SRAG in Action in Birmingham
September 26, 2025Posted by:
On 25th September the Social Recruitment Advocacy Group (SRAG) delivered two landmark events in Birmingham, each highlighting how collaboration between employers, educators, and partners can create real opportunities for people across the West Midlands.
West Midlands SRAG Mini-Summit at Fort Dunlop
Hosted by Currys at their Fort Dunlop Training Centre, the mini-SRAG Summit offered workshops, discussion and presentations on how to make recruitment more inclusive and impactful in the West Midlands and nationwide
SRAG Chair The Rt Hon. Anne Milton opened the day by setting out the scale of the challenge in the region — with 190,000 people unemployed, and 48% of young people not achieving English and Maths GCSEs. “We can’t allow this to be a barrier for life,” she said, urging employers to play their part.
Currys’ Phil Knowles then shared his personal story, from starting at Currys as a 16-year-old stacking shelves to now holding senior roles in the company. He described how his journey reflects the “whole person” approach SRAG champions: the Currys leader, the local Birmingham advocate, and the father committed to supporting opportunities for young people. He also highlighted Currys’ community initiatives; from apprenticeships outperforming national skills uptake to supporting BMET College with its foundation kitchen, now used by underprivileged young women to build skills and confidence.
Workshops during the summit tackled practical challenges facing employers:
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Supporting care leavers into careers with Severn Trent
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Closing the digital divide with Currys and the Digital Poverty Alliance
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Inclusive hiring strategies with BMET College
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Helping women back into work with Smart Works
The event also shared a preview of SRAG’s new justice subgroup aimed at supporting prison leavers into employment, and featured new research from Regenerate on the role businesses can play in supporting working parents.
During the concluding Q&A, BMET College Principal and CEO Pat Carvalho addressed perceptions that further education colleges are “out of touch.” She stressed that “co-production and co-creation between colleges and employers is the sweet spot” and received the Ambassador-level Charter Mark on behalf of the college, recognising BMET’s leadership in inclusive education and employer collaboration.
Talent Match at the NEC
Meanwhile, at Birmingham’s NEC, SRAG partnered with Movement to Work for a Talent Match that connected 25 employers with hundreds of young job seekers.
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482 conversations took place between young people and employers
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206 candidates progressed to second-stage interviews
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5 young people received job offers on the spot
Employers described the energy and opportunity of the day:
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“We are here to promote the opportunities that our Aston Villa Catering Club can provide young people, supporting them in the hospitality and catering sector.” – Paul, Aston Villa Foundation
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“Everybody is welcome at Pure Gym and we’re really looking forward to interacting with people of all walks of life today.” – Tom, Pure Gym
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“We’re really excited to be here today and to seeing potential candidates for our courses within the security industry.” – Ryan, RM Training Security Solutions
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“Events like these help us connect with our community and support people into roles.” – Liam, Currys
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“I’m really excited for today to see what the next generation of talent looks like.” – Kerrie, Compass Group
Together, the two events showed the breadth of SRAG’s work. The Fort Dunlop summit was about strategy and shaping decisions, while the Talent Match demonstrated what those strategies are all aiming for; helping young people and disadvantaged groups take their next step into work.
Find out more about the SRAG or join us [email protected]
September 26, 2025Posted by:
