Agreement to help young into council jobs
Students and young people in Wolverhampton who are interested in working for the city council are to receive a major boost when the local authority becomes part of a Black Country employment initiative.
The council is poised to sign up to an agreement with the Black Country Consortium (BCC) to become a ‘Cornerstone Employer’, which commits staff to attending schools and colleges in the city on a regular basis to promote job roles with the local authority that are available.
Other local employers who have become Cornerstone Employers include Walsall Council, Sandwell Council, Wolverhampton NHS Trust, Thomas Dudley, Accord, KPMG, A F Blakemore and Wilmott Dixon.
In a report to cabinet members, the council’s skills and employability manager Sue Lindup said: “Becoming a Cornerstone Employer commits a senior member of staff to attend regular meetings and share the work that the council – as a significant employer in the city – is undertaking in schools.
“The council employs a variety of roles ranging from accountants to social workers to catering assistants. This scheme enables staff from a range of disciplines to go into schools to talk about their roles and their career pathways.
“This scheme also fulfils our priority to support young people into jobs through the Wolves at Work 18-24 initiative, ensuring that young people in schools are provided with a variety of careers experiences before they make important choices about their education and move into work,” she added.
“The council has recently committed to a further year to deliver this initiative as part of new service level agreement until August 2023, and has employed an additional part-time enterprise co-ordinator.
“Cornerstone Employers work with a cluster of secondary schools and colleges to support careers provision in the area and influence the work of the Black Country Careers Hub.
“Their goal is to ensure all young people in an area have the opportunity they need to be prepared and inspired for the world of work,” said the statement.
The council’s cabinet resources committee will discuss the proposal next Wednesday.
