Look at the West Midlands

The West Midlands region is situated in the heart of England and has a 9 per cent share of the UK’s population (5.3 million). More than half of the region’s population (3 million) live in large conurbations, so its population density is slightly higher than average. Over 2 million people reside in the region’s rural counties (Shropshire, Herefordshire, Staffordshire, Worcestershire and Warwickshire). Of these, Herefordshire and Shropshire are the least densely populated. The region covers more than 14,000 square kilometres in total.

The city of Birmingham accounts for just under a million of the region’s population at the heart of a conurbation of 2.5 million people also covering the Black Country, Solihull and Coventry. Population density is 2,000 or more per square kilometre in much of this area. The other main population centre is in the north of the region, Stoke-on-Trent, with a population of 240,000.The age structure of the West Midlands mirrors the national picture, with 20 per cent being between under 14, 12 per cent between 15 and 24, 28 per cent between 25 and 44, 19 per cent between 45 and 59, 5 per cent being between 60 and 64, and 16 per cent being 65 and older.

The region contributes £70 billion to the UK’s Gross Value Added from a wide and varied economy. The largest sector continues to be manufacturing with 25 per cent of the region’s GVA and 19 per cent of the entire UK’s manufacturing output. Real estate and business services contribute 20 per cent of the regional GVA, while wholesale and retail continue to grow to 13 per cent of the region’s GVA.

Regional economic growth rate is in line with the national average, while GVA per head stands at 90 per cent of the UK average, with wide variations between different parts of the region. The West Midlands provides just over 8 per cent of the UK’s total exports by value and is successful in attracting foreign direct investment: 2,000 overseas companies have set up facilities, mainly in Birmingham, Coventry and Telford.

The number of people employed in the West Midlands currently stands at 2.6 million and is expected to rise to 2.7 million by the end of 2006. Manufacturing accounts for 20 per cent of total employment, while the service sector’s percentage share has increased to 75 per cent. Regional unemployment is less than 6 per cent, slightly worse than the UK average.

The region has 12 universities and HE establishments, and more than 50 FE colleges. It is at the heart of the country’s road and rail network; motorways linking the north with the south-east and south-west meet in the Birmingham and Coventry areas, and the main West Coast rail line between London and the north-west of England and Scotland passes through Birmingham and Coventry. The rail network is well developed, with local trains linking into long-distance services. Midland Metro is the region’s new light rail system while most urban areas are well served by bus services. Birmingham International Airport, 4.5 miles from the city centre, is the UK’s fifth largest airport.

Opportunities and skills shortages

Opportunities exist in service industries such as hospitality (hotel, catering and leisure), with driving (LGV C+E in particular) skills still in great demand. Both can involve long and unsocial hours, and are generally not popular with many Service leavers. Nursing, medical and care, public administration, education, and financial and business services staff are in demand, as are skills and experience in logistics, construction and large out-of-town retail parks; with the latter generating purpose-built distribution centres that need more logistics staff.

The proposed expansion of Birmingham International Airport will increase opportunities in construction and the associated logistics. Current skills shortages include Corgi-registered plumbers, electrical and mechanical engineers, and A1 and A2 assessors.

Employer news

Most food retailers (Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury’s) are recruiting due to expansion or new builds, with Exel Logistics recruiting for new distribution centres. Birmingham’s new shopping centre has generated thousands of jobs in retail and logistics. Civil service departments moving from London may create 3,000-plus jobs over the next two years.

Salaries

A rough guide to annual salaries is given below. This is inevitably very general and there will be variations between industries and also in various parts of the region.

Manual £11,000 to £16,000

Semi-skilled and supervisory £14,000 to 19,000

Skilled £19,000 to £25,000

Managerial £20,000 to £35,000

Executive £35,000 and upwards

House price guide

The following prices are a rough guide only to property prices and are liable to overnight change as financial factors in the country as well as in the region affect housing

Location 2-bed flat 2-bed terrace 3-bed semi 4-bed detached

City £160,000 £180,000 £200,000 £350,000

Town £100,000 £120,000 £150,000 £250,000

Country £80,000 £110,000 £130,000 £220,000