Member Article

The Heart of England, a region of opportunities

Nikki Graham, Associate Director and financial recruitment specialist at Sellick Partnership, looks at how the Midlands continues to expand and offers a wealth of opportunities to anyone located there.

Although there’s often significant press coverage about the North/South divide and the economic strength of London, the Midlands region – the geographical heart of the UK - is often overlooked. Commonly described as ‘The Heart of England’, the region is an area of urban and rural contrasts with the benefit of covering central England. From the densely populated city of Birmingham, to the stunning areas of remote countryside, the Midlands offers wonderful diversity of landscapes, attractions and events as well as fantastic work/life balance for the finance professional.

In addition to stunning scenery, the Midlands is rife with professional opportunities in the finance sector, with 9.6% of the region collectively employed in the financial and related professional services sector. Birmingham, in the West Midlands, is the largest UK city outside of London and is particularly strong in the legal, financial, accounting and management consulting sectors. There are over 1,900 financial services related firms in the city, which contribute to one sixth of Birmingham’s economy. The economic future is looking bright and employment is set to increase, with the Tories having promised to create an extra 160,000 jobs across the West Midlands as part of their election pledge. In addition to this, infrastructure is a key item on the agenda with £5.2 billion being allocated for transport improvements, including upgrading or improving the motorways and strengthening transport connections to surrounding areas.

New business is increasing, with the East Midlands, already an area with a history of banking and back office activities, experiencing growth in sectors such as insolvency law, public private partnerships and corporate finance. A highly attractive region with low business costs, the Midlands is becoming home to a number of businesses relocating to the area enticed by the level of infrastructure, potential for growth and an increasing pool of professional talent.

The region has long been a popular choice for food manufacturers, including Marmite and Cadbury and has the highest proportion of jobs in the production sector, at 13.8%. For those looking to work with blue chip companies, there is ample opportunity with a number of other household names such as Next, Rolls Royce, Triumph Motorcycles and Travis Perkins having operations in the region.

Many of these offer graduate positions which is highly beneficial for university students who have the choice of not one, but three Russell Group universities - the University of Birmingham, University of Warwick and the University of Nottingham. In addition, Aston University in Birmingham consistently ranks highly for graduate employability, indicating that statistically, students are more likely to find a job within six months of graduation if they study at Aston University than at a number of other UK universities.

With so much to offer, it’s difficult to see why the region is overlooked – from a thriving financial services scene, to amazing landscapes and convenient location, the Midlands is a fantastic place to consider your next career move. Along with a better work/life balance, professionals with an interest in the area can expect more affordable housing and lower living costs. I’m looking forward to seeing what the next five years brings for the Midlands, as it receives further investment, job generation and improved transport links. In the meantime, why not visit the Heart of England - pay homage to the Marmite statue, take a tour of the Cadbury factory or hike the Malvern Hills - you’ll be glad you did!

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Sellick Partnership .