West Midlands to get up to £5m as part of government’s Get Britain Working trailblazer
The West Midlands is to get up to £5m under the government’s new Get Britain Working initiative which will focus on getting unemployed young people across the region into jobs.
The nationwide initiative, which was announced by the chancellor in the October budget, will see the West Midlands become one of 16 trailblazer regions sharing a slice of the £240m being made available.
Get Britain Working will trail new ways of getting people into employment, bringing together and building on existing support programmes. It will also collect robust evidence on how best to tackle health related economic inactivity.
The West Midlands will be one of eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazers in England focused on supporting young people who are not in education, employment or training’ (NEET).
Richard Parker, mayor of the West Midlands, said: “I welcome the Get Britain Working White Paper, which emphasises the importance of an inclusive and thriving workforce to the future prosperity of our communities. Its focus on breaking down barriers to opportunity and addressing health-related economic inactivity will help redefine the future for the West Midlands.
“I’m very proud that our region will be one of the place-based trailblazers delivering the Youth Guarantee, this is a significant step forward in devolution.
“It acknowledges that local leaders are best placed to shape effective strategies to connect young people with good jobs, quality training, and fulfilling careers.
“By working collaboratively we can ensure that everyone, regardless of their background or circumstances, has the opportunity to contribute to and benefit from our region’s growth.
“This is a moment of opportunity for us to redefine how we approach employment, skills, and health – particularly as we look towards a new industrial strategy and regional growth plan.
“I’m excited to see the outcomes that these ambitious reforms will deliver for our community. Together, we can set a new benchmark and change lives across the West Midlands and beyond.”
The Youth Guarantee focus of the trailblazer will support the priorities announced by the mayor earlier this year as part of his Youth Plan to tackle unemployment in the region, which is double the national average.
In addition to West Midlands and seven other regions trailing the Youth Guarantee, there will be eight trailblazer areas across England and Wales focused on improving the support available to people who are economically inactive due to ill health in order to help them return to work.
