Black Country Impact has successfully achieved up to £65.4 million of funding (as at October 2021) to deliver a project that will address the barriers faced by unemployed individuals aged 15-29 years, supporting them to secure a brighter future through employment, training and education.
This project is receiving up to £38.72 million of funding made up of £19.36 million from the European Social Fund and £19.36 million from the Youth Employment Initiative, plus match funding of up to £19.36 million from the National Lottery Community Fund and partners.
The four Black Country Councils came together in 2014 and began work on developing a new approach that supports young people into employment, education and training. The councils were quickly joined by Black Country Talent Match, a project led by Wolverhampton Voluntary Sector Council and funded through the National Lottery Community Fund. Together the partnership has succeeded in gaining approval from Department of Work and Pensions for £43.6 million of new European Union funding, matched by £8 million from the National Lottery Community Fund and further funding from partners to create a £65.4 million Impact programme.
The funders backing the Black Country Impact project are the European Social Fund and Youth Employment Initiative, as part of the 2014-2020 European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme in England, and the National Lottery Community Fund which has provided “match” funding through its financing of Black Country Talent Match.
The projects strength is its individualised approach and alternative delivery, which simply put gives young adults across the Black Country the most flexible and personalised learning and support possible. Support that will help young adults address a range of different personal needs and skills needs in order for them to have the employment opportunities they want.
