Retaining young talent key benefit of City of Culture

Keeping graduates in Coventry could be one of the major benefits of winning the UK City of Culture 2021 title, business leaders in the city have said.

The Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce said the award also offered many other knock-on effects to the region’s economy.

David Penn, who chairs the Coventry branch of the chamber, said the win not only offered a chance for the city to promote itself on the world stage but was also a selling point to businesses looking to locate to the region, as well as a wonderful attraction to skilled people.

He said: “How we retain the talent that we have coming through both Coventry University and the University of Warwick is crucial for the future of the region.

“Students at Coventry University and the University of Warwick will hopefully feel the great vibe there is here thanks to being City of Culture and will want to be part of that in the years to come.

“The more graduates we can keep in the city and the wider region, the better it will be for our companies’ prospects for growth.

“Business was feeling optimistic about the future in this region prior to the result – now I think that has been increased massively on the back of this great news for Coventry.”

On a more immediate level, the chamber is keen to highlight the shortage of land in the area and the implications this has for job creation.

Martyne Manning, policy manager at the CWCC, and David Penn are pictured with members of the chamber’s Coventry branch.