Hundreds of unemployed young people supported by £5m youth trailblazer fund

More than 800 unemployed young people across the West Midlands have already benefitted from a £5m job support fund secured by mayor Richard Parker under the government’s Get Britain Working initiative.

The West Midlands is one of eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazers in England that secured funding to help young people who are not in education, employment or training’ (NEET) get into work.

With the third highest rate of 16-24-year-old NEETS in England, the region’s flagship Youth Trailblazer programme has been focused on breaking down the barriers that prevent young getting into work.

The programme has been such a success that the mayor has committed a further £5m to continue it for another year.

Youth Trailblazer, which is being led by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) and delivered in close collaboration with partners, has seen a number of interventions put in place.

These include grant funding to help employers lay on work experience opportunities for NEETS and the opening up of key training programmes to 18-year-olds so they can progress into apprenticeships, training and employment.

Richard Parker said: “Right now, around a quarter of people in our region don’t have the skills they need to land quality jobs and that’s a big reason why too many young people are out of work.

“Giving young people skills and job opportunities is at the heart of my West Midlands Works Plan.

“The Youth Trailblazer has already helped 800 young people take their first steps on the career ladder. With another £5 million secured, we can support hundreds more to overcome the barriers holding them back and get into good jobs.”

Dudley Council, in partnership with their two local colleges and partners is trailing a pilot scheme to identify young people at risk of becoming NEET or ‘Not Known’ a lot earlier.

This allows preventative support to be offered at a much earlier stage to reduce the risk of them becoming NEET later on in life.

Eigtheen young people have been supported to successfully secure placements across the borough with this personalised coaching, employability guidance and confidence building

Pictured: Richard Parker at the Youth Trailblazer launch in Walsall