Contrary to the doom and gloom predicted by many due to the uncertainty of Brexit, it seems that many within the West Midlands are quietly optimistic about the economy and their own job prospects.

Recent research conducted by YouGov on behalf of specialist recruiter Reed showed that out of the 2,000 people they asked 44 % of employees felt optimistic about their career prospects. With 45% of respondents saying they were looking for a new job or preparing to look for a new job. With 30% looking for a new job to improve their skills, and 33% saying they were looking for a new job to ensure they had a better working environment. These figures suggest that despite the gloomy predictions of many with the uncertainty over Brexit, many within the West Midlands are optimistic about the chance for economic prosperity and betterment within the next few years.

A further 53% of those surveyed said that they had been given a pay rise in 2016 compared to 37% who said they had when asked in 2015. The employees it seems are benefitting from the initial positive economic growth the UK experienced despite the Brexit vote.

As Claire Harvey, Senior Divisional Director of REED in the North said: “UK workers and businesses are confident that 2017 will be a great year for them and those in the Northern half of the country are no different. The jobs market always proves to be a good barometer for the economy and we believe this promising early indication is a sign of things to come. This research for 2017 shows that workers are confident to look for a new job despite the wider backdrop of leaving the EU.”

Clearly, despite the negativity of some, the people of West Midlands are positive and upbeat about their economic future and are working hard to ensure that that positivity is well justified and earned.

The confidence of workers across the West Midlands has not been shaken by uncertainty around leaving the European Union, with 45 per cent admitting that they are looking for a new job this year, according to REED.

The YouGov research commissioned by specialist recruiter REED, which asked more than 2,000 people about their careers in 2017, found that 44 per cent of employees are feeling optimistic about their career prospects despite a lack of clarity created by the Brexit vote.

Optimism and confidence are high among employers too, as 53 per cent of those surveyed in the West Midlands said they had been given a pay rise in 2016, compared to just 37 per cent who were asked the same question in a previous REED survey from 2015.

While an increase in salary is still the primary motivation for workers in the West Midlands to look for a new job (45 per cent), other reasons were also revealed.28 per cent would move for an improved work-life balance and a third (33 per cent) for a better working environment. And pensions have a major impact on attracting and retaining workers with 55 per cent of people across the UK saying a pension plan is an important part of the decision to either stay in their current role or look around.

The research, commissioned to mark the launch of the REED 2017 Salary Guide, also discovered that those in senior positions have noticed a widening skills gaps among their staff. Almost half (47 per cent) of those in management, and 54 per cent in supervisor positions, now recognise a lack of skills within their organisation. This is in comparison to 42 per cent of managers and 45 per cent of supervisors¹ who observed the same trend in previous research commissioned by REED last year.

Claire Harvey, Senior Divisional Director of REED in the North, said: “UK workers and businesses are confident that 2017 will be a great year for them and those in the Northern half of the country are no different. The jobs market always proves to be a good barometer for the economy and we believe this promising early indication is a sign of things to come. This research for 2017 shows that workers are confident to look for a new job despite the wider backdrop of leaving the EU.”

Among the next generation of workers, more than half (51 per cent) of those between the ages of 18 and 24  would move to have more opportunities to learn and develop their skills, 49 per cent for better career prospects and 45 per cent for a better company culture. More than half (61 per cent) of 18-24 year olds would still move for a better salary.

Harvey added: “Along with marketing and creative, digital has been a particular growth area in 2016 as more clients realise their online presence really needs to stand out in order to attract business. Job satisfaction is incredibly important and often when an employee outgrows their role, they will need to leave to continue to get job satisfaction. As such, a company that is unable to offer longer-term challenges may suffer with higher turnover.  If employers can offer young, talented workers the opportunity to learn and help this eager generation hone their skills, then companies will attract the right talent; continuing this trend of optimism into a post-Brexit world.”

Clarke Willmott LLP’s 5-a-side football team has won the 2017 Birmingham Charity Football tournament raising money for the Child Brain Injury Trust.

The annual competition is organised by a committee of local businesses, coming together to support the Child Brain Injury Trust, a charity that supports children, young people and their families.

Helping them to come to terms with brain injury, which could be the result of accident, an illness such as meningitis or encephalitis, a poisoning, a stroke or a brain tumour, the charity offers guidance on how to deal with the uncertainty that the future may hold.

The tournament, organised by Kings Chambers, attracted a large turnout of 15 teams from local law firms, Barristers’ Chambers and other Birmingham businesses. After a league phase followed by knockout rounds, the final was a keenly contested affair between the team from Clarke Willmott LLP and No 5 Chambers. The final was a spectacle of end-to-end, attacking football, eventually won by a last minute goal by Clarke Willmott.

Philip Edwards, a Serious Injury expert and Corporate Social Responsibility Partner for Clarke Willmott said: “I am incredibly proud of our Clarke Willmott team in coming home with the trophy from this amazing event, and it was brilliant to see so many teams turn up and compete. Much more importantly, significant funds were raised for the fantastic Child Brain Injury Trust.

“I have seen first-hand the work they do to support young brain injury survivors and those around them. It really is invaluable, and makes such a difference.”

The local fund raising committee will now turn their attention to other events, with an afternoon tea and Christmas quiz planned – with the aim of raising more money to help the Child Brain Injury Trust support children who sustain brain injuries.

Clarke Willmott LLP is a national law firm with seven offices across the country, including Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, London, Manchester, Southampton and Taunton.

From July 7th until September 3rd, The Elite Series, will take place every weekend in London at the Gfinity Esports Arena, the home of UK esports. Fans will be able to catch all the action on GfinityEsports.com and can follow this intensive nine week schedule:

o      Fridays:  Street Fighter V – 6:00pm - 10:00pm

o      Saturdays:  CS:GO 10:00am – 10:00pm

o      Sundays:  Rocket League 12:00pm – 6:00pm

The Elite Series season one starts with the regular Season, during which eight teams - with a total of 160 players - will play seven crucial matches. There will be three independent leagues - one for each game: Street Fighter V, CS:GO and Rocket League. After each team has had their one-time face off against the others, the top four will progress to the league’s playoff spots.

Playoffs will feature two semi-finals, with the winners ultimately meeting head to head in a final showdown for their share of the £225,000 prize fund and the glory of being crowned the Elite Series League Champion.

In addition to the three independent leagues for each game, Gfinity will, for the first time in esports history, be running a franchise championship, for the overall winners across the entire tournament.

Niantic Labs, the developer and publisher of Pokémon GO, The Pokémon Company International and Big Heritage, the UK heritage organisation, have partnered to curate historical locations throughout the ancient city of Chester within Pokémon GO to encourage community engagement and education.

On the weekend of Saturday 22^nd and Sunday 23^rd of July, events will be staged across Chester, including activities based at Chester Castle, which will be open to the public for the first time in 20 years. Visitors to the city will be able to take part in a number of fun trail activities, with in-game and real-world surprises for Pokémon GO players. The weekend of events coincides with the annual Chester Heritage Festival, which celebrates the heritage of one of the world’s most historic cities.

Chester will play host to Pokémon GO Trainers visiting the UK from around the world, turning historical sites into PokéStops that players can interact with. Big Heritage will also be working with schools across the Cheshire and Merseyside regions as part of an initiative to encourage young people to explore and learn about their local area by playing Pokémon GO together.

Niantic CEO and founder John Hanke said "I am incredibly excited about this partnership linking local history and Pokémon GO.  We love the idea of using mobile games as a motivation for families to play outside together and perhaps to learn something interesting while they are at it!"

Big Heritage founder Dean Paton said “We are so excited about working with Niantic Labs, who are true innovators in their field, and as passionate as we are about getting people exploring and learning about the world around them. It’s a genuine coup for Chester to be the ‘test bed’ for some amazing new ideas, and we hope we can use the game based on the iconic and beloved Pokemon brand as a tool for helping more people get excited about the past.”

Get involved – use the hashtag #PokemonGO and let us know if you planning to join the festival by “attending” the event on the Big Heritage facebook page.

The 10 year anniversary of the Smokefree legislation introduced on 1 July 2007, which banned smoking inside bars, clubs, restaurants, and other public and work places, has been marked with a dramatic steep decline in smoking rates across the West Midlands region. The last few years have seen the steepest drop in numbers, down from 23% in 2007 in the region (21% in England) to 15.4% in 2016 (15.5% in England).

Duncan Selbie, Chief Executive of Public Health England, praised this phenomenal success and the huge benefits the legislations has brought – encouraging large numbers of smokers to quit and helping improve health among both ex-smokers and non-smokers alike.

Duncan Selbie said: "The Smokefree legislation has been extraordinary in the way we now experience and enjoy pubs, clubs, restaurants and so many other public places. Young people have not had to experience the smoke filled bars and clubs that once choked their parents and workers. They’ve grown up in a world where smoking is no longer socially acceptable.

“The law has played a key part in the huge cultural change we have seen in the past decade, especially among younger people, a change that has literally saved thousands from disabling chronic diseases and premature death.”

New figures from PHE show that the number of smokers aged 35 and over dying from heart disease in the West Midlands has fallen significantly from 39.5 per 100,000 head population in 2007-09 to 29.5 in 2013-15; while deaths from stroke have fallen from 12.7 per 100,000 head population in 2007-09 to 9.5 in 2013-15.

Commenting on the impact on societal attitudes over the past decade the Smokefree legislation has led to, Duncan Selbie said: “The Smokefree legacy has had a phenomenally positive impact on societal attitudes to smoking, and smokers have seized the opportunity by quitting in unprecedented numbers and, of those still smoking, half have chosen to smoke outside of their own homes to protect their families from second hand smoke. The Smokefree legislation was undoubtedly the single most important public health reform in generations.”

The smoking indoor ban was the first, and the most important, in a series of 10 pieces of tobacco legislation over 10 years.

Duncan Selbie said: “We’ve seen cigarettes stubbed out in public places, become far less visible in shops and had large graphic warnings put on packs starkly explaining what these things do to the human body.