'Powering Birmingham’ campaign highlights BCU’s role in city and regional workforce
Birmingham City University (BCU) is playing a vital role in powering the city’s workforce, with new research revealing that nearly a quarter of Birmingham’s graduate-level professionals studied at the institution.
The analysis shows that 22 per cent of the city’s graduate workforce are BCU alumni, making the University the single largest contributor of skilled talent in Birmingham.
These findings underpin BCU’s new ‘Powering Birmingham’ campaign, which will showcase the university’s impact on the city’s public services and future growth.
Professor David Mba, vice-chancellor of BCU, said: “We are not just educating students, we are powering the workforce, strengthening public services, and supporting the city’s growth.
“This research clearly demonstrates the scale of our contribution to Birmingham and the difference our graduates make every day.”
BCU’s influence extends across the wider West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), where approximately 19 per cent of graduate-level professionals are BCU-trained.
Its impact is particularly significant in healthcare.
Across the WMCA, 43 per cent of newly qualified nurses and around 30 per cent of midwives are BCU graduates, while the University also trains the majority of new radiographers in the region.
Beyond healthcare, BCU continues to shape key sectors. For example, 22 per cent of primary school teachers across the WMCA trained at the University.
Graduates also contribute to planning, construction, and regeneration projects, supporting the delivery of housing and infrastructure across the West Midlands.
Professor Mba added: “This report provides a clear picture of how graduate talent flows into the workforce and where demand is greatest. It enables universities, employers, and policymakers to better target skills investment where it is needed most.”
Conducted by Jisc, the UK’s digital and data agency for higher education, the research tracked employment outcomes of BCU graduates from the 2022–23 academic year, 15 months after completing their studies.
Founded in 1843, BCU combines a rich heritage with a modern, practice-led approach to learning.
The university also has a strong track record in social mobility, ranking seventh out of 100 higher education institutions.
The ‘Powering Birmingham’ campaign will highlight the real-world impact of BCU graduates through alumni stories, showcasing their contributions to public services and local business.
Featured alumni include Nazia Choudhury, a cardiology staff nurse at Birmingham Children’s Hospital, Tiyana Thompson, vice principal of a school in Sparkbrook, and Ryan Dowell, a site manager for the Sisk Group working on developments across the city.
Nazia said: “Studying Child Nursing at BCU gave me the best possible start to my career.
“The course combined placements with academic learning, allowing me to apply my knowledge in real time. It helped everything click and built my confidence in real clinical settings.”
Tiyana said: “BCU didn’t just prepare me to enter the classroom; it gave me the tools, experiences and belief to grow into leadership and to understand the wider impact education can have across a school and its community.”
Ryan said: “I’m constantly drawing on what I learned during my course. As my role is more site and construction based, it draws more heavily on the soft skills developed during my time at BCU - being able to research and communicate effectively are particularly important day to day.”
