Graduate Opportunities

Birmingham is a city rich in graduate jobs; with over 42,000 companies, ranging from small businesses to established multinational firms.

1400 students and graduates have been recruited into companies across the West Midlands in the last 12 months. A recent survey by Graduate Advantage found that 63% of their interns were now in a permanent position with 33% still working with their placement company following the internship.

With competition in the job market at an all time high and with an average of 70 graduate applications for every role, Birmingham is committed to helping graduates get onto the employment ladder with an abundance of programmes and schemes:

Birmingham Future is a membership and networking organisation for young professionals, working within the professional, financial and creative services sectors.  It is engaged in a number of initiatives within the city including; Colmore Row Business District, the Big City Plan, Graduate apprentice and the Birmingham Young Professional of the year awards.

Graduate Advantage secures paid placements for up to 12 months for students, graduates and postgraduates. It also provides training in employability, networking and personal effectiveness, and runs a two-day Graduate Impact course.

GradCentral focuses on matching graduates with employers for permanent positions, a key priority is helping smaller businesses to recruit the graduates they need to enable them to develop their business. Its website also details the latest local graduate jobs. 

Key sectors include:

• Accountancy
• Aerospace
• Automotive
• Banking
• Building technologies
• Business support
• Environmental technologies
• Food and drink
• Information and computer technology
• Interiors and lifestyle
• Legal
• Medical
• Rail
• Screen and sound
• Tourism and leisure

BrightStart was launched by business advisory firm Deloitte to give school leavers the opportunity to embark on a professional career at the firm without actually having to go to university.  As well as a career with one of the world’s leading business advisory firms, the 100 students will gain a full professional business qualification.

Office space & rent

Birmingham’s creative and digital sector primarily in Digbeth and the Jewellery Quarter focuses on the cheap-to-rent workshop spaces. One of the key zones is the Custard Factory, which offers inexpensive offices, galleries and studios – rents have been as low as £30 per week, many offering flexible terms and no legal fees.