Talented Birmingham school leavers are missing out on careers in professional services because of an ‘invisible’ wall around the city’s business district, according to a panel of experts at a recent debate.
The issue was raised at a discussion led by Birmingham Future, the voice of young professionals in the city, which debated the blockages that prevent many children in deprived areas from achieving their potential in the professional services sector. Speaking at the debate, chairman of the Civic Society, David Clarke, said: “Historically, Birmingham has led the way with corporate social responsibility (CSR) long before the term was coined. But, in today’s society, it seems that business sometimes forgets the responsibility it has to its immediate environment.
“We need to return to helping bolster young people’s aspirations and open the ‘glass doors’ between Birmingham’s businesses and the next generation of young professionals – whether they’re from deprived areas or not.”
Delegates were asked why the perceptions of the next generation of youths differ so greatly from those of today’s young professionals, and whether giving children more access to community projects was a way to get them engaged with the Birmingham community at a local level.
Amanda Porter, chairman of Birmingham Future and senior solicitor with Mills and Reeve, commented: “There is a lot of evidence to show that children base their future expectations of a city on their current experience of it. If we consider that Birmingham as a whole is one of Europe’s most deprived areas, it’s easy to see why so many of the children at the edge of our city lack the confidence to realise their aspirations.
“It’s important for the future of Birmingham that, as we take the city forward, no one gets left behind. The best place to start is by building bridges between businesses in the centre and communities at its edge.”
The panel consisted of Civic Society chairman David Clarke, chief executive of Race Equality Sandwell and community activist Dr Derrick Campbell, Anita Shervington of Artistic Ministries and James Arthur of the University of Birmingham. The debate was chaired by Suzie Branch, director at BHMG Marketing and previous winner of Birmingham Young Professional of the Year.
