Economic Development

He led government efforts to tackle deprivation during a time of unprecedented public investment. The money may have dried up, but Joe Montgomery’s determination to make a difference hasn’t. Clare Goff meets him

The Urban Land Institute was born at a time when the economic challenges were similar to those of today, says Joe Montgomery, the organisation’s recently appointed chief executive for Europe.

Suddenly, everyone’s talking about apprenticeships. Not just those supremely confident ones vying for a place in one of Lord Sugar’s businesses, although they are certainly racking up the column inches, but the much more important apprenticeships that will help to get young people back into work.