A pilot project to support the development and retention of graduates involved in the business and professional services in North Staffordshire has been announced by regional development agency Advantage West Midlands.

The Graduate Works project will be delivered by finest, the network for professional service firms at North Staffordshire Chamber.

The scheme will support 25 graduates level high fliers working in companies and provide them with intensive skills training to develop skills, attitudes and aptitudes required to improve the productivity of small and medium-sized businesses they will be working with.

It is hoped that the scheme will lead to more talented professionals choosing North Staffordshire as a play to say and work in, rather than migrating to more established centres such as Manchester and Birmingham.

If successful in North Staffordshire, it is expected that the programme will be rolled out across the West Midlands.

Announcing the funding for the scheme, Advantage West Midlands Chairman Nick Paul said: “Retention of graduates in our region is a major priority outlined in the West Midlands Economic Strategy and the loss of our best and brightest talent must be stemmed if we are to close the £10 billion output gap we have compared with the national average.

“Our universities are producing excellent graduates but the West Midlands is not particularly successful in holding on to the talent we produce.

“Even if we are to simply stay where we are economically, we need to increase the number of graduates employed in the private sector by 4,000 each year.

“Graduate Works is an ambitious and exciting pilot to explore ways of improving the performance of individuals and also improving the chances of them staying in the local economy for the long term.”
Chair of finest, Bob Bell, said: “Our members and the professional sector will struggle to grow if we can’t convince talented people that working in North Staffordshire in a smaller firm is a great career choice.

“Graduate Works will be all about investing in those people and showing them the potential here and also in themselves.”