About

The purpose of this roundtable is to bring together leaders from education, business, and public policy to explore how the Midlands can better bridge the gap between education and employment.

Despite significant investment in education and skills, many employers continue to report difficulties recruiting people with the capabilities required for modern workplaces. At the same time, many young people and career changers struggle to translate their qualifications into meaningful employment opportunities.

This discussion will focus on identifying practical solutions and partnerships that align education pathways more closely with employer needs and regional economic priorities.

Location

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Marco Pierre White’s at The Cube
25th Floor, 200 Wharfside Street, The Cube, Birmingham, West Midlands B1 1PR

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Objectives of the roundtable

One of our guiding principles is to be the place where people come to 'debate, shape and create' a better region and roundtables play a key role in bringing people together to think about what needs to happen to create the thriving region that we all want to see.

This event aims to:

• Identify the most significant barriers preventing smoother transitions from education into employment
• Share examples of effective collaboration between employers and education providers
• Explore new models of partnership between industry, schools, colleges, and universities
• Generate practical recommendations that could inform employer action and regional policy

We would encourage our attendees to consider their responses to the below questions ahead of the roundtable. 

• Where is the skills gap hurting employers most right now?

• How do we move employers from ‘advising’ to genuinely shaping the skills system?

• What one practical fix would make it easier for young people to move from learning to earning?

We intend to produce a short write up of the conversations, however will not attribute any remarks to attendees.  The purpose of the report is to provide an overview of the discussions, rather than who said what.  Please note that we will also have a photographer for the event, however please do let us know if you would prefer for your image not to be used inany subsequent materials produced by the Centre for the New Midlands.

This event has been made possible thanks to our generous sponsors:

Talent Today is a specialist IT recruitment consultancy delivering carefully assessed contractor talent across project delivery, software development, cloud and cybersecurity.

With an extensive IT network and solid industry insight, we provide curated video shortlists within 24 hours, helping businesses quickly identify the right professionals for urgent project demands.

Our contractors drive critical initiatives forward, enabling our clients to maintain momentum and deliver objectives with confidence.

About our venue - Marco Pierre White's at The Cube

This skyline Marco Pierre White Steakhouse Bar & Grill in Birmingham is located at the top of The Cube building in the Mailbox district. First impressions are spectacular as you enter the restaurant and experience 360 degree panoramic views overlooking the city.

For more information, please visit Restaurants in Birmingham | Marco Pierre White Steakhouse Birmingham (mpwrestaurants.co.uk)

For this roundtable, our guests will be served a three course meal.  Please confirm your menu choices at the registration page and provide any dietary requirements that you may have.

STARTERS:

• CRISPY DEVILLED WHITEBAIT, Sauce tartare, fresh lemon
• CLASSIC MEATBALLS ON GARLIC SOURDOUGH, Rich tomato sauce, aged Parmesan
• CREAM OF CAULIFLOWER VELOUTÉ (V) Croutons, truffle oil
• BEETROOT & GOAT’S CHEESE SALAD (V) Candied walnuts, Merlot vinegar (VE available)

MAINS:

• CLASSIC MACARONI CHEESE (V) Aged Italian hard cheese, mozzarella
• BUTCHER’S STEAK SERVED PINK OR WELL DONE Served with roasted Piccolo tomatoes, & Koffmann chips
• GNOCCHI ARRABBIATA (VE) Fresh red chilli, pomodoro sauce, fresh basil
• ESCALOPE OF CHICKEN ALLA MILANESE, Wild rocket, aged Parmesan, Piccolo tomatoes, vintage balsamico, extra virgin olive oil, fresh lemon
• THE AMERICAN BURGER Monterey Jack, cured bacon, sweet pickled cucumber, BBQ glaze, iceberg lettuce, beef tomato, served in a brioche bun with
  Heinz ketchup & Koffmann fries

DESSERTS:

• APPLE & ALMOND CRUMBLE (V) Vanilla ice cream
• VANILLA SET CREAM Raspberry coulis
• WARM CHOCOLATE BROWNIE (V) Vanilla ice cream, warm chocolate sauce
• SELECTION OF ICE CREAMS & SORBETS (V/VE) Speak to your server for today’s flavours