New partnership to tackle youth unemployment in Wolverhampton
Young people in Wolverhampton are set to be helped into jobs thanks to a new taskforce.
The youth opportunities taskforce is a partnership between Wolves at Work and West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA).
Launched by Wolverhampton Council Leader, Councillor Ian Brookfield and Mayor of West Midlands Andy Street, the taskforce will build on the Wolves at Work initiatives that have helped more than 5,000 people into employment.
Funding from the council and the WMCA will pay for Wolves at Work coaches to broaden their work with employers to provide jobs, apprenticeships, in-work support and upskilling.
This will include more support through the WMCA's Construction Gateway which helps people into careers in construction.
It comes after the future of the Wolves at Work service was thrown into doubt last year due to a lack of funding.
Around 45 per cent of those gaining employment with the 600 businesses committed to Wolves at Work are aged 18 to 29.
Councillor Brookfield said: "Wolves at Work has successfully delivered a number of opportunities for young people through its social value work with partners in the construction industry - and this new partnership will enable us to use that experience and broaden it to other sectors.
"We know lots of young people want to work but don’t have access to these new opportunities. The taskforce will play a vital role in providing more targeted and sustainable support."
Members of the taskforce will include Wolverhampton Council, Department for Work and Pensions, WMCA, the Young Combined Authority and the Prince's Trust.
Mayor Andy Street added: "It is essential that we tackle youth unemployment but we can only do this by making sure we are teaching our young people the skills employers need across the region.
"The youth opportunities taskforce will help do exactly this."
