Business News


Sponsored by: Birmingham Education Partnership


Birmingham businesses called on to inspire young people


By Mike Pipe, senior enterprise coordinator


Birmingham employers are being encouraged to make a difference to the futures of young people in secondary schools across the city. The CEC is looking for


volunteers from all sectors and industries to volunteer a few hours of their time a month to help young people prepare for the fast-changing world of work. The Birmingham Enterprise


Adviser Network matches senior volunteers from the world of business to a local school or college. With full training and support, enterprise advisers work closely with headteachers and senior leaders to provide strategic support and advice to schools to help them improve their careers guidance and increase engagement with employers. They provide a business


perspective, use their professional networks to encourage other employers to get involved, and help a school or college plan careers activities that bring to life different career opportunities and provide insight into the skills young people need. The network is run as a


partnership between Birmingham Education Partnership and The Careers & Enterprise Company. Across the country, schools and colleges benefitted from an estimated 100,000 hours of senior business volunteers’ time in the last year alone. In a recent survey, 85% of


the volunteer enterprise advisers said their motivation for taking part was to contribute to local community, and 75% said they wanted to improve outcomes for young people.


If you are interested in becoming an enterprise adviser, please contact Mike Pipe at


Michael.pipe@bep.education or call on 07717 316661


26 CHAMBERLINK October 2019


Mind the manhole: The manhole cover (left) next to the original album cover of Abbey Road


Manhole cover recreates iconic Beatles album art


Wrekin Products has immortalised The Beatles iconic Abbey Road album cover as a manhole cover, to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the album. Wrekin, members of the Lichfield and Tamworth Chamber of Commerce, and Thames Water have created a one-off, bespoke manhole cover, which has been installed just a stone’s throw away from EMI’s North London recording studio. This one-off Thames Water-specified Wrekin Unite D400 manhole cover is situated just in front of the world-famous zebra crossing and can be seen on the Abbey Road webcam. Simon Turner, commercial director at Wrekin – a


Lichfield-based designer, manufacturer and supplier of specialist products for the civil engineering industry – said he was delighted to watch the project “Come Together” after months of hard work. He added: “We’ve been aware that one of our manhole covers is situated next to that zebra crossing for a while now, so we knew we had to do something distinctive to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Abbey Road album.


‘We hope that when people visit Abbey Road for their photo op, they also spend some time enjoying our tribute’


“After The Beatles shared the album with the world,


both the zebra crossing and Abbey Road became one of the most recognised sites in our capital city and still, hundreds of thousands of people each year continue to visit the street. “We’re delighted with the outcome of our one-off,


special edition Unite D400 manhole cover and we are proud to be celebrating five decades of one of Britain’s greatest exports. “The album is one that fans hold closely to their


hearts and it has now been immortalised into the fabric of the very street the record was mostly created. We hope that when people visit Abbey Road for their photo op, they also spend some time enjoying our tribute.”


A record year for visitors


The West Midlands attracted a record 131 million visitors last year, with sporting spectacles, small screen smash-hits and cultural carnivals all playing a part in the region’s pulling power with tourists. The region welcomed a 2.6 per cent increase in visitors in 2018


compared with the previous year. The findings were unveiled by the West Midlands Growth Company – which aims to attract visitors and events to the region – and research body Global Tourism Solutions. Spending by the region’s tourists contributed £12.6bn to the West Midlands’ economy, a rise of 6.7 per cent on 2017. Neil Rami, chief executive of the West Midlands Growth Company,


said: “With an events calendar boasting the British Science Festival, the 2021 UK City of Culture in Coventry and the 2022 Commonwealth Games, the spotlight is on the West Midlands more than ever, and we are determined to capitalise on this.” Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “The West Midlands


is truly the best region in the UK, and it is great to see that record numbers of visitors are enjoying everything we have to offer. “Adding to the waves of visits to the region is the ongoing ripple


effect that has been created by ‘Peaky Blinders’. The hit BBC show has helped to introduce the West Midlands to a new global audience.”


Law firm offers


specialist services A new law firm specialising on employment issue and immigration, has opened for Greater Birmingham employers. Magma Legal Services is a new


venture for employment lawyer Omer Simjee, whose business is based on making it easier for employers to manage and develop their people. The founder and managing


partner says his suite of fixed price packages and specialist solutions are specifically designed to meet the needs of dynamic growing businesses. He said: “By blending employment law and HR consultancy expertise, Magma gives employers peace of mind and frees up management time for operational decision making.”


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