West Midlands Mayor introduces plan to reduce unemployment

The Mayor of the West Midlands, Richard Parker, has announced a plan to increase the region’s employment rate by 5% come 2035.

West Midlands Works seeks to aid the almost 500,000 economically inactive residents of the region – those who are neither in employment nor actively looking for work.

The West Midlands currently has an employment rate of 69%, which is 7% below the national average and one of the lowest in the country.

Key policies of the new plan are introducing new multi-agency job hubs to bridge the employer-talent gap, implementing Youth Guarantee schemes to bring more young people into education or training, and delivering employment, skills, and work integration.

[West Midland Works] will especially target women, disabled people, young people, and those already experiencing inequality

The West Midlands Combined Authority cites key barriers such as healthcare, skills, and housing as challenges facing economically inactive working-age residents.

West Midlands Works aims at eradicating these barriers, as it will especially target women, disabled people, young people, and those already experiencing inequality.

Integration and collaboration with pre-existing local schemes and growth plans is also a point of focus.

In particular, the scheme aims to function as the “workforce and inclusion twin of the Growth Plan”, a similar plan focusing on investment and expansion of the local economy and the creation of jobs.

The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, Pat McFadden, says the initiative brings together key institutions such as the NHS, the DWP, colleges, local authorities, and job centres, which sets it apart from previous programmes.

The BBC described the scheme as a “direct response to the Government’s Get Britain Working initiative”, which prioritised the reduction of welfare spending, and cutting and restricting access to incapacity and disability benefits.

However, West Midlands Works takes a different approach, prioritising increased accessibility and decreasing inequality.