Council writes to Employment Minister over youth unemployment
Telford & Wrekin Council and the Telford Business Board have called on the government to offer more flexibility over national initiatives for youth employment.
The Council’s cabinet has pledged to go beyond its statutory duties and extend support to all young people aged 16-24 to find realistic and lasting employment, education and training and turn around the figures for local youth unemployment - which are higher than the regional and national averages.
Councillor Shaun Davies, cabinet member for Employment, and Telford Business Board chairman Graham Wynn have written to Ester McVey, Minister of State for Employment, to outline the initiatives that the Council and its partners are already working on to improve employment opportunities for young people.
The cabinet has agreed to back a £1.3m investment which will help to transform the situation through a partnership with businesses, training providers and the Job Centre to support young people into training and work and provide greater opportunities through work experience, traineeships, apprenticeships and jobs.
Telford & Wrekin Council and its local partners already offer a broad range of good quality provision, including Job Junctions and FutureFocus which deliver results which outstrip those of other centrally funded initiatives such as DWP’s Work Programme. This new investment will help to improve this provision and allow for it to be expanded and reach more young people.
The Council is asking the Minister to seek greater autonomy and flexibility on some of the national initiatives which would enable them to have a greater and more positive impact in the local area.
Councillor Davies said: “We have proved that we are serious about tackling the high levels of youth unemployment in Telford & Wrekin and now want support from the government to ensure that we are successful.
“We want the government to consider our proposals which include moving a percentage of the Work Programme budget through to the Council or provide grant funding to match the Council’s own considerable investment of £1.3m.
“This would give us the means to deliver more in our local community for local young people.”
