West Midlands

• The SkillsActive sector contributed £672m in output to the West Midlands economy in 2004 – more than two and a half the average annual growth rate of the whole West Midlands economy over the last five years.
• GVA for the sector is forecast to grow by 37% to £924m over the next decade, at an average annual rate of 2.3%.
• The average rate of employment growth has soared above that of the West Midlands economy as a whole over the past five years (1999-2004), at a rate of 5.1% compared with <1%.
• Growth in employment is expected to continue at a steady rate, above the regional average over the next ten years.

SkillsActive has a regional development manager for the West Midlands concentrating on sport, fitness and the outdoor sectors, click here to find out more.

SkillsActive works closely with the West Midlands regional play centre to implement the UK strategy for playwork in the region, click here to find out more.

Sector Skills Agreement for the West Midlands region

SkillsActive, in partnership with Sport England and a number of professional bodies and government offices has undertaken extensive consultation with employers and training providers in the region to discover the skills gaps and shortages for the region. The results of this consultation have formed part of SkillsActive’s Sector Skills Agreement for England. The regional development manager for the West Midlands has launched a regional action plan detailing how SkillsActive, in partnership with key sector bodies, will address the skills needs of the workforce in the West Midlands.

The SSA Employer and Executive Summaries are available to download. To access the full Sector Skills Agreement report for the West Midlands click here.