A surge in job creation and falling unemployment provide tangible signs of the renaissance that is taking place in the West Midlands, business leaders said today.

The region continues to lead the way in creating new jobs with employment rising by 1.6 per cent between March and May – the largest increase of any UK region.

And a 1.5 per cent drop in economic inactivity was the second largest decrease in the country.

Unemployment fell by 0.2 per cent in the last quarter, although the West Midlands still has the second highest rate alongside the North East.

Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce said the figures prove businesses in the region are finding it easier to access the right talent locally, despite long-standing concerns around skills.

Chief executive Paul Faulkner (pictured) said: “The renaissance of the West Midlands is becoming tangible to its residents.

“We can see the cranes in the sky and the groundworks for HS2, and rapidly rising employment rates, combined with falling unemployment and inactivity, show that West Midlands residents have the talent and the skills to access new jobs in the region.

“The last six months have been an exciting time for people across our region. Employment rates are rising faster than in any other region and we are catching up with national averages, but we must not become complacent.

“Upskilling local talent, retaining graduates from our world-class universities and supporting businesses to thrive will all play a crucial role in continuing this trajectory and realising the potential of the West Midlands.

“Our latest Quarterly Business Report shows that in Greater Birmingham, more businesses are adding to their workforce and fewer are experiencing difficulties doing so in comparison to the previous quarter.

“Access to talented individuals equipped with the right skills will become ever-more important to businesses as the region’s resurgence continues.”

Pupils and staff got together with friends to enjoy a special Caribbean fun day to celebrate the re-naming of their Oldbury school.

Young people enjoyed lots of activities including bouncy castles, steel drums, sandpits, a treasure hunt, a beach and a barbecue.

The event was held to highlight the change of name from the Meadows Sports College to The Meadows School.

Head teacher Joanna Cliffe said: “We have extended our age range to take on young people from the age of nine and we wanted a school feel instead of it being referred to as a college as it has in the past.

“We pride ourselves on offering bespoke provision for our students with a range of individual and special needs and we offer many enrichment opportunities to ensure they have a breadth of experience in their school life with us.

“We had so much fun on the day and it was great that Simon Hackett, the cabinet member for children’s services, was able to come along and join in the activities, she added.

Councillor Hackett said he was “very pleased” to have been invited to take part in the celebrations. “It was good fun and the students really enjoyed getting involved in the many activities on offer,” he said.

The school in Dudley Road East has 151 students, ranging from 9-19 years.

Sporty children at Erdington’s Brookvale Primary School went ‘wild’ for Aston Villa Football Club’s match day mascot, Hercules the Lion last Friday (13 July).

This year, the school has been working closely with the Aston Villa Foundation, who have been coming into the school weekly to deliver lessons around maths, literacy and the importance of living a healthy lifestyle.

The programme has been a “massive” success, along with visits from Hercules the Lion. Aston Villa Foundation staff have been delivering PE sessions with Brookvale staff, to further enhance the delivery of PE and lessons.

Pastoral lead, Steve Hale, said: “It’s been brilliant and a great initiative to get involved in. The children have had a great time, participating in sport and learning more about healthy living, which is something we subscribe to wholeheartedly at Brookvale. Our thanks to Aston Villa for their support this year.”

Forward-thinking students at John Willmott School have been developing their leadership skills and confidence as part of an innovative programme designed to empower and support young people.

The academy, which works with the respected Arthur Terry Learning Partnership (ATLP), ran its first session of Prime Rise, Young Men’s Leadership Programme.

The course is delivered by external leaders and coaches, Richard Daley and Shardia Briscoe-Palmer, who have also led successful programmes at ATLP’s Stockland Green School. Tracey Peters, headteacher at John Willmott School, has been working with Richard for more than 20 years, to support young people across schools in the city.

Year 8 students at John Willmott experienced their first ‘Prime Rise’ session last week. Richard explained that the children explored issues such as culture and identity, in relation to how they view themselves and others they may interact with. He said that students will be unpacking their notions of ‘what is a man?’ and how to become a ‘Prime’, adding that the programme will impact positively in matters revolving around masculinity, managing young men’s emotional climate, CSE and wider teenage bullying and abuse.

Richard said:

That was probably best first session we’ve ever had with a Year 8 boys group! It felt open from the start and this amazing group of young men showed incredible maturity. The students have been learning about who they are as young men and becoming young leaders. Young people experience many changes and demands, including social media and peer pressure, so we explored themes of understanding influences and perception, relevant role models, communication and self-worth.

We want young people to feel connected in an inclusive environment. By giving them a voice away from the classroom, they can explore who they are and just what they are capable of. Students respond well to this approach, which has long reaching benefits to them and their schools.”

Comments from students included:

It was excellent, because we got to share about how we feel and understand how to respond to those feelings.”

It was a great session and gave me a chance to talk to others. I was able to explain what I’m feeling and felt comfortable talking about my personal feelings.

It was very good and helped me to understand more about myself and others.”

Richard added:

The main theme which runs throughout this programme is that both young women and young men, learn to make time to reflect on their feelings and their thinking, before they act. To know that whatever response they give in any given situation, to never lose sight of the fact that it is important to love themselves and to challenge themselves, to be the best they can be. In doing so, others can be encouraged to do the same.

Students and staff are now looking forward to future sessions. The school plans to roll out other courses to different year groups and run another programme for female students.

Shardia, who has worked with hundreds of young people across Birmingham, said:

We want to give young women a platform to explore some of the issues that may be affecting them; to develop their self-esteem and leadership and to discuss their feelings among their peer group. Ultimately, we want them to understand who they are and to feel positive about themselves so they can go into the world as confident and empowered young women.”

Headteacher Tracey Peters said:

The response to the course has been incredibly positive and this impacts across the rest of school. I’m so impressed with the students’ levels of maturity and understanding – they’re a real credit to themselves, their families and this school.  At John Willmott, we believe in supporting our young people, strengthening relationships and giving them the confidence and life skills to feel motivated to achieve anything.

I’m very proud of this fantastic and considerate group of young men, who demonstrate real calibre as the leaders of tomorrow. We already know they work well together – as four of them  are all part of our talented football team and regularly model the attributes of teamwork, drive and resilience.  Our learning community is committed to helping young people to grow and reach their full potential, as part of our key values of high standards, high expectations and huge aspirations.”

A Wolverhampton primary school has been ranked one of the very best in the country for the progress made by its disadvantaged pupils.

Results put St Andrew's C E Primary School in Whitmore Reans 18th out of some 25,000 schools nationally for the progress made in writing between Key Stages 1 and 2 by its disadvantaged pupils in 2017 – and in recognition the school received a Star Award from the City of Wolverhampton Council recently.

The Coleman Street school’s pupils come from a variety of backgrounds and the vast majority speak English as an additional language, but teachers have demonstrated a can do attitude to achieve the best for their children.

Headteacher Lisa Thompson said: "It is an absolute pleasure to be the headteacher at St Andrew's Church of England Primary School, and I feel extremely privileged to work with such a dedicated team of professionals who go over and above for every single child in the school.

"It is through the sheer determination of each and every member of staff here that the school is going from strength to strength. The children at St Andrew's deserve the very best chances in life and we strive to deliver this by not only having high academic expectations but also through our support and nurture for vulnerable children and their families."

St Andrew's has been working with the council's School Improvement Team to share the secrets of its success with other local schools, hosting seminars for teachers in which they observed lessons and learnt from their methodology. It has also welcomed visitors from other councils to showcase the good work the school has done around reading and writing.

Councillor Lynne Moran, the City of Wolverhampton Council's Cabinet Member for Education and Skills, said: "St Andrew's has demonstrated that being from a disadvantaged background need not be a barrier to learning, and the performance of its pupils is something that everyone associated with the school can be exceptionally proud of and should celebrate.”

In recognition of its achievements, St Andrew's was named the winner of the Outstanding Contribution to Stronger Communities category at the City of Wolverhampton Council's annual Star Awards recently.

Judges said: "St Andrew's has gone beyond what is expected to ensure its young people achieve their potential."

Mrs Thompson added: "The children are rightly proud to be pupils at St Andrew's and this shines through to visitors at the school, and it is an honour for the school to receive a Star Award in recognition of all our hard work."

Severn Trent has been ranked as one of the Top 50 employers in the Social Mobility Employer Index 2018.

Having a workforce that is diverse in terms of social background is as important to employers as being diverse in terms of gender and race, and the Index has assessed Severn Trent on the actions they are taking to ensure they are open to accessing and progressing talent from all backgrounds.

Severn Trent has been ranked 20^th in the Index for the commendable work it has taken to tackle this and to enable those from lower socio-economic backgrounds to succeed. Measures taken by the company to improve social mobility include:

·         Targeting its outreach work at schools with above average levels of Free School Meals/low levels of attainment with a focus on Social Mobility Cold Spots;

·         Offering higher apprenticeships and bucking the general trend, which sees the majority of organisations offering apprenticeships at levels 2 and 3; and

Neil Morrison, Director of Human Resources, said: “We’re delighted to have been named as a top employer in this year’s Social Mobility Index. At Severn Trent we’re proud of our commitment to improve social mobility within our workforce and work hard to ensure no employee or candidate receives any less favourable treatment, directly or indirectly, because of their socio-economic background or social connections.

“Diversity of talent brings different ideas and perspectives which improve how we work as a company and enables us to understand and meet the needs of the communities we serve. We want to recruit and employ the best people possible, regardless of their background.”

More than 100 employers from 18 sectors, who collectively employ over a million people, entered the 2018 Index. It is a voluntary and free of charge survey that assesses employers across seven areas, including the work they do with young people, their recruitment and selection processes and how people from lower income backgrounds progress within their organisations.

Severn Trent’s success in the Index was announced at a launch event at the City of London Corporation.