MORE THAN 800 unemployed young people across the West Midlands have already benefited from a £5million job support fund under the government’s Get Britain Working initiative.
The West Midlands is one of eight Youth Guarantee Trailblazers in England that secured funding to help young people who are not in education, employment or training’ (NEET) get into work.
With the third highest rate of 16-24-year-old NEETS in England, the region’s flagship Youth Trailblazer programme has been focused on breaking down the barriers that prevent young getting into work.
The programme has been hailed such a success the West Midlands Mayor, Richard Parker, has committed a further £5million to continue it for another year.
Mr Parker said: “Right now, around a quarter of people in our region don’t have the skills they need to land quality jobs and that’s a big reason why too many young people are out of work.
“Giving young people skills and job opportunities is at the heart of my West Midlands Works Plan.”
Youth Trailblazer, which is being led by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) and delivered in close collaboration with partners, has seen a number of interventions put in place.
These include grant funding to help employers lay on work experience opportunities for NEETS and the opening up of key training programmes to 18-year-olds so they can progress into apprenticeships, training and employment.
RSPCA Coventry and District is one employer that has been part of Youth Trailblazer activity.
Emma Davies, marketing and fund-raising manager has been working with one young person, Niah Swift at the charity.
She said: “The Youth Trailblazer has been an amazing help to us. As a small charity, independently funded to the national RSPCA, we want to strengthen our work within the local community.
“This scheme has been an effective way to do this and has led to us offering Niah a permanent position as one of our centre receptionists. She’s been an asset to the organisation from day one and we’re now looking to see how else we can increase our workforce.”
Niah, aged 19 said: “Working through this course, with youth trailblazer and RSPCA Coventry and District support, has been amazing.
“The staff on both ends have been nothing but welcoming and understanding, helping me settle in and take the new information at a pace that works for me was more than I could have asked for.”
It is expected that the Youth Trailblazer funding will support more than 1,000 NEET individuals aged 18 to 21 years old in total in its first year with another 1,000 getting help during 2026 and 2027.
