This project works to tackle to graduate unemployment and underemployment issues in the Birmingham and Solihull area, improve graduate retention and promote Birmingham as a destination for investment.
This will be delivered through a consortium led by Birmingham City University, supported by Aston University, University College Birmingham, and the University of Birmingham. This proposal aligns with the Enterprise Zone goals by ensuring that the approach sets out to create new jobs, inclusive economic growth, and boost productivity.
Key Objectives:
- Work with 250 EZ businesses, to identify their higher level skills needs, and match these with the skills of the local Graduate Talent Pool;
- Broaden the diversity of the graduate talent pool accessed by EZ businesses, and enhance the diversity of the EZ workforce;
- Secure graduate level jobs for a minimum of 170 local graduates, with 70% of resultant graduate hires (119) coming from disadvantaged backgrounds;
- Provide access to over 38,000 final year undergraduates, graduates, masters, and postgraduate students, and the circa 540 graduates currently claiming benefits in Birmingham and Solihull;
- Demonstrate the socio-economic impact of placing local unemployed graduates into sustainable jobs;
- Deliver a compelling, evidence-based business case for scaling up Plus delivery from January 2026.
BCU will manage the largest proportion of outputs and outcomes, ensuring the project aligns closely with the broader strategic objectives of the Enterprise Zone and local economic development goals.
This project aims to both reduce graduate unemployment and boost the attractiveness of Birmingham for investment by enhancing the region’s talent pipeline, contributing to a stronger and more inclusive economy.