# Birmingham university, talent and partnership guide
Use universities, skills providers, student talent, research partners, labs and founder communities to build capability in Birmingham and the West Midlands.
Context: Birmingham and the West Midlands
Source: Birmingham Startups
Official reference: https://www.gov.uk/employing-an-apprentice/get-funding
## Action checklist
- [ ] List skills gaps, research questions and prototype needs.
- [ ] Match each gap to a university, training, mentor or partner route.
- [ ] Agree ownership, IP, data access, supervision and milestone expectations.
## Task flow
- [ ] Open the local Birmingham Startups guide and read the action checklist.
- [ ] Verify the current requirement using Official apprenticeship funding guide.
- [ ] Assign an owner, deadline, evidence folder and next conversation.