WorkWell delivers strong youth engagement in the Black Country
At a time when youth unemployment continues to present a significant challenge across the Black Country and wider West Midlands, WorkWell, led by Black Country Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust through its Employment and Recovery Service, is delivering positive results successfully engaging young people and supporting them to take active steps towards employment, education, and training.
Over the period of October 2024 to October 2025, WorkWell has received more than 650 referrals of 16-24 year olds from across the four Black Country boroughs. Of those, more than 330 participants formally joined the programme.
Crucially, over 50% of those who signed up are now actively engaged in support such as skills coaching, employer introductions, and job search mentoring to transition into employment, training or further education. The number of new starts has risen steadily across the year, with particularly strong uptake in summer and autumn 2025.
These results underscore that when given the right combination of outreach, trust-building, and personalised support, local young people are eager to engage and make strides toward meaningful work.
The Black Country continues to bear persistent challenges in youth employment. According to the Black Country State of the Sub Region 2023 report, the youth (16–24) claimant rate in the region sits at 7.1%, well above the national average.
The region’s economic backdrop, as outlined in the Black Country Economic Development Needs Assessment (EDNA), shows that unemployment remains among the highest in the local enterprise partnership (LEP) area with some boroughs facing rates above 6%.
Against that backdrop, WorkWell’s progress offers a tangible counter-narrative: one of proactive engagement and measurable impact.
WorkWell’s outcomes directly support the ambitions laid out by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) and the Mayor’s flagship youth employment strategy. In July 2024, the Mayor launched a bold plan to create 20,000 learning, work experience, training and apprenticeship opportunities across the region.
More recently, in November 2025, the WMCA introduced the West Midlands Works Plan - the Mayor’s response to the Government’s Get Britain Working initiative. The plan sets out a major expansion of employment, health, and skills support to help reduce rising economic inactivity among people of working age.
WorkWell is proud to operate as a robust local partner in this regional drive, converting strategy into on-the-ground action. The services high conversion and engagement rates serve as proof of concept that locally rooted interventions can complement and accelerate the wider youth employment agenda.
Dale Stewart, WorkWell Learning and Change Manager said: “The team at WorkWell are enabling pathways, building trust, and helping turn referrals into real opportunities. These figures are not just promising, they are a testament to the ambition, resilience and potential of young people across the Black Country.
“The Mayor’s West Midlands Works plan is bold in it vision and partners on the ground delivering services like WorkWell are helping to make the vision a reality in our communities.
“By working hand-in-hand, we’re not only tackling unemployment statistics we’re also helping to build a stronger, more confident generation ready to shape the future of the Black Country.”
Jack, a WorkWell participant via Wolverhampton delivery partner, Base 25 said: “Before my time at WorkWell, I had no real foundation or routine to build on. Now, starting with the basics and gradually introducing new daily activities, I’ve shaped a structure I’m genuinely satisfied with.
“As my confidence has grown, I’ve taken on volunteering opportunities that give me real-world experience and open new doors for personal growth. This service has had an amazing impact on my life helping me leave the house more, stay on track, and build long-term purpose. It’s a ‘help me help you’ journey that works because I meet the process halfway with motivation and discipline.”
Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “People tell me they want to work and build better lives for themselves but are held back by barriers such as physical and mental health issues and access to meaningful work experience and training.
“West Midlands Works is our plan to change that and programmes like WorkWell are fundamental in helping people overcome those barriers and find suitable work.
“I want to build a region where everyone who wants to work is able to do so and get secure, well-paid jobs that bring personal pride and purpose and not just a payslip.”
Find out more about WorkWell by visiting blackcountryhealthcare.nhs.uk/workwell
