Role of a college in regeneration

The role of FE in the regeneration of South Birmingham

College Background• College recruits predominantly from

the South West of Birmingham

• South West of Birmingham comprises 33% of the City’s population

• All wards ranked in top 50% of English wards based on the index of deprivation

• Employment:

• 31% of all jobs in public administration, health & education

• 23% of all jobs in business services

• 22% of all jobs in distribution and hospitality

• Manufacturing declined by 10% since 2007

• 50% of students are from the south of the college

• Population in local wards from minority ethnic groups is between 5-10%.

External Environment

• Birmingham ranks as the second city with the highest unemployment rate (11.3%) and third most deprived.

• Unemployment rate is high in all local awards (Weoley 11.4%,Northfield 8.9%, Kings Norton 10.6% and Longbridge 10.6%)

• Local ward worklessness rates are higher than the city average (20.2%) – e.g. Weoley 22.9%, Longbridge 22.2% and Kings Norton 24.7%

• Very high proportion of local population has no qualifications – from 26% in Weoley to 42% in Kings Norton (compared to 16% nationally)

• Using KS4 GCSE measures 10 of the lowest performing schools are based in the South/South West boundary wards.

• At the closure of MG Rover in April 2005, the factory employed 6,500 employees, with the supply chain employing further 27,000 people. The College played a key part in the Rover Task Force (£170m support package)

• The areas around the Rover plant (Longbridge and Northfield) were hardest hit by the closure. The impact spread on to local shops and restaurants, forcing some to close.

• Two thirds of ex MG Rover workers have suffered wage falls - of an average of £5,640 per year in real terms

• Almost a quarter of survey* respondents said they were in debt and 36 per cent said they are just about able to manage on their current incomes

*‘Life After Longbridge’: Three Years on. Pathways to Re-Employment in a Restructuring Economy’ by David Bailey, Caroline Chapain and Michelle Mahdon, University of Birmingham

IMPACT OF ROVER CLOSURE

THE NEW £66 MILLION CAMPUS

• Completion in September 2011

• Ex-MG Rover Site in Longbridge

• On the junction of the A38 Bristol Road South and Longbridge Lane

PART OF A BIGGER PICTURE

• £1 billion regeneration project

• New town centre for South West Birmingham

• 468 acres

• Mixed-use development

• 24 shops and restaurants

• a food store

• a hotel

• commercial offices

• 40 apartments

A BOLD VISION

• An investment of £66 million

• 4.2 acres

• 23,316 m² of concrete, glass and steel

THE NEXT GENERATION

• A learning environment for the future

• State-of-the-art, industry standard facilities

• Business & Conference Venue

• Sports facilities

• Motor Vehicle Maintenance workshop

KEEPING YOU POSTED

• Construction started in November 09

• On schedule• Webcam link on the website• Regular updates

Q & A