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 £240 million 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).
, 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.
Further details on how the trailblazer will be delivered in the
region will be shared in the coming months.
Further information available here: Biggest employment reforms in a
generation unveiled to Get Britain Working again - GOV.UK
