Birmingham City University is to launch a new high profile advertising and PR campaign to showcase the successes that have led to the highest rise in applications of all Midlands' universities.

The University will be demonstrating its achievements in graduate employability, practical business solutions, research with impact, teaching and learning - which recently scooped a national award for 'Outstanding Support for Students' - through outdoor advertising, radio and a regional television advert.

The eye-catching TV ad will be aired on Central and Channel 4 in the Midlands from Monday (April 11).

The 'Upgrade your Future' multi-media campaign will highlight how Birmingham City University is securing its position as the University that provides a practice-based education for students which delivers the skills employers want.

It's why the University's popularity has been soaring - with a massive 64 per cent increase in UCAS applications between 2008 and 2010 - the highest of any East and West Midlands' university; and why the University is ranked in the top 20 in the UK for placing students in graduate-level jobs. Applications for September 2011 are currently up by 14.2 per cent compared to a five per cent national rise.

Kathryn Jones, Director of Marketing at Birmingham City University since 2008, said that the University has chosen to invest in the campaign to counteract the negative publicity about the rising costs of higher education to students.

"There has been lots of publicity about the increasing cost of going to university, but the fact is that a university education lasts a lifetime and the costs and benefits need to be seen from that perspective," she said.

"We want to reassure students, parents and business that we recognise the significant investment they are placing in Higher Education and we will and are already delivering the results to justify it."

The University plans to demonstrate the ways it is rising to the challenge of meeting student, business and employer needs through its:

·       ambitious plans to invest £180m in facilities, including a state-of-the-art City Centre Campus

·       links with global brands such as Apple, CISCO and Cartier 

·       real-world learning that is embedded into courses to ensure graduates have a distinct advantage when entering the workplace.

"For far too long, Birmingham City University has been overshadowed by the city's two other main universities - yet we've got plenty of successes of our own to shout about," said Mrs Jones.

"Over the past three years we've worked hard to let people know about our track record in delivering a quality education in the region for the past 150 years, our niche areas of world-leading research, the practical solutions we've provided to over 4,000 businesses including global brands and our innovative teaching that's designed to give students the skills employers really want - which helped us win a national award for Outstanding Support for Students.

"We know that there are tough times ahead for all universities. This latest campaign is designed to demonstrate that a degree still has value - three in 10 jobs require graduate level skills - and that with our track record of practice-based education and excellent links with business and industry, we're going to be best placed to help future students get the skills and land the job they want. We're already in the UK top 20 for placing students into graduate level work."