Future of the West Midlands

Sector

The aerospace sector is responsible for the manufacture and production of various space and aircraft products. The West Midlands is considered the 1st Future Mobility Zone in the UK. The region has one of the largest global Aerospace clusters associated with many well-recognised supply chains. The West Midlands employs over 45,000 full-time equivalent jobs in Aerospace-related fields and is not only the centre of aerospace manufacturing but is also home to some of the specialist aerospace material producers including Alcoa. Arconic Birmingham is the only rolling mill in the UK that supplies the Aerospace industry. They have specialised in manufacturing rolled aluminium since the 1930s.

Skills and opportunities

The Arconic Foundation helps support underrepresented groups by providing training and education in STEM pursuits. Mathematical and analytical skills, Technical Expertise, Safety Awareness, Power Generation, Electrical Actuation and Implementation of AI, Engineers.

Plans in the West Midlands

The government is supplying £20m to help establish the region as the centre of transport innovation. There are also plans to utilise new engine options, 5G, and the CITEC programme to boost the sector.

West Midlands Hotspots

The Midlands Aerospace Alliance (MAA) based in Coventry, Rolls-Royce in Derby, Alcoa in Birmingham, Special Metals Wiggin in Hereford, Cytec in Derbyshire, and Arconic in Birmingham.

Sector

The Automotive industry is associated with the production of motor vehicle cars and parts. The West Midlands has the largest manufacturing output in the UK. 1 in 3 British-made cars are produced in the West Midlands as well as a quarter of all UK engines. The region has the highest concentration (21%) of national automotive parts and accessory manufacturers in the country. The region is on the verge of driving foreign direct investment in electric vehicle manufacturing and the development of the UK battery industrialisation centre.

Skills and opportunities

Analytics, Technological Awareness, Detail-Orientated, Organisation. Sales Managers, Designers, Quality Testing Engineers, Civil engineers, Electricians, Vehicle Inspectors, and Mechanics.

Plans in the West Midlands

The sector is planning on transitioning to an entirely electrically fuelled field in an attempt to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. The CW Growth Hub has been commissioned to deliver the Made Smarter Innovation Programme for the West Midlands. The region is focusing on being the first to have a fully operational connected autonomous vehicle system.

West Midlands Hotspots

Jaguar Land Rover in Birmingham, Aston Martin in Hampton in Arden, Changan Automotive in Birmingham.

Sector

This sector provides services to clients (business to business or business to customers). It’s the largest sector outside of London, with over 343,000 people working in the region. It spans for example, accountancy, architecture, banking, consultancy, human resources, law, marketing, market research, recruitment, sales, IT and IT support. It is home to one of three FinTech Hubs recognised by the Government. FinTech is the use of technology and computer systems to assist banking and financial services. There is currently (and expected to be) a huge demand for the wide-scale implementation of FinTech in the professional industries.

Skills and opportunities

Critical Thinking, Public-Speaking, Analytics. Opportunities include Lawyer, Doctor, Accountant, Management Consultant, Software Engineer, Marketing Manager, Data Analyst.

Plans in the West Midlands

The industry is expected to implement AI, machine learning and cyber security with the West Midlands serving as a test bed for business innovation to embed new applications.

West Midlands Hotspots

Headquarters of HSBC and Goldman Sachs in Birmingham, The Centre for Women’s Enterprise, Leadership, Economy and Diversity in Birmingham, the Centre for Transformational Entrepreneurship in Coventry.

Sector

The construction sector is responsible for maintaining and developing infrastructures. The construction sector within the West Midlands is primarily driven by HS2. Planned extensions from Wednesbury and Brierly Hill as well as the Commonwealth Games have led to increased demand for construction in the region. Over 121,000 people are employed within the construction sector in the West Midlands. There are many construction firms in the West Midlands that possess global significance. The presence of many high-value firms meant that a total of 11% of construction contracts awarded in 2017 were in the West Midlands region (the second highest in the country). Notably, Wolverhampton has a growing construction specialism.

Skills and opportunities

Project Management, Surveyors, Structural Engineers, Technical Engineers, Energy Sustainability Engineers, CAD technicians, Construction Inspectors.

Plans in the West Midlands

There is a target set by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) to grow jobs to 234,000 by 2030. In order to increase connectivity, there are plans to ensure that nowhere in the west Midlands will be more than 40minutes away from a HS2 station, as well as a goal to build 215,000 new homes by 2031.

West Midlands Hotspots

Bromsgrove, Cannock Chase and North Warwickshire, Balfour Beatty, Saint-Gobain, Morgan Sindall, Interserve and Cemex, National Brownfield Institute and School of Architecture and Built Environment in Wolverhampton.

Sector

The creative sector typically involves anything that issues a product that needs to be generated through innovation and design. The West Midlands has an emerging potential in High-End Film & TV Production and expertise in next Generation Content Creation - this includes the application of virtual and augmented reality to anything from live theatre and tourism to manufacturing. The region also has the largest high-value Designer-Maker, Jewellery, and crafts cluster in the UK, including handcrafting for the automotive sector. Creative expertise is a recognised catalyst of growth across all sectors with 50% of all creative workers embedded in non-creative businesses.

Skills and opportunities

Creativity, practical experience, time management, proactivity, innovation. Opportunities include Industrial designers, Web developers, Writers, Editors, Communications, Artists, UX Designers, and Performing Arts.

Plans in the West Midlands

GBSLEP says ‘Birmingham is on track to become a central node in the UK’s creative geography.’ This is why a key goal of the West Midlands Combined Authority is to fully harness the potential of the creative sector to drive further growth.

West Midlands Hotspots

Location of BBC MasterChef, gaming cluster in Leamington Spa, jewellery and crafts cluster in Solihull/Coventry.

More information and jobs

• Creative Sector - GBSLEP
• Create Central | Home of original storytelling
• Find your perfect role in the creative industries - Creative Careers
• Jobs board - National Council for the Training of Journalists

Sector

The West Midlands Food and Drink sector is a huge contributor to the economy specifically due to exports from well-established brands like Cadbury, Typhoo tea, Marston’s and East End Foods. The region is therefore regarded as the central location for distribution.  As a result, the sector employs over 38,000 individuals. The West Midlands is also recognised for its bustling restaurant culture, having 10 Michelin-starred eateries which is one of the highest amounts globally.

Skills and opportunities

Health and Safety Inspectors, Sales, Marketing. Dieticians, Nutritionists, Food Technologists, Chefs, Sous Chefs, Regulatory Affairs Officers.

Plans in the West Midlands

Like the Commonwealth Games legacy, plans continue to showcase and advertise local goods to national and international audiences at large scale events, to create a larger demand for regional drinks/foods and delicacies. 

West Midlands Hotspots

Food Technology Hub For Skills Excellence.

Sector

Life sciences is defined as the scientific study of life typically associated with biology. Life Sciences is a broad sector contributing profoundly to West Midland’s economy. The West Midlands is regarded as the top location for clinical trials. With access to 8 local hospitals and 35 centres of research and clinical excellence, the region offers great opportunities to collect clinical and genomic data. The West Midlands is home to over 600 companies flourishing in Life Sciences and Medical Technology. 61% of this sector is in MedTech. The West Midlands is particularly acknowledged for Women’s health, translational medicine and regulatory science.

Skills and opportunities

Analytics, Problem-Solving, Clinical Care, Data Protection, Data Management. Biomedical Scientists, Biologists, Scientific Technicians, Microbiologists, Pathologists, Ecologists, and Technical Writers. 

Plans in the West Midlands

There is a current demand to fill in the skills gap in the Life Sciences sector. GBSLEP has launched a Science Industry Partnership for the West Midlands to allow more people to enter the field. The West Midlands is also set to develop a cutting-edge Life Sciences Park in Birmingham which aims to generate 3600 jobs within the next 10 years.

West Midlands Hotspots

NHS Genomics Laboratory Hub called the Genomics Medicine Centre in Birmingham, University hospitals, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Heartlands Hospital, Good Hope Hospital, Birmingham University Imaging Centre, Centre for Human Brain Health in Birmingham. 

Sector

This sector is all about the service of getting products and services from one place to another. Logistics and Transport technologies are a key sector in the West Midlands that provides a higher proportion of GVA jobs. The Future Mobility project means increasing opportunities across transport technology including in large-scale battery manufacturing, and the move to electric vehicle powertrains. This industry is also seeing reform in order to comply with net-zero carbon emission targets set, therefore is seeing a demand for more scientific-based individuals. 

Skills and opportunities

Digitalisation, AI, 5G, Technical Expertise, Product Design, Innovation. Inventory Analysts, Data Analysts, Engineers, and Transport Managers. 

Plans in the West Midlands

Collaborations between CWLEP and Serco express a focus on developing skills needs within digitisation and automation. The Midlands Future Mobility is an initiative to install and enable more connected and automated Mobility solutions. Projects in the industry aim to generate £1.9bn more in the economy by 2040 and supply up to 334,000 new jobs.

West Midlands Hotspots

The current Local Enterprise lead for Logistics and Transport is Coventry and Warwickshire, Energy and Bioproducts research institute in Birmingham, Manufacturing and technology innovator growth programme in Birmingham. 

Sector

This sector is primarily revolved around reducing carbon emissions and storing them to prevent their damaging release to the environment. Instead, energy can be generated in more sustainable forms; hydro, solar, wind, and nuclear power. With extensive academic, research, and consultancy expertise, the West Midlands has been identified as being ideally placed to provide private businesses with the solutions and collaboration opportunities they need to help reduce carbon and move to net zero.

Skills and opportunities

Analytics, Critical problem-solving, Persuasive skills, Researching, Marketing, Technology, Sustainability consultancy, Development, Advanced Manufacturing, Economics, and Computer scientists, Renewable Energy specialists. 

Plans in the West Midlands

Birmingham City Council predicts creating a carbon-neutral city by 2030. The low carbon Transport Strategy is put in place to help reduce carbon emissions by 60% by 2026. The WMCA has declared a target to make the West Midlands a zero-carbon city by 2041.

West Midlands Hotspots

Coventry and Warwickshire alone employ 28 times the UK average in electricity transmission jobs, the Black Country five times the average in securing recycled materials, and Birmingham and Solihull five times the average in building management systems and activities. 

Sector

This sector is comprised of a majority of manufacturing and production roles that tend to supply the automotive and aerospace sectors. The West Midlands appoints 23,000 employees in Materials doting the region as unrivalled in their expertise in composite materials. In fact, the West Midlands has the greatest number of materials-related jobs within the UK. Metals is a prominent sector within the Black Country with its name derived from its prominent metal forming, forgings, presswork and metal treatment industries. The Metals and Materials forum regulated through BCLEP, allows a space to collaborate and voice opinions on ideas and innovations within the local sector.

Skills and opportunities

Circular Economy Innovation, Taxation and Energy Pricing. Welders, Mechanics, Engineers, Blacksmiths, Metalsmiths, Architects, Designers, Physical Scientists, and Engineers. 

Plans in the West Midlands

The West Midlands aims to increase the Gross Value Added in the sector by 50% by 2030. It also aims to address skill shortages through upskilling the existing workforce, increasing engineering-based apprenticeships and being more engaged with schools. 

West Midlands Hotspots

Nord Composites in Wednesbury, MVP Europe in Brierly Hill, The Black Country, automotive composites research centre at Warwick University. 

Sector

The rail sector is particularly blooming. The West Midlands already supports 40,000 jobs in rail and aims to generate 100,000 more with the completion of HS2. There are currently already 350 businesses as part of the HS2 supply chain. HS2 aims to create a 38minute train journey between Birmingham and London. It is considered to be Europe’s largest infrastructure project. Currently, the rail systems in the UK are monitored and managed by the Department of Transport and the West Midlands Rail Consortium. To fill the skills gap, DIGI-RAIL provides assistance in entering and thriving within the rail industry.

Skills and opportunities

Adaptability, Electrical Compliance, Decision Making, Finance, Mechanics, Designers, Architects, Project Planners, Train Hosts, Conductors, Civil Engineers, and Track Inspectors.

Plans in the West Midlands

The completion of the HS2 project building a major connected railway station at Curzon St Birmingham. 

West Midlands Hotspots

The Centre of Excellence in Rail Decarbonisation in Birmingham, The Birmingham Centre for Railway Research and Education (BCREE) Birmingham, is the lead partner in UK rail Research and Innovation Network, working to bring academia with industrial partners across the supply chain.

Sector

Tourism is the concept of profiting from natural and manmade sites by opening them up to paid entry for foreign visitors. The Tourism sector benefits hugely from the advancement in other sectors. WMGC delivered a trade, tourism and investment programme in order to completely utilise the Commonwealth Games. The region is considered diverse with heritage, and unique attractions and is regarded as a cultural heartland. The West Midlands has been popularised by the TV show ‘Peaky Blinders’ urging watchers to visit the city in which the programme is set. 

Skills and opportunities

Relatability, Extroversion, Public Speaking, Enthusiasm, Sales, Customer Experience, Cultural Awareness. Opportunities include: Cabin Crew, Event Management, Hotel Management, Marketing and Sales, Travel and Tour Operations. 

Plans in the West Midlands

The region intends to implement a £24m Business and Tourism programme that will enhance the benefits of the Commonwealth Games long into the future. 

West Midlands Hotspots

Warwick Castle, West Midlands Safari Park, Limestone Caverns, Shakespeare’s home in Stratford-Upon-Avon.