Birmingham is the UK’s youngest city in Europe and is a city that has championed innovation since the Industrial Revolution. Birmingham is home to the largest regional financial and professional service hub in the UK. Birmingham is also well connected, with 75% of the UK being less than 2 hours away.
Brindleyplace, which is walkable from Birmingham’s main train stations (New Street, Moor Street and Snowhill) is home to a cluster of professional service businesses, including:
- Deutsche Bank
- Lloyds Banking Group
- NatWest
- PwC
- HSBC
- The Goldman Sachs Group (New Office).
Colmore Business District is also home to many more professional service businesses. Did you know that 29 of the top 100 law firms have a West Midlands presence, with most being located here due to the close proximity to Birmingham Crown Courts. There are also many consultancy firms here, including KPMG and Wesleyan. For professional services and management roles, University of Birmingham runs its own graduate training scheme.
Digbeth
Digbeth is Birmingham’s most up-and-coming place. Known as the creative quarter, Digbeth is home to lots of Birmingham’s Digital, technological and Creative jobs. BBC’s production of MasterChef will be moved to the area from 2024 at a new studio in the area. Over the next 15 years, Digbeth is set to undergo further regeneration, including regeneration of the Custard Factory.
Charities and social enterprises also have a strong presence here. The Birmingham Voluntary Service Council (BVSC) in Digbeth is also a good source of information for those interested in volunteering or working for the third sector in the future. I-Se is a third sector support organisation that offers free online support for anyone interested in starting a social business – including students! Interns are often wanted here to assist with events and marketing.
Jewellery Quarter
The Jewellery Quarter has the largest concentration of jewellery-making businesses in Europe. Building on rich heritage, the area has become a hub for many other businesses, too, including: The Newhall Street site, which is converted into a multi-office space and creative hub for new businesses including Green Room Design (creative agency), Bluetel Solutions (technology agency), Central RSA Academies Trust (education), Emerald Technology (recruitment). The quarter is also gaining a reputation for its growing number of Technology and Digital sector companies and hosting a number of events by technology community, Silicon Canal.
Roles in Education
Within the education sector, the University of Birmingham, Aston University, Birmingham City University, Newman University and University College Birmingham are located across the city along with primary and secondary schools, employing graduates into both teaching and non-teaching roles.
Health & Life Sciences
Edgbaston is the centre of Birmingham’s life sciences sector.
- Edgbaston Medical Quarter is responsible for 64% of the city’s healthcare economy. It covers Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Institute of Translational Medicine, BioHub just outside of campus and the Medical School.
- The Birmingham Life Sciences Park is currently under construction on the Battery Park site in Selly Oak, looking to open in late 2022 to become a hub for pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies and researchers.
Solihull
Solihull is situated 7.5 miles southeast of Birmingham. It is home to a number of industrial estates and business centres, as well as a busy high street including Touchwood Shopping Centre.
Big employers in the area: Birmingham Airport, the National Exhibition Centre and Birmingham Business Park offer potential opportunities in the transport, retail, and aerospace sectors. Resorts World offers opportunities in the retail, and food and drink industry.
The automotive industry has a huge presence here. Jaguar Land Rover and Rolls Royce are located here, offering graduate schemes. 40% of all cars exported from the UK are made in the West Midlands! Further, there are international companies that are located here, including Changan, China’s leading automotive manufacturer.
Headquarters to: Gymshark, founded in 2017. (Named Britain's fastest-growing private enterprise.)