West Midlands set for up to £5m boost for youth unemployment schemes

The nationwide "Get Britain Working" initiative announced by the Chancellor in the October budget will see the West Midlands become one of 16 trailblazer regions sharing a slice of £240 million being made available.

Further detail on the scheme was announced by Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall in a white paper today (November 26), which laid out a Government programme to transform the "outdated" Jobcentre system into a new "national jobs and careers service", which the Government says will be focused on people’s skills and careers "instead of just monitoring and managing benefit claims".

In the paper, the Government says regional Mayors and local authorities will be "empowered to join up local work, health and skills support in ways that meet the specific needs of their local areas".

The West Midlands will be one of eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazers in England focused on supporting young people who are not in education, employment or training’ (NEET),  which Mayor of West Midlands Richard Parker says will support the priorities he announced earlier this year as part of his Youth Plan to tackle unemployment in the region, which is double the national average.

A further eight areas across England and Wales will see schemes focusing on people who are unemployed due to ill health, which the Government says will support people getting back to work. The so-called "inactivity trailblazers" are focussed on regions in Yorkshire, the North-East, London and Wales.

“I welcome the Get Britain Working White Paper, which emphasises the importance of an inclusive and thriving workforce to the future prosperity of our communities," he said. 

"Its focus on breaking down barriers to opportunity and addressing health-related economic inactivity will help redefine the future for the West Midlands.

"I’m very proud that our region will be one of the place-based trailblazers delivering the Youth Guarantee, this is a significant step forward in devolution. It acknowledges that local leaders are best placed to shape effective strategies to connect young people with good jobs, quality training, and fulfilling careers.

“By working collaboratively we can ensure that everyone, regardless of their background or circumstances, has the opportunity to contribute to and benefit from our region’s growth. This is a moment of opportunity for us to redefine how we approach employment, skills, and health - particularly as we look towards a new industrial strategy and regional growth plan.

“I’m excited to see the outcomes that these ambitious reforms will deliver for our community. Together, we can set a new benchmark and change lives across the West Midlands and beyond.”

The White Paper adds that extra capacity will be deployed to reduce waiting lists in 20 NHS Trusts across England with the highest levels of economic inactivity - with latest figures showing a record 2.8 million people are out of work due to long-term sickness.  The Government says it will deliver an additional 8,500 new mental health staff in a scheme which it says will reach 140,000 more people by 2028/29.