The West Midlands has been named the country’s fastest-growing tech sector and the region’s thriving digital industries are expected to create thousands of new jobs by the end of 2025. The region has been recognised as a top performer for digital growth and is predicted to create an additional 52,000 roles in the sector over the next four years. Furthermore, the tech growth in the region is expected to generate at least £2.7 billion for the local economy by 2025.
Beyond the vibrant tech sector, the region is home to some world-class educational institutions, and some of the UK's biggest companies are headquartered here. Investing in skills for younger generations and ensuring the current workforce is equipped with skills for the future, is vital to drive forward the West Midlands economy.
With a thriving and diverse community within the region, it is vital to ensure that companies have effectives strategies to attract and grow this talent pool in order to continue to innovate.
Technical skills alone is not sufficient for accessing this diverse and rich talent pool, furthermore, a diversity strategy that is not customised to the rich and varied needs of diverse workers, may miss the mark, resulting in inequity in pay levels, low levels of minority representation in executive teams and high levels of middle management attrition.
Addressing the challenges these workers face in the workforce will require more-targeted actions but could yield far-reaching benefits to companies and the economy.
Research has shown that organizations with robust ethnic-minority representation in leadership teams are 33 to 36 percent more likely to outperform their peers on profitability.
As part of the Be the Change - Driving Workplace Access and Social Mobility in the West Midland, we will explore:
- Barriers to delivering equity and social mobility within the workplace
- Strategies for attracting and nurturing Black Talent with STEM related skills
- Approaches for addressing pay gaps within the workplace
- The impact of DEI in driving innovation and financial value
Join us for these important discussions where you will have the opportunity to hear from your peers, learn from their experiences and take back change to formulate strategies that you can apply within your organisation.
Speakers include:
Scarlett Allen-Horton
Alistair Antoine
Earl Beckles
Lucy Hatfield
Jude Onwudili
Olu Orugboh
Damini Sharma
Councillor Sharon Thompson
