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Resettlement training, retraining courses and recruitment / jobs for ex armed forces military personnel. Army, RAF and Royal Navy.
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Look at the West MidlandsThe West Midlands region is situated in the heart of England, covering 15,500 square kilometres, and having a population of 6 million, around 10% of the UK’s total. Just 1.2 million people reside in the region’s rural areas, in 97 market towns and 2,300 villages, with Oxfordshire, Herefordshire and Shropshire being the least densely populated counties. It also includes the unitary authorities of Stoke-on-Trent and Telford and Wrekin; and the seven metropolitan districts of Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall and Wolverhampton. Birmingham, England’s second largest city, contains a million people at the heart of a 2.5 million-person conurbation covering the Black Country, Solihull and Coventry.The other main population centre is Stoke-on-Trent (240,000 people).The age structure of the West Midlands mirrors the national picture, with 30% of the region’s workforce being under 34 years old. The economic growth rate is around the national average, while the total gross value added (GVA) of £85 billion comes from a wide and varied economy. This figure is 8% of the UK’s total, and a GVA per head of around £16,000 is 90% of the UK average, although it disguises wide variations between different parts of the region. The West Midlands provides just over 8% of the UK’s total exports by value. It has 2.5 million people in employment and another 150,000-plus unemployed (an unemployment rate of just over 6%). However, another 150,000 people are economically active, while a further 500,000-plus are inactive. Employment in the region by sector is as follows: Companies EmployeesAgriculture and fishing 600 4,500 Energy and water 300 11,200 Manufacturing 18,700 350,700 Construction 19,500 118,800 Distribution, hotels, restaurants59,300 564,600 Transport and communications9,700 132,800 Banking, finance and insurance 59,200 424,100 Public administration and education 18,100 632,300 Other services 14,900 121,900 The region remains the capital of UK manufacturing (employing 15% of the workforce and producing more than £15 billion – nearly 20% of the area’s total and 10% of the UK’s total) with the motor industry being the largest. By 2015, manufacturing is expected to contribute 20% of the region’s GVA – the highest of any UK region. Other key sectors include aerospace, plastics and rubber processing, software, food and drink, electronics, and telecommunications. The region also has the fastest-growing service sector in the UK and the largest concentration of professional firms outside London. This sector provides more than half the region’s GVA (£41.9 billion) with the largest sector being property and business services (£17.8 billion) followed by health and social work (£6.1 billion), education (£5.4 billion) and financial services (£4.5 billion). Birmingham is the UK’s largest business and professional services sector outside London, employing some 100,000 people. ICT is a growth sector, with one-third of all UK publicly quoted software and computer services companies operating in the region. However, changes are required to improve economic performance. These include reversing a population decline, diversifying the economy, changing the occupational structure to create more senior and professional occupations, and upgrading the skills of the workforce. There are 12 universities and HE establishments (student population more than 180,000, producing 35,000 graduates and 15,000 postgraduate qualifications annually), some 50 FE colleges, eight science parks, a range of internationally recognised research institutions and two of the UK’s top business schools. The region has particular strengths in computer science, medicine, business administration, engineering, technology and education. Research institutions include expertise in automotive design and development, agriculture, polymer research, ceramics, and science and technology. Motorways linking the north with the south of England meet in the Birmingham and Coventry areas. The rail link between London and the north-west of England and Scotland passes through Birmingham and Coventry, while the Midland Metro light rail service operates between Birmingham and Wolverhampton, with a 20-kilometre stretch of track serving 23 stations in Birmingham and the Black Country. Birmingham is the UK’s second largest airport outside London, serving more than 100 destinations in Europe, North America, Asia and the Middle East. Additionally, CoventryAirport serves 15 European cities. Three-quarters of the UK’s population is within five hours’ truck drive, with all the major European cities within 48 hours’ journey. Tourism is a strong and growing sector, with 300,000 people employed and 28,000 businesses operating in the region. Attractions range from the historic, like Stratford-upon-Avon and WarwickCastle, to modern attractions such as AltonTowers and the National Sea Life Centre. The area hosts many major sporting events and contains significant arts institutions. It is home to many prestigious sporting events, including Premiership football, test match cricket at Edgbaston, Ryder Cup golf at the Belfry and Davis Cup tennis, as well as arts organisations such as the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Birmingham Royal Ballet and the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra. The region boasts 20,000 hectares of National Park and 127,000 hectares of land designated as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, from the Peak District and Cannock Chase in Staffordshire, the Shropshire Hills, Herefordshire and the WyeValley to Worcestershire, the gateway to the Cotswolds and home to the Malvern Hills. Useful Contact Details
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