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We have a world-leading talent pool

The West of England offers a highly skilled workforce and a robust talent pipeline. With a population of 1.1 million and more than 91 languages spoken, it is home to over 46,000 businesses and is a thriving centre of innovation and entrepreneurship, contributing £40 billion to the UK economy. From aerospace and advanced engineering to fintech, creative industries, and digital technology, our diverse ecosystem supports businesses of all sizes.

By investing in Bristol & Bath, you can tap into a world-class talent pool, access cutting-edge research, and benefit from a supportive business environment.

We're top of the class

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  • 20,000 under-graduates per year
  • 4 world class universities, ranked in the Top 100 in the UK
  • 100,000 undergrads & postgrads in the region
  • 400 primary & secondary schools
  • Bristol was the first place in England to become a UNESCO Learning City
University of Bath Image credit: University of Bath
Fuelling the next generation

Our region has a highly-skilled workforce, with 28,000 under graduates and post graduates from our four top universities joining the talent pool each year. Within an hour’s reach, there are over 155,000 additional students enrolled across eight more universities.

  • Bath Spa University: One of the greenest in the UK and ranked as a top Gold Tier university (Uswitch Green Universities Report 2022).
  • University of Bath: Named University of the Year 2023, and ranked 5th best university in the UK (Complete University Guide 2024).
  • University of Bristol: Ranked #55 globally and #9 UK (QS World University Rankings 2023) with a £300M innovation campus in the works.
  • University of the West of England (UWE): High student satisfaction with 91% of graduates finding employment or further study after 15 months (Graduate Outcomes Survey).
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Strong talent pipeline

The West of England is committed to investing in apprenticeships and skills development to ensure that our home-grown talent can contribute to our vibrant business economy.

  • Skills Connect provides an online directory of skills, training and workforce development support available to help your business thrive.
  • Training providers such as TechTalent Academy are committed to teaching practical skills. All of their cohorts to date are from under-represented groups.
  • The iO Academy is a 16-week, full-time, full-stack coding bootcamp with a 100% graduation rate, equipping our residents with the tools and skills they need to join the workforce. Boomsatsuma offers a range of college and degree courses in creative fields. By creating learning opportunities in gaming, post-production, sports media, VFX and VR, the region is focussing on the future.

How we can help

Invest Bristol & Bath helps businesses access and develop top talent. We partner with local universities, colleges, and training providers to build a skilled workforce. Our team offers salary benchmarking and job board support to attract the right people.

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Invest Bristol & Bath team What we offer
Graduate Image credit: University of Bath Download talent snapshot
Invest Bristol & Bath team Connect with a regional expert