THE West Midlands Combined Authority has set out a package of measures to help the region’s unemployed gain the skills needed to get back into work.
With the Government’s furlough employment support scheme ending, and the region’s economy still recovering from the shock of the pandemic, the WMCA is stepping in with £25million worth of training support to help unemployed people across the region get jobs.
Working with the region’s colleges and providers, the WMCA’s support will be targeted at skilling up people for roles in sectors where jobs are being created – including digital, logistics, health and social care, rail, and construction.
The £25m funding includes a specific focus on jobs with good long-term prospects, such as teaching assistants, housing officers, and software developers.
Andy Street, the Mayor of the West Midlands and chair of the WMCA, said: “We know that the coronavirus pandemic has caused great economic harm to the region and left many people out of work or fearing for their future, which is why I launched my 100,000 jobs plan earlier this year.
“Now, with the Government’s furlough scheme coming to an end, it is important we support those who may find themselves falling out of work through no fault of their own.
“That’s why the WMCA has set out this £25m support package, including jobs fairs in every borough and sector specific training in growth sectors such as digital and construction.
“It is mission critical we get people back into work following the pandemic and, working with local authorities across the West Midlands, we are doing all we can to make that happen.”
The WMCA’s £25m package will support bespoke training provision, designed with local employers, to give people the skills needed to fill record levels of job vacancies.
Schemes being funded by the WMCA include Beat the Bots digital training, SWAPS sector-specific training, construction gateway programmes, green skills courses and job fairs to take place in every borough of the West Midlands.
