The West Midlands is a diverse and vibrant region that has the unique benefit of being located at the heart of the UK. The West Midlands comprises the counties of Shropshire, Staffordshire, Warwickshire and Worcestershire; the unitary authorities of Herefordshire, Stoke-on-Trent and Telford and Wrekin; and the seven metropolitan districts of Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall and Wolverhampton.
As the birthplace of the Industrial Revolution, the West Midlands was once known as the workshop of the world. Now, 150 years on, our region continues to influence the world.
The West Midlands boasts a world-class business environment, with highly developed supply chains and professional service networks that complement our untouchable industrial pedigree.
Internationally famous names like Cadbury Schweppes, JCB and Wedgwood started, and continue to prosper, in our region. The West Midlands' central location, impressive infrastructure and ready-made skills base have led iinternational companies like Fujitsu, Vodaphone and Muller to locate operations in the region.
The West Midlands offers a diversity of landscape, people, food, drink and attractions: from the rolling beauty of the Malvern Hills, to the world-class shopping facilities of Birmingham; from the magic of Shakespeare’s Stratford to the industrial heritage of the Black Country; from the culinary offers of the Balti Belt to Ludlow’s Michelin-starred restaurants.
Visitors can be amazed by the UNESCO World Heritage site of Ironbridge Gorge; rediscover the grand age of steam on the Severn Valley Railway; throw pots at Wedgwood in Staffordshire; be incarcerated in Warwick Castle’s mediaeval dungeon; experience the ultimate chocolate sensations at Cadbury World in Birmingham; meander on the extensive waterway network or experience exhilarating rides at Alton Towers.
The West Midlands is home to many prestigious sporting and leisure events including test match cricket at Edgbaston, the European Indoor Athletics Championships, Ryder Cup golf at the Belfry, Davis Cup tennis and race courses at Worcester, Wolverhampton, Stratford, Warwick, Hereford and Utoxetter.
As you would expect of the region that gave the world Shakespeare and the dictionary, we have some of the finest educational establishments in the country. From the earliest pre-school care through to advanced research and academic institutions, opportunities are plentiful and standards are high. MBA courses at Aston and Warwick rank as some of the world’s finest and IBM rates Aston as Europe’s best in terms of quality of recruits.