THIS IS WHY YOUNG PROFESSIONALS ARE CHOOSING BIRMINGHAM

Tue, 14 May 2019

We all know that Birmingham is booming – but a new survey of young professionals in the city has found out just what’s attracting young talent, and why they have been compelled to choose Birmingham ahead of rival locations such as London, Manchester and Leeds.

The survey, which was carried out on judging day for the annual Birmingham Young Professional of the Year (BYPY) awards by lead sponsor BNP Paribas Personal Finance, found that young people were attracted to the Second City by enticing employment opportunities and exciting businesses, with two-thirds stating that it was their primary reason for moving here.

In the battle of the cities, two-thirds picked Birmingham over London or Manchester. Leeds (17%) and Glasgow (9%) represented other popular destinations that newly-adopted Brummies looked at before selecting the West Midlands.

Contrary to a widespread belief that cost of living is often the number one consideration for young professionals who choose to give the bright lights of London a swerve, only five percent said it was their first thought when they were choosing their new home.

Once they got here, around half said their favourite thing about the Birmingham experience was having the opportunity to work in a young city full of like-minded people. Participants used words such as ‘vibrant’, ‘dynamic’ and ‘buzzing’ to describe the city’s ever-growing professional services sector.

BYPY is the leading awards event for the young talent in the city. It provides opportunities for those working within the professional services sector to be recognised for their outstanding contribution to their sector, and the city in general. This year’s event is set to take place at the ICC on Thursday.

Stephen Hunt, CEO of BNP Paribas Personal Finance, said: “We all know that Birmingham and the wider West Midlands is an excellent place to work, and the work going on around the city only emphasises the confidence that business and the population has in its future. BYPY always gives us an excellent opportunity to celebrate this.

“Indeed, at BNP Paribas Personal Finance we are committed to encouraging the development of the best young talent the region has to offer, and we offer a number of progression opportunities for talented young members of the team to ensure they can grow within the business.”

Kirn Dibra, chair of BYPY, said: “As a young professional born and bred in Birmingham, I can vouch for the amazing opportunities that exist in this city – it’s a wonderful, dynamic place to live and work with opportunities for everyone.  Once again BYPY will celebrate the talent that is helping this city to excel on a national and international stage.  We wish all the finalists the very best of luck.”

For more information on BYPY click here.