Exclusive: Mayor on backing high-growth sectors
A super-charged technology sector and burgeoning tourism numbers are crucial to the West Midlands ' economic prospects, according to mayor Andy Street.
Mr Street was addressing a group of more than 40 senior business figures at a Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce patrons lunch hosted by accountancy and business advisory firm RSM at 103 Colmore Row in Birmingham city centre.
High on the agenda was the West Midlands ' continued recovery from the economic challenges of the past few years, with the mayor insisting the region must get behind its high-growth sectors.
“You all know as business people that, in any changing situation, you 've got to back the winners so that 's what we 're trying to do, ” he said.
Mr Street said the region 's tech sector is outperforming the rest of the UK and will continue to have a transformational effect on the economy.
He said: “Tech is changing everything as we all know and if we 've got to be good at one thing above all else it 's tech.
“The tech sector here has, for two years now, has been growing faster than anywhere else. It 's why we 've got so much concentration over the digital skills, there are still huge numbers of vacancies. The job prospects are very, very good.
“The rate we 're getting from our bootcamps - about a 75 per cent employment rate - is why we put the concentration in there, it 's why we recently appointed a new tech commissioner. It 's a really huge success area going forward.
“Another sector which is really hot for us is everything around logistics. That is a high tech, capital investment sector.
“Then of course, the automotive industry is being changed by technology. We 're still frustrated over the gigafactory [being awarded to Somerset] but what we 're seeing before our eyes is the Coventry and Solihull area becoming a real hub nationwide for that sector. ”
Mr Street said record tourism numbers over the past 12 months underlined the positive impact of the 2022 Commonwealth Games.
According to data released in June, the West Midlands welcomed 141.2m visitors in 2022 - a five per cent increase on 2019 pre-pandemic levels.
The mayor added: “Another of the fantastic stories of our recovery is that our tourism sector in 2022 - ok, we had an ace card with the Commonwealth Games - is back at its 2019 level.
“And the data this year is also good as the Games appears to have done what we wanted which is change the perception, whether it be with international tourists or domestic tourists. ”
The patrons lunch was attended by representatives from the likes of HS2, National Express, University of Birmingham, Aston University, SF Recruitment, Schumacher Packaging, Birmingham Airport, Colliers and Malmaison/Hotel du Vin, who make up the GBCC 's patronage group.
Patronage is the GBCC 's top tier of membership and offers a limited number of companies the opportunity to connect with some of the region 's most influential figures.
Pictured: From left - RSM's Helen Brocklebank with Andy Street and Deb Leary