by companies like Gym Shark in Birmingham or Double 11 in Middlesbrough. Businesses creating seven out of every eight jobs in Britain but never making announcements because they're too busy building.

Five years and millions of listeners later, Jimmy walked back into Number 10 to interview Sir Keir Starmer. Same building. Same question. Different answer: nearly a million young people under 25 now aren't in education or work.

Jimmy and Alison discuss why businesses won't hire graduates this year, how AI might devastate middle-class professionals while skilled trades see wages double, and why we're asking 16-year-olds to choose careers before they're ready. They explore the Northern golden triangle, what devolution delivers, and what five years taught Jimmy about why work matters not just for income, but for dignity, purpose, and possibility.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to Jimmy McLaughlin 00:40 The Genesis of Jimmy's Jobs of the Future 01:45 Insights from Number 10 03:02 Highlighting Northern Companies 10:44 Impact of AI on Jobs 18:44 Opportunities and Challenges in the North 22:56 Collaborating in Politics 23:49 The Future of Education and Jobs 26:44 AI and Social Inequality 32:11 Challenges for the Younger Generation 35:58 Podcasting Insights and Evolution 42:37 Reflections and Motivations

After five years and millions of listeners, Jimmy's conviction remains clear: work isn't just about income. It's about dignity, purpose, and possibility. A million young people need not just jobs, but futures.

Host: Alison Dunn Guest: Jimmy McLaughlin OBE

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