Birmingham Metropolitan College (BMet) has partnered with commercial property developer Woodbourne Group to deliver a two-year skill-building programme for college students.<\/p>\n
Based within Birmingham’s \u00a34bn Knowledge Quarter, the Shaping Future Places Skills Compact will be part of the East Birmingham and North Solihull Levelling Up Corridor – an area of high unemployment and deprivation.<\/p>\n
Students will take part in work experience and industry-led sessions at major Knowledge Quarter developments over the two-year programme, running from May 2026 to May 2028. This includes the recently launched Birmingham BioCity – the city\u2019s first purpose-built CL2 life science campus.<\/p>\n
The initiative supports the West Midlands mayor\u2019s priorities for jobs and skills, ensuring more young people can access high-quality opportunities, and has clear commitments on both sides to deliver measurable outcomes for students.<\/p>\n
Suzie Branch-Haddow, vice principal external development at BMet, said: \u201cThis collaboration provides access to real projects, live environments, and the people shaping the future of the city. I am particularly pleased that we have developed specific live projects tailored for our Foundation Learning students with additional learning needs or Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), ensuring they too benefit from these unique opportunities.\u201d<\/p>\n
The programme will prioritise students from widening participation backgrounds, including those with additional learning needs. <\/p>\n
Woodbourne Group will support the programme through an annual \u00a31,500 student prize fund, alongside guest workshops and access to live construction environments, while BMet will embed these opportunities into the curriculum.<\/p>\n
Tani Dulay, chief executive of Edgbaston-based Woodbourne Group, added: \u201cBirmingham Knowledge Quarter will now link students directly to live developments, real work environments and clear pathways into employment. BKQ is about strengthening Birmingham\u2019s economic base, not just delivering new space. This partnership helps ensure that growth is inclusive and that the city\u2019s young, diversified and talented are part of Birmingham\u2019s future.\u201d <\/p>\n
Woodbourne Group is a lead partner in the Birmingham Knowledge Quarter with a pipeline exceeding \u00a31bn, which includes the \u00a390m Birmingham BioCity. The group is also working with Hines on a \u00a3400m investment programme referenced at the UK Investment Summit by Chancellor Rachel Reeves.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
“This partnership helps ensure that growth is inclusive and that the city\u2019s young, diversified and talented are part of Birmingham\u2019s future\u201d <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":273032,"featured_media":2111119,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[120782,127720,120903],"coauthors":[137112],"class_list":["post-2111118","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-economy","category-skills","category-universities-and-business","tag-featured-story","tag-greater-birmingham"],"yoast_head":"\n