Providing the skills for our region to thrive

It comes at a time when the Black Country and the wider UK is facing the spectre of rising unemployment in the wake of the coronavirus crisis.

The Ladder for the Black Country is backed by the Express & Star. It was originally launched in 2014 and the campaign succeeded in finding employment for more than 1,000 people in the region over three years.

The Ladder team has maintained its effort since then and at least another 500 apprentices have been taken on by businesses across Dudley, Sandwell, Walsall and Wolverhampton in the intervening years.

Now a phase two ladder will be supporting renewed efforts to match apprentices to employers and help reduce the scale of unemployment in the region.

The stories behind the businesses that are creating apprenticeships will be featured in the newspaper each week.

There were more than 500 business leaders at the Black Country Chamber of Commerce’s annual exhibition six years ago when the Ladder for the Black Country campaign was officially launched at Wolverhampton Racecourse.

The Express & Star unveiled five apprentices it had taken on and the Vine Trust’s chief executive Kevin Davis, who chaired Ladder for the Black Country, introduced the campaign and explained its significance.

The original campaign proved effective in encouraging businesses across the area to get involved and launch apprenticeship programmes or take on more apprentices.

Among the businesses and organisations that have previously been involved with Ladder for the Black Country are A F Blakemore, Willenhall; Accord Group; Walsall Housing Group; Enoch Evans; RMD Kwikform; Dudley Council; New Cross Hospital and West Midlands Ambulance Service.

It has helped many people to find a career path and take those vital first few steps up the ladder. Businesses that have been involved with the Ladder for the Black Country and invested in young people have seen raw apprentices they took on blossom to become key members of their workforce including Express & Star reporter Jamie Brassington from Sedgley, who said: “I have been proud to be a part of it and would encourage other young people to look at apprenticeships.”

Rob Colbourne, managing director of Walsall-based Performance Through People, who is vice-chairman of the Ladder for the Black Country Steering Group, said that the campaign was again looking to get as many businesses and partner organisations on board as possible. It is the right time for the Ladder for the Black Country to open up again. “We have a Prime Minister saying that apprenticeships will help get the economy back on track, but there are so many initiatives out there now it needs someone to offer employers impartial guidance and advice and the best choice for both the employer and the employee,” he explained.

The Ladder will ensure businesses get clear direction on what Kickstart and traineeships and apprenticeships can offer them, along with the new grants that are being made available to encourage taking on apprentices.

“We are soon going to have Jobcentre Plus offering programmes to help people get back into work as well.

“We see the Ladder as a one-stop shop – a single point of contact – to support employers, a lot of whom are saying they are totally confused on what the best route is for them,” said Mr Colbourne.

The Ladder team will also be working closely with schools and colleges to match candidates on courses with Black Country employers looking to recruit.

“There will be help available to school leavers and unemployed people as well to ensure that they can find the opportunities that are out there.

“The new wave if apprenticeships will not just be for school leavers. We find that more apprenticeships are being created for over-25s that for under-25s.

“The Ladder has a massive part to play in getting in to schools and working with students, but a big part of our work is going to be in upskilling people and matching unemployed people to the apprenticeship opportunities that are going to be out there.

“We think a lot of people are going to be made redundant from sectors like hospitality and will now be looking to re-train in another sector.

“That is going to be another challenge that will be faced by the Ladder for the Black Country,” explained Mr Colbourne.

Express & Star Editor Martin Wright said: “When the Ladder was first launched, we were overwhelmed at the response from both employers and would-be apprentices. The events of the last six months have brought the issue of employment to the very top of the agenda, making the Ladder initiative more relevant than ever.

“We are proud to be a part of this campaign and look forward to helping make a positive contribution to our region’s recovery from the devastating effects of the pandemic.

“You can expect regular updates on the progress of the campaign in print and on our website – and we would urge anyone interested in supporting the project to get in touch using the contact details included on this page.