Regular readers of this message will know that I think tackling youth unemployment is one of our most important challenges. It’s something I’ve championed in my work at West Midlands Combined Authority as well as here at Solihull Council and I’m going to focus on it in this edition.
We know that youth unemployment in Solihull (5%) is a little lower than the average in the West Midlands (6.1%) and about the same as the national figure (4.7%). We also know that this isn’t distributed evenly across the borough, with much higher levels in the north than the south. It’s something we’re very conscious of and determined to address head on. I’m going to talk about our Employment Support Programme, our upcoming Apprenticeship Show and the Kingshurst Construction Training Hub. These things are all open to people from all over Solihull, but it’s not an accident that we concentrate our support so that it is accessible where it is most needed, where it can do the most good and get the highest number of young people into employment, education, and training. One of the key difficulties we face is making young people aware of the opportunities on offer. I don’t pretend that there are too many avid readers of this message in the 16-24 age range, so we rely on partners in the education and charity sectors to be conduits for the message that there is help available.
One of our key weapons in the battle against youth unemployment is our Employment Support Programme. It provides support to young people who are looking to get into the workplace or get training that will help them to do that in future by helping them improve their digital skills, build their CVs, make links with local employers, and give them the confidence they need to take the next step. I’m delighted to say that more than half of those who take part end up in education, employment, or training. It’s a rolling programme, which we get data from periodically, and in 2023 we supported 260 young people from across the borough, with the majority from wards in the north of Solihull. This is a significant number of young people being helped to move forward and make those important first steps in their careers. I’m proud of the work the team does, and very happy to champion it here. If you or someone you know could benefit, follow the link above and see what’s on offer.
One of the key routes for young people to get into the workplace is apprenticeships. I’ve spoken about their value in previous messages, and there really is such a wide range of apprenticeships available now. We’re hosting the latest edition of our ever-popular apprenticeship show next Wednesday (7 February) at North Solihull Sports Centre. The last one attracted over 2000 attendees, and I’m sure this one will do just as well. We’ve got a wide range of employers coming to showcase what they have on offer including JLR, Solihull College, Severn Trent, and many more (including Solihull Council of course). You can find out all the details here.
The Kingshurst Construction Training Hub has already welcomed a number of trainees through its doors but remains open to new applicants. The Hub provides practical training for those looking to take their first steps into the construction industry. All the details are available here, but it’s great that anyone completing the four week programme will receive a skills certificate and be on a pathway to future opportunities.
Construction can offer an incredibly rewarding career, with a multitude of roles available from being on a building site laying bricks and doing groundworks to being in a boardroom planning large developments. There’s always scope for growth and progression, and it really is an industry where you get out what you put in. If you’re unemployed or earning under £30,000 a year and wondering what your next step should be, give it some serious thought and take a look at the start the Construction Training Hub could give you.
Care -experienced young people are much more likely to face unemployment than the general population, and that isn’t something we’re willing to accept without challenge. I mentioned earlier the need for partnership working when it comes to supporting young people, well it’s particularly important when it comes to Corporate Parenting. There was a big focus on providing opportunities in the world of work at the event we held late last year, and it will be a key issue going forward as our Community Parenting Board meets this month and into the future.
Lots of local people and businesses took part in the Local Government Boundary Commission for England’s initial consultation last Autumn – concerning the size and make-up of council wards in Solihull. The Commission has taken those views into account to present proposals for new ward boundaries and names for the borough. You’ve now got until 10 April 2024 to look at these proposals and share your views with the Commission.
It’s your last chance to share your views about our draft Air Quality Strategy, as the consultation closes next Friday (9 February). The strategy lays out the steps we’re planning to take to improve air quality throughout the borough through our own efforts as a Council and by encouraging residents and businesses to look to cleaner transport and development. You can view the strategy and have your say here.
The Council’s 0-25 SEND services were delighted to support Our Voices Heard to host a celebration of SEND children and young people from across the borough earlier this week. The youngsters came together and shared their thoughts and opinions on the things that matter to them with professionals from across Education, Health, and Social care.
There was excellent representation from the children and young people from across the spectrum of need and age, with over 40 in attendance. We’ll be sharing more details next week so keep an eye on the Council website.
Finally, I just want to take a moment to recognise the excellent work of our local FastAid volunteers. FastAid is a charity that recruits and equips Community First Responders (CFRs) throughout Birmingham & Solihull. All CFRs are volunteers, trained to a nationally recognised standard and despatched to 999 emergency calls by West Midlands Ambulance Service when they are the closest resource, along with an ambulance as soon as one is available. They’re often first on the scene because they’re locally based, and their contributions really do save lives. If you want to find out more about them or maybe become a FastAid volunteer yourself, you can follow this link.
Thanks, and have a good weekend,
Councillor Ian Courts.