Employment Support

As a parent, I want to ensure that young people have opportunities through life in which they can reach their full potential. As the Prime Minister has announced, we will provide an Opportunity Guarantee to give young people the skills and confidence they need to find the job that is right for them. Working with Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street, I am championing education, employment, and training opportunities to ensure that this guarantee is delivered locally. If I can ever be of any assistance to you, please do not hesitate to contact me and I will be happy to help you.

Local Opportunities:

Summer Carers Festival:

Between the 7th of June and the 27th of August 2021, the West Midlands Combined Authority will deliver a series of events (virtual and physical). Young people, aged 16 to 24 in the region, can get advice and guidance on topics including careers advice, employment, and health and wellbeing. This is ideal for those considering their next steps and not sure what to do. It will provide an insight into the options available across the West Midlands and in the local area. To find out more about the Summer Careers Festival and to view the upcoming events, visit wmca.org.uk/summercareersfestival21

Black Country Healthcare Employment Services

Black Country Healthcare (NHS) offer employment services to support people with mental health conditions to find work and offer opportunities via the Bridges to Work and Thrive into Work schemes.

Building Better Opportunities offer individually tailored employment and vocational support for people aged 25 or over who struggle with their mental health, have complex needs or are a carer.
The IPS Employment Service provides support to those being supported by secondary care mental health services to individuals who wish to enter some form of paid employment (part or full-time) or those who wish to change their employment to better suit their needs.
The Employment Retention Service can help support people who are currently in employment and accessing secondary mental health services by providing advice and support to clients to help them retain their jobs.

Find further information here: www.blackcountryhealthcare.nhs.uk/our-services/employment-services

Wolves at Work:

Whether you need support with completing application forms, interview practice, or if you would like to benefit from employer links and exclusive vacancies, Wolves at Work can help you. Support offered includes your own dedicated Work Coach to assist you in pursuing your career aims; CV Support, help to complete the perfect application and interview practice; work-related training courses; access to hundreds of jobs through our employer links; advice on In-Work benefits; 12 weeks in work support once you find a job. For more information and to arrange to meet with a Work Coach telephone 01902 554400, email wolvesatwork@wolverhampton.gov.uk, or contact me.

The amount of time Universal Credit claimants can take part in full-time training will extend to up to 12 weeks throughout Great Britain - up from the current 8 weeks. The change will ensure those receiving UC and in the intensive work search group can take advantage of sector-specific training from digital skills to social care and engineering while receiving the financial support they need. It includes access to the level 3 adult offer, with the Department for Work and Pensions announcing it will increase this to 16 weeks for those enrolled on level 3 Skills Bootcamps.

Apprenticeships:

Apprenticeships are a fantastic way of learning new skills while working and earning at the same time. Since 2015, more than 3000 people have started apprenticeships across Wolverhampton South West. In recognition of the value apprentices of any age can bring to our economic recovery, the Government is providing £3,000 to employers for each new apprentice they hire, to help more people into the workplace while developing key skills. Vacancies available via the City of Wolverhampton College can be found at www.wolvcoll.ac.uk/apprenticeship-jobs. More information for both potential apprentices and employers hosting apprenticeships can be found at https://www.apprenticeships.gov.uk/.

Lifetime Skills Guarantee:

We will offer free, fully-funded courses to adults without A-levels or equivalent qualifications. This offer will be available from April in England, paid for from our National Skills Fund, and delivered by FE providers. The City of Wolverhampton College is offering a wide range of free courses to help local people retrain, get qualified, and advance their career. Find out more information at www.wolvcoll.ac.uk/lifetime-skills-guarantee

Sector-Based Work Academies:

The Government is tripling the number of places available through Sector-Based Work Academies, supporting those who are out of work with the new skills they need to re-enter the jobs market.

Sector-Based Work Academies are short-term courses typically lasting up to six weeks to help accelerate return to employment. They consist of pre-employment training, work experience placements, and guaranteed interviews. The Government will scale up these academies, providing an additional £17 million to triple the number of placements available in 2020-21, supporting 32,000 more vocational training placements. Take a look at the courses on offer at The City of Wolverhampton College:

Regional Opportunities:

Mayors Mentors:

Mayor’s Mentors is a new initiative launched by The Mayor of the West Midlands, Andy Street, to help give young people the life skills and advice they need to flourish. Mentors will typically meet with a young person, either face to face or virtually, once or twice a month for an hour to discuss the young person’s studies and career opportunities. Find out more about how to take part in this programme at www.wmca.org.uk/mayors-mentors.

Careers Webinars:

The West Midlands Combined Authority is holding a series of virtual careers events for West Midland 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. Find out more at https://beta.wmca.org.uk/what-we-do/careers-webinars/

Apprenticeships Levy:

Nearly 2,000 apprentices have benefited from the Apprenticeship Levy Transfer Fund set up by the West Midlands Combined Authority, in which large employers pledge their unspent levy to SMEs in the West Midlands. Find out further information online at www.wmca.org.uk/what-we-do/productivity-skills/the-apprenticeship-levy-fund/

Digital Bootcamps:

Working with the Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street, we are extending digital training boot camps - free, employer-led training to start a new career in the digital sector. The Government has already committed £8 million to expand successful pilots - including in the West Midlands where nearly 1,500 local people are benefiting from the free training. The Government has made available £7 million available to the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) to hold its popular digital boot camps, which are flexible courses being delivered full or part-time. To find out more, visit https://beta.wmca.org.uk/what-we-do/power-up/.

National Opportunities:

£2 billion Kickstart Scheme:

This is a £2 billion scheme to create thousands of high-quality 6-month job placements for 16 – 24 year-olds on Universal Credit who are at risk of long term unemployment.

The Kickstart Scheme is one part of the wider Plan for Jobs and supports young people to develop new skills that will help them move into sustained employment.

The Kickstart Scheme provides employers of all sizes with the opportunity to access a large pool of young people with potential. Employers will be paid £1,500 per job placement to support overhead costs, including employability support, which could include looking for long-term work, including career advice and setting goals, support with curriculum vitae (CV) and interview preparations or developing their skills in the workplace through both formal or informal training.

The funding available for each job will cover the relevant National Minimum Wage rate for 25 hours a week, plus the associated employer National Insurance contributions, and employer minimum automatic enrolment contributions. Employers have a choice about how they apply for the scheme: by applying directly or through an approved gateway. It is now possible for employers with any number of Kickstart job placements to apply directly to the scheme.

Employers can read the guides below for further information and visit https://www.gov.uk/government/collections/kickstart-scheme

'An Hour to Skill' Campaign:

This Government has launched a new campaign supported by leading businesses and educational institutions, to encourage everyone to set aside an hour a week for online learning, taking a free course from The Skills Toolkit.

The Skills Toolkit offers high-quality, online courses giving people easy access to skills that could unlock job opportunities in a competitive market, or help them get ahead in their current role – from communicating effectively at work or building a professional online presence, to practical maths and boosting digital skills. With a range of courses available, there is something suited to everyone.

Find out more about ‘An Hour to Skill’ and The Skills Toolkit by visiting gov.uk/theskillstoolkit.

Help to Grow’ Initiative

The ‘Help to Grow’ initiative will be launching next month to support small businesses. In June, small businesses will be able to access a 12 week-programme delivered by leading business schools across the UK. The programme will combine a practical curriculum, with 1:1 support from a business mentor, peer-learning sessions and an alumni network. The programme is 90% subsidised by Government.

Traineeships:

A traineeship is a course with work experience that gets you ready for work or an apprenticeship. It can last from 6 weeks up to 1 year. You can apply if you are eligible to work in England; unemployed and have little or no work experience; aged 16 to 24 and qualified up to and including Level 3 (equivalent to A-Level).

The Government is investing £111 million to pay businesses £1,000 to take on trainees, with triple the number of places there are now, to get young people ready for work. Find out more information at https://www.gov.uk/find-traineeship.

New Courses:

Giving young people who have just left school the skills they need to find work in high-value sectors, such as engineering, construction and social care.

We will provide £101 million to help 18 and 19-year-olds to take high-value courses at Levels 2 and 3 where work opportunities are not available.

More information can be found at https://www.gov.uk/guidance/high-value-courses-for-school-and-college-leavers-a-one-year-offer-for-18-and-19-year-olds

National Careers Service:

Expanding the National Careers Service to help more young people find work or training. We will provide £32 million to recruit more careers advisers for the National Careers Service so that it can provide advice to 269,000 more people. If you are unsure about what to do, you can speak with a careers adviser. Just call 0800 100 900 or visit https://nationalcareers.service.gov.uk.

Work Coaches:

We will double the number of Work Coaches through JobCentre Plus to 27,000. On the 25th of February 2021, we announced that the jobs frontline has now been boosted by 10,000 additional Work Coaches to help Britons back into work. We are on track to meet its pledge of 13,500 new Work Coaches by the end of March 2021. Work Coaches can help to arrange more structured support, along with helping people to improve their CV, prepare for interviews, and undertake job searches.

We will also provide an additional £150 million into the Flexible Support Fund to remove barriers to work and boost the DWP's Rapid Response Service.

We will also expand the Work and Health Programme to provide intensive support to people unemployed for at least three months; and launch a new scheme, modelled on the successful Work Programme, to support the long-term unemployed.

Contact your nearest Jobcentre Plus via this webpage: https://www.gov.uk/contact-jobcentre-plus

Youth Offer:

Offering a guaranteed foundation of support to all young people on Universal Credit with a new Youth Offer.

From September, we are providing a guaranteed foundation of support for all 18-24-year-olds on Universal Credit. The Youth Offer will include 13 weeks of intensive support – including a referral to work-related training or an apprenticeship; new Young People’s Hubs for those who need additional tailored work coach support; and Youth Employability Coaches for those with more complex needs.

Flexible Lifelong Loan:

We will move to a system where every student will have a flexible lifelong loan entitlement to four years of post-18 education and will make it easier for people to break up their study into segments, transfer credits between colleges and universities, and enable more part-time study. We will set out a plan and consult on this matter shortly.

Further Support:

Page Last Updated: 25/06/21

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As a parent, I want to know that the world which we pass onto future generations is one in which they will be safe, happy, and healthy.