Employment Support
WMCA has been awarded £5.2m by Department of Work and Pensions (DWP) to deliver the “Find Your Future” project. The project is part funded by the European Social Fund and will support over 3,500 local people into employment and training.
The Find Your Future project aims to widen and increase participation in employment by supporting individuals with the skills and support they need to take advantage of training, volunteering and employment opportunities created before, during and after the City of Culture and the Commonwealth Games.
The project is open to all unemployed and inactive individuals who live in the Black Country LEP area, Coventry and Warwickshire LEP area and Birmingham and Solihull LEP area.
The Find Your Future project will run from November 2021 to December 2023 and provide tailored engagement and support to people living in the most deprived wards across the region with high levels of unemployment, with a particular focus on those who are disengaged, socially excluded and/or face multiple barriers to employment.
As the Lead accountable body, WMCA is working collaboratively with its delivery partners Shaw Trust Group who will be delivering in the Birmingham and Solihull and Black Country LEP areas and Coventry City Council who will be delivering in the Coventry and Warwickshire LEP area.
WMCA is also working with local partners including Local Authorities, the B2022 Games Organising Committee and Coventry City of Culture to deliver positive outcomes across the region.
This project is part-funded by European Social Fund
Virtual Career Events
Join us for a series of virtual careers events for West Midlands residents of all ages. The events will explore the benefits of working within different sectors as well as the rewards and career progression.
The events will also feature local employers who will talk about the employment opportunities available now and how to apply.
Employment Support Framework
The West Midlands Combined Authority’s (WMCA) second devolution deal outlines the opportunity for the region to take forward a new Employment Support Framework.
To develop the framework, WMCA brought together a team of experts to form the Employment Support Taskforce, chaired by Nick Page, Chief Executive of Solihull Council and including representation from DWP, Local Authorities, the voluntary and community sector, welfare to work and WMCA.
The Taskforce shaped and responded to a number of pieces of work developed to inform the framework:
- A) Desk based review of the evidence of ‘what works’ and what this means for the WMCA area
- B) ‘Deep dives’ into three different areas in the WM – Foleshill in Coventry, Greets Green in Sandwell and Druids Heath in Birmingham, to more forensically identify current issues and barriers and opportunities for future success.
- C) Practitioner interviews – engaging with front line staff that support local people into employment
- D) Customer journey mapping
The below documents detail the research and the Employment Support framework Regional Recovery Model.
Connecting Communities (WMCA Innovation Pilot)
The Connecting Communities Pilot is part of the first WMCA Devolution Agreement, which consists of better skills planning and a local strategy, better employment support and local control of public funding for adult skills training.
The pilot is aimed at tackling unemployment and low pay within local communities. The intention is to support individuals to engage with localised employability support, to raise the aspirations within the community, and support individuals’ transition into sustainable employment.
This scheme started in June 2018 and will finish on 31 December 2021.
The pilot is delivered across nine wards across the WMCA geography by eight specialist delivery organisations.
Support is available to anyone aged 16 and over and is a resident in Batchley/Brockhill, Binley/Willenhall, Birchills/Leamore, Camp Hill, Cannock North, Chelmsley Wood, Glascote, Shard End, and Washwood Heath.
The pilot provides support to those individuals who are currently unemployed or employed and in receipt of a low income and who would like to receive support in finding work or progressing in employment.
Each constituent member local authority was given the opportunity to select their preferred target area. Through this process, all seven Metropolitan Councils identified potential pilot areas as have Tamworth and Redditch Borough Councils, Cannock District Council and Nuneaton & Bedworth District Council.
Each organisation provides a unique offer to residents focused on the needs of local residents. Customers are assisted with the development of a personal plan to help them to find work or progress in employment, with a dedicated coach to provide support throughout the customers journey.
For more information around local delivery please contact:
Batchley/Brockhill: Heart of Worcestershire College – ghodgkinson@howcollege.ac.uk
Binley Willenhall (Coventry): Reed in Partnership – binleywillenhalljobs.co.uk
Birchills/ Leamore (Walsall): Walsall College – waccguidance@walsallcollege.ac.uk
Camp Hill (Nuneaton): Pet Xi – gdrake@pet-xi.co.uk
Cannock North: Walsall College – waccguidance@walsallcollege.ac.uk
Chelmsley Wood: Colebridge Trust – serenas@colebridge.org
Glascote (Tamworth): Steps to Work – km.communitytogethercic@gmail.com
Shard End (Birmingham): Shaw Trust – connectingcommunities@shaw-trust.org.uk
Washwood Heath (Birmingham): Remploy – washwood@mail.remploy.co.uk
For any general enquiries related to the Connecting Communities Pilot, please contact: JohnHall@wmca.org.uk