Supporting local people to access training, skills, and education. Helping borough residents to take full advantage of employment opportunities.
We are fully aware and sympathetic that for many people the impact of the pandemic will have brought worries about livelihoods and their futures. However, the good news is there has never been more opportunities to train and get support to find employment, whether you are unemployed and looking for work, looking to retrain into a new role or looking to gain further skills to advance your career. I would encourage people to get in touch with one of the services to help them gain the skills needed to take full advantage of opportunities with local businesses. Neil Thomas, chief executive and principal at Dudley College of Technology and Forging a Future for All’s Aspiration lead for Skills.
Covid-19 has brought uncertainty and hardship to so many people’s lives and its impact on jobs will have brought increased worry to families.
So access to employment advice and support is more important than ever and in Dudley this continues to be available to residents across the borough. Dudley borough’s vision - Forging a Future for All – aims for the borough to be a place where everybody, whatever their age, has the education and skills they need to realise their full potential and achieve employment. A wide range of services and partners, from the local authority and colleges to sector-based work academies are working to help residents tackle the barriers they face to work. And in these difficult times together they are forging closer links with training providers and businesses, working across boundaries equipping people with the skills needed to find new jobs, retrain for new opportunities and get the experiences they need to succeed.
2021 will be a year of recovery and growth and anything we can do to make it easier for people to get on the career ladder is going to help not only transform lives but also boost the economy. Businesses will be looking for new skilled staff to help drive their business forward, but competition for roles will be fierce so we are determined to develop the borough’s talent and skills for the future and to support a new generation of entrepreneurs to inject energy into our local economy. Corin Crain, chief executive of Black Country Chamber and Forging a Future for All’s Aspiration Lead for business.
Dudley’s Adult and Community Learning service has wide range of courses on offer including English and maths, computers, arts and crafts, and health and well-being. Our courses provide the opportunity to learn a new skill, meet people, gain a qualification, further your career, or to learn new skills.
We also have a team of people dedicated to helping you get the skills needed to find a job. Whether it’s your first job or getting back into work, we can help you to: • search for a job • write your CV / application • improve your interview skills • find the right course for you
For more information call ACL on 01384 818143 or visit ACL Dudley web.
Dudley Council’s own apprenticeship scheme provides the opportunity to join the largest employer in the borough, while gaining new skills, with on the job training and recognised qualifications. Most jobs advertised are real vacancies as we look to develop you into a career.
Dudley Council is working with training providers, including local colleges and private providers, through the transfer of apprenticeship of unspent levy programme, to not only support local businesses but also local residents who are taken on or upskilled as apprentices (with no age limit). This successful scheme has enabled a range of apprentices to be employed across Dudley businesses.
During these challenging times, Black Country Impact (BCI) continues to provide one-to-one support to 16 to 29 year-olds living in the Black Country, who are not in employment, education or training.
Over the last year it has developed an ever-growing range of virtual online support, making it easier than ever to find out the training and employment opportunities available. It provides a wide range of support through tailored programmes to help young adults overcome barriers to employment. There is also support for those facing barriers related to disabilities, for ex-offenders and the homeless. Taking those next steps could be through traineeships, apprenticeships, coaching, work placements, self-employment advice made up of social enterprises or customised training.
The project is receiving up to £34 million of funding - up of £17 million from the European Social Fund and £17 million from the Youth Employment Initiative. There is match funding of up to £8 million from the National Lottery Community Fund and other partners.
The council is supporting local businesses to sign up to the Government’s Kickstart Scheme, aimed at creating new jobs for young people aged 16-24, who are claiming Universal Credit, in a six-month work placement. The Government will fully fund each “Kickstart” placement by paying 100% of the age-relevant National Minimum Wage, National Insurance and pension contributions for 25 hours a week. Further funding is available for training and development of workplace skills.
For businesses looking to up-skill their workforce or recruit new staff, Dudley Council’s employment and skills team provides a complete package of free, bespoke support to guide them through the raft of services on offer by the council and partners. The council is committed to supporting sustainable employment growth and the team provides advice and support about local training opportunities, work experience, apprenticeships and skills development.
