Careers service cuts to save £230k in Worcestershire
- Published
Careers service roles are to be cut after Babcock was told to make savings by Worcestershire County Council
A service that helps young people who are not in education or employment is to close.
All nine careers service roles at Babock in Worcestershire, paid for by the county council, are to be cut to save £230,000.
The council says it is committed to improving situations for young people and will be liaising with Babcock throughout the process.
But the union Unison says the potential savings are not worth the cuts.
The workers support so-called NEETs aged 16 or over - young people who are not in education, employment or training.
Charlie Sarrell, from Unison, called the decision "callous".
He said: "The reason for these jobs going is that they are not statutory jobs, they're not required by the council.
"We need people to get into work, we need them to be providing for themselves and the community."
Worcestershire County Council commissioned Babcock to deliver learning and achievement services in 2015 in a £38m, five-year deal.
In a statement, Worcestershire County Council said: "Our number one priority has always been to improve outcomes for Worcestershire's children.
"Employment matters regarding any of the commissioned services are the responsibility of Babcock Prime. We will be liaising with our colleagues at Babcock Prime throughout this process."
'Absolutely disgusted'
Babcock Prime has also been approached for comment.
Liberal Democrat Councillor Fran Oborski, chair of the children and families overview and scrutiny panel on the council, said she was "absolutely disgusted" about the decision.
She said the service had helped to bring down the number of NEETs in the county and has helped hundreds of young people.
She said there was "not enough thought about the implications" of the loss of the roles.
- Published22 October 2015
