Plan to help 93,000 secure jobs over decade

The plan hopes to raise the regional employment rate by 5%

The mayor of the West Midlands has launched a plan to help 93,000 people into "quality jobs" over the next 10 years.

West Midlands Works, which aims to raise the regional employment rate by 5%, is Richard Parker's response to the Government's Get Britain Working initiative, set up to tackle rising economic inactivity among people of working age.

Mr Parker said: "Nearly 600,000 people of working age across our region are out of work. That's a challenge not just for those people, but for all of us."

The West Midlands has an employment rate of 69%, which is seven percentage points below the national average.

Almost 500,000 out of 1.8m working-age residents in the West Midlands Combined Authority area are currently economically inactive, meaning they are not in employment or actively seeking work.

An additional 92,000 are classed as unemployed.

Parker said: "Too many people across our region tell me they feel shut out of opportunity. People who want to work, contribute and build better lives – but who face barriers that hold them back.

"West Midlands Works is our plan to change that. It's about creating a region where everyone who can work, can find good, secure, well-paid jobs. Where work brings pride and purpose, not just a payslip."

West Midlands Works has been developed in close collaboration with local councils, the NHS, the Department for Work and Pensions, colleges, skills providers, employers and local community groups.

West Midlands Works proposes an integrated health, skills, and employment system to remove barriers and challenges that may be preventing people from being able to work.

It builds on successful local models such as The Link Walsall, Coventry Job Shop, Wolves at Work, Connect to Work, Thrive at Work, WorkWell and the Youth Guarantee.

The plan brings together four priority areas of work:

• Creating all-agency local hubs – transforming employment support and the integration of Jobcentre Plus

• Removing health-related barriers to work – expanding initiatives like WorkWell and Thrive at Work to embed employment within health and community settings

• Keeping the West Midlands working – through a West Midlands Good Work Charter, College Compact, AI and green skills delivery, and employer co-design

• Delivering public service innovation for future generations – integrating provision around prevention, long-term outcomes and early support for young people and families.

Pat McFadden, the MP for Wolverhampton South East and Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, attended the launch of the plan at Sandwell College.

He said he wanted the Department for Work and Pensions to be a "platform to make people's lives better".

"Being able to contribute to society gives people a sense of pride and purpose and we should be doing everything we can to equip them for the world of work," he said.

"I'm ambitious for the people in the West Midlands – it's an area with a fantastic tradition for creativity, innovation and opportunity. By working in partnership with the region we can do things differently by bringing support to where people are."