Mayor and council leader talk up career opportunities in Wolverhampton
The Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street has been out and about talking to young people in Wolverhampton as part of a drive to showcase new career opportunities.
And the Tory mayor was joined by Labour's leader of Wolverhampton Council Ian Brookfield.
An outreach summer programme, called Find Your Future Street Team, has been commissioned by the West Midlands Combined Authority in a move to raise young people’s awareness of work, training and education opportunities.
The Street Team, which is made up of young people under the age of 25, is going out and about across the region to find out what young people think of their career prospects after the pandemic, and show them some of the opportunities that are available.
These include work and volunteering opportunities related to the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, plus the national Kickstart scheme and apprenticeships.
The Mayor joined the Street Team at Wolverhampton Bus Station to talk about the opportunities and their hopes for the future as well as to encourage those who are eligible to get their Covid-19 vaccine. He was joined by Councillor Brookfield, who is supporting the initiative.
He said: “It has been fantastic to chat to young people and hear about their experiences, as well as to encourage greater vaccine take-up.
"We know that their generation has been the hardest hit economically by the pandemic, and this is an especially difficult time for those who are awaiting their exam results next week and not sure about what to do next.
“But there is hope for the future and as part of my 100,000 jobs plan we are working tirelessly with our partners to create new opportunities for young people.
"The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games will create up to 35,000 jobs and around 13,000 volunteering opportunities across the West Midlands.
"There are more than 6,000 Kickstart vacancies in the region, enabling businesses to employ talented and eager youngsters at the start of their career, with Government covering the cost.
“Apprenticeships are also a great alternative to university or college, and we Are holding a webinar featuring nearly 20 employers on August 17 to show young people how to gain access to these opportunities.”
Members of the Street Team include young people on the Kickstart scheme, which funds employers to create six-month paid jobs with local employers for 16- to 24-year-olds on Universal Credit who are at risk of long-term unemployment.
Councillor Brookfield chairs a taskforce focused on improving opportunities for young unemployed people.
He said: “There is £4.4 billion of investment on site or in the pipeline in the City of Wolverhampton and it’s vital that local young people benefit from this economic growth and the jobs being generated, as the region recovers from the impact of the pandemic."
The Find Your Future Street Team is part of the Summer Careers Festival, which is a series of virtual and physical events for young people, offering advice and guidance on topics including careers advice, employment and health and wellbeing.
