GBS UK Celebrates 2025 Graduation for Students from Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds

Published: 7 July 2025

Almost 1,500 GBS UK students from across Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds have graduated on 2nd July 2025 from across a range of courses, all geared towards employability and future career success.

Students graduated from Business, Healthcare, Construction, and Digital Technology, ranging from HNDs to Bachelor Degrees, at Birmingham’s Symphony Hall.

GBS UK CEO, James Kennedy, said it’s fantastic to see so many graduates who are going to have significant impacts on their local communities.
“This is social mobility in action, enabling those who have traditionally struggled to access Higher Education, to graduate with qualifications that will allow them to take the next steps in their careers,” said Mr Kennedy.

“We work hand-in-hand with employers and governments of all levels to widen participation, address skills shortages and ultimately enable social mobility.

“Birmingham, Manchester and Leeds are critical regions for GBS, and have a range of sectors like construction and healthcare, crying out for a skilled workforce.

“These students who have graduated today will ultimately go on to benefit their local communities with their new knowledge and skills, which will have a crucial flow-on effect to the national economy.”

“The West Midlands is bursting with opportunity—and when we connect education with the needs of our thriving industries, we’re not just preparing people for jobs, we’re powering long-term growth and prosperity,” said Councillor Sharon Thompson, Deputy Leader of Birmingham City Council.

“GBS UK is a brilliant example of what happens when education meets real life. With a student community full of learners bringing resilience, ambition, and lived experience to the table, they graduate as confident, capable, and career-ready individuals. They’re not just changing their own lives—they’re strengthening our workforce and our economy.

And right here, in the heart of Birmingham, is where it all begins. It starts here—with opportunity, with ambition, and with the belief that it’s never too late to succeed.