Mayor visits Glasswater Locks to launch youth unemployment initiative creating 20,000 learning and work opportunities
Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands recently visited Glasswater Locks as part of the region’s latest initiative to create learning and work opportunities for young people.
The Mayor announced his strategy aimed to tackle youth unemployment on Wednesday 10 July 2024. This major flagship plan will seek to create 20,000 learning and work opportunities with partners and businesses across the region. The Mayor shared this first phase of his plan on a regional level to align with national government’s youth guarantee, at the Learning and Work Institutes’ Employment and Skills Convention. Rising youth unemployment is a national issue, but in the West Midlands it is double the national average in some areas such as Walsall, Wolverhampton and Birmingham.
Supporting young people
The initiative will include support for young people to include a dedicated work coach to help them get started or get back on track and fully-funded training for up to Level 3 which is the equivalent of an A Level qualification. Young people will be given access to debt and careers advice, mental and physical health support; Pre-employment training and guaranteed interviews with a focus on the employment sectors that are growing across the Region including green technology.
Creating opportunities in the West Midlands
Richard Parker, Mayor for the West Midlands commented, “I want the West Midlands to be the region that gives young people the best possible start in life, with good quality jobs, the support they need to feel ready for work and the ability to progress in their careers. This plan will focus on skills and employment and will include work coach support, pre-employment training in growing sectors with a guaranteed interview, as well as fully-funded training up to level three and access to debt and careers advice. I call upon businesses and learning providers in the region to continue their work with us to open up a further 20,000 training or work placements. Let’s work together to make the West Midlands a model for the nation by investing in our youth and therefore investing in our future.”
Glasswater Locks site visit
West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) requested that Glasswater Locks and The Skills Centre (TSC) host the Mayor and selected local press for an opportunity to interview people from Birmingham who are on training programmes and work experience placements with local employers. Caxton Builders is currently working on this project, a significant residential and commercial development in Birmingham city centre. The project commenced in January 2024 and is set to span 69 weeks with an estimated completion date of April 2025. The project comprises 716 contemporary one, two, and three-bedroom apartments and duplexes spread across seven wharf blocks. Read more about this project.
Representing Caxton Group apprentices
One of our bricklaying apprentices, Harry Prew (pictured above, third from the left) took part in the event. Harry, a second year apprentice who attends Walsall College commented, “The Mayor asked us why we chose a bricklaying apprenticeship and what interested us about this vocation. My grandad was a bricklayer, so I have always seen this as a good career. You can learn an essential skill and earn good money. I enjoy learning, laying bricks and blocks and we receive fantastic support from Caxton Builders. Ivan, our Apprenticeship Development Manager is class, he is a great help to us all”.
