It has been officially announced that Birmingham is in the running to host the 2013 City of Culture festivities against Londonderry, Sheffield and Norwich. Following the success of Liverpool’s reign as European Capital of Culture 2008, it could mean that Brum hosts a number of high profile national events, including BBC’s Sports Personality of the Year, the Turner Prize and The Brits.
We already know that Birmingham is brimming with diversity and provides residents and visitors with a vast array of things to see and do. However, being handed this prestigious title could mean that the opportunities for businesses wanting to add a little spark to their existing operations should be in the pipeline.
Increasing numbers of young people have been making their way to the city’s universities over the years, and the choice of degrees reflects the diversity of Birmingham and the wider West Midlands region. Companies could be making the most of these unique graduate skills to expand their horizons for business.
As graduates are keen to make themselves stand out from the crowd, local businesses are starting to create new roles tailored specifically to their specialist skills. Those of high interest include the phenomenon of social media and networking, where graduates will have vast experience of this already playing a big role in their lives.
Admittedly, not all degrees will have relevance to businesses, including Coventry University’s ‘Ghostbusters’ style course and spooky Masters degree in Parapsychology, looking at the existence of life after death and psychic abilities. The University of Birmingham is also running an Applied Golf Management Studies degree for those wanting to follow in the professional footsteps of Tiger Woods.