Approximately 610 leaders from the local business scene have signed a letter calling on UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak to support a £3.2 billion ($3.9 billion/€3.5 billion) blueprint to support the region's economy following the hit it suffered as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.

The blueprint entitled "Kickstarting the West Midlands economy - our investment case to Government" calls on politicians to focus on three specific business opportunities to create and safeguard thousands of jobs.

One of the business opportunities highlighted is the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, which the business leaders say can be used to create jobs for local people as part of major infrastructure investment.

The other business opportunities highlighted are the creation of green manufacturing jobs and investment in healthcare innovation.

"I am very encouraged that so many businesses from across our region have come together to back our investment blueprint," said Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street.

"The human and economic cost of the COVID-19 pandemic has been devastating, but the West Midlands has acted together and at pace, and with the necessary support from Government we will be able to bounce back strongly.

"The blueprint is a mix of shorter and longer term schemes that will make a real difference to jobs in our region, and I am pleased to see some of that cash has already started flowing with the £84 million ($104 million/€93 million) we received this week to continue our Brownfield remediation work.

"We need to do everything we can to help keep people in work or get them back in as fast as feasibly possible, and this blueprint will help achieve exactly that. 

"I am delighted we have the support of local businesses, now we need the Government to get on board too."

In May, the Commonwealth Jobs and Skills Academy was launched by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) with the aim of helping people in the local area get jobs created by the Games coming to Birmingham in 2022.