Organisers hoping to tackle youth unemployment with drop-in jobs fair
Organisers of a pop-up careers fair in Wolverhampton say they're set to serve up a range of employment opportunities for the city's young people this week.
A pop-up careers fair, set to be held at Newhampton Arts Centre on Thursday, November 14, is aiming to match up young people with jobs and opportunities to tackle the city’s high youth unemployment rates.
Wolves At Work, West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS), the Army and Wolves FC are some of the stallholders signed up to the event who will be on hand to talk young people through training, apprenticeships and vacancies.
The West Midlands currently has the third highest rates of young people who are not in employment, education or training in England(NEET), with 12.5% of 16 to 24-year-olds classed as NEETs.
Figures for Wolverhampton show youth unemployment currently stands at 18% for 16 to 24-year-olds, which is well above the national average of 14.8%.
Research from the Youth Futures Foundation also suggests that 16% of young people in the city are at risk of falling into the NEET category, due to a number of risk factors including poverty, school exclusions, crime and home life.
The event has been organised as part of the My Tomorrow campaign, which aims to improve the life chances of under 25s across the region.
The event will run from 10am – 4pm, on Thursday 14 November, at the Newhampton Arts Centre, Wolverhampton, WV1 4AN
