A blueprint for inclusive growth and opportunity
Birmingham City Council has welcomed the launch of West Midlands Works, a major new plan to tackle unemployment, improve skills, and promote inclusive growth across the region.
As the UK’s second largest city and economic engine of the West Midlands, the city will play a central role in delivering the plan’s vision of integrating employment, skills, and health support to help more residents access and secure good quality jobs.
Part of the plan’s focus is transforming the way services operate, moving from individual programmes to a joined-up, neighbourhood-based system that integrates Jobcentres, the NHS, employers, and training providers. This approach will build on successful existing programmes and local models such as WorkWell, Thrive into Work, and the Youth Trailblazer, which provide routes for residents into employment and help to address challenges such as health barriers to work.
Birmingham City Council is already taking action to align the city’s employment and skills priorities with the new regional plan. Following the city’s recent Employment and Skills Summit, the council is developing a whole-city strategy enabling residents to be connected to the jobs being created through major investment projects such as the £2.9 billion Sports Quarter, the £1.9 billion Smithfield redevelopment, and the £2.5 billion Ladywood regeneration.
As the city continues to grow, Birmingham City Council is committed to ensuring that prosperity is shared inclusively so all people benefit from the opportunities which means supporting citizens into fulfilling employment and reducing impediments to work such as large numbers of young people leaving learning but not moving into a job, and health conditions that can be barriers but through suitable support can be overcome.