Walsall receives more than £500K to boost skills and jobs

  • 3rd December 2021

  • Corporate news

Walsall has received more than £500k to help boost the employment prospects of local people.

The council has been awarded £519,422 from the Community Renewal Fund which will in part support the Works+ project, an employment scheme run in with whg.

A total of £170,000 will be allocated to whg to fund two new Employment & Skills Officer who will assist local people hoping to get into work by offering employability skills training such as CV writing, interview skills and confidence building.  It will also be used to pilot a new work experience that will provide six months paid work opportunities to job seekers aged 25 and above – an extension to the existing young persons’ Kickstart scheme.

The award accounts for approximately 10 per cent of the total of £5 million that has been allocated across the Black Country and Staffordshire for community projects following the funding application by the West Midlands Combined Authority bid for the funding from the UK Community Renewal Fund.

Councillor Adrian Andrews, Deputy Leader Walsall Council said, “I am pleased that funding has been confirmed for this collaborative Work+ programme which will help provide individuals with the support they need to get into suitable employment.”

“This investment in the people of the borough will go some way to helping communities and businesses prosper and benefit the economy as a whole.”

whg’s Director of Community Investment Julie Haywood said: “We’re already doing a huge amount to support customers into work through our dedicated Employment and Training Team. This funding will enable us to do even more, and give local people the opportunity to gain new skills.”

Walsall Works has also secured £182,575.45 for Walsall as a delivery partner to the Sandwell Council 50 plus programme working with the voluntary sector to bring forward support to this target group, especially those impacted by the pandemic.

2022 will mark 10 years of the successful Walsall Works programme. Since 2012, some of the key achievements include 692 Walsall Works funded apprenticeships, supporting 2062 people into employment and a total of 4766 people provided support with employability skills in the borough.

Alongside the above successes, Walsall is also a strategic partner in the Digital Futures bid, delivered primarily by Good Things Foundation with their network of 540 Online Centres. This project provides digital skills and support for those furthest from the labour market.

 

Back to news Next article