I do think it's a shame that Birmingham has lost it's manufacturing roots. I mean theres some still left, which apparently has seen a bit of a boost recently I saw on the news, but back in the day we made everything. It's what made this area great - if we didn't make it, it weren't worth making.
It's a shame to lose that. I know why it's happened, it's cheaper elsewhere and not everyone wants to work in a factory, in fact it's probably a pretty shit life. But surely we could still make some things, even if it's just picking up the lower end of society as a workforce. And it's happened so quickly, as shambles says there are many, many people whose trade in this area, even 10 years ago, was manufacturing, shop floor work, all they know.
I honestly couldn't tell you what 'Birminghams trade' is now. Perhaps now is the time to look back at what this area was good at, and given all the other problems this planet, look for an opportunity to reignite that skill for industry in much of Birmingham and see what we can do in a new area. Green solutions for instance - we need to start looking at renewable energy sources seriously, and Britain needs a foothold there. Could (or would... sadly) someone look at Birmingham and the West Midlands and see a workforce ready and able and used to high level manufacture to enter that kind of field?
The problems this planet has right now present opportunities for us... It needs someone to see them however.