Mayor’s backs unsung heroes in the region’s everyday economy

Mayor Richard Parker has pledged greater support for the tens of thousands of key workers who keep the West Midlands running each day.

During a visit to ASRA, a fast-growing Smethwick-based provider of social care services in the Black Country and Birmingham, the Mayor described those working in the ‘everyday economy’ as the region’s unsung heroes.

And he said his recently launched Growth Plan sets out how the region will work with employers to make those jobs more rewarding and secure, offering long-term career prospects through better training, fairer pay, and improved working conditions.

More than 750,000 people work in the everyday economy – which is around two thirds of the entire West Midlands workforce.

They provide the essential goods and services that people depend on daily. They include health and care staff, school workers, and people working in construction, transport, logistics, retail, hospitality, tourism, leisure, the arts, and the nighttime economy.

The Mayor said: “Our Growth Plan is about opportunity and prosperity for everyone. That means backing people working in the everyday economy who care for our families, drive our buses, deliver our shopping, and keep our pubs, clubs, theatres and cinemas alive.

“These jobs are the backbone of our communities and can offer long and rewarding careers, but too often they can be low-paid and insecure.

“It is crucial that we invest in advanced manufacturing, digital, hi-tech and green industries to create jobs in fast-developing sectors and turbo-charge economic growth for our region.

“But it is just as vital to strengthen the everyday economy – so we can put more money into the pockets of some of our lowest paid workers and improve their living standards, as well as providing meaningful career pathways within those essential services that our region needs to grow.”

West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker during his visit to ASRA Health and Social Care in Smethwick with Lily, who attends the daycare centre, representatives of ASRA, Gateley Global and the West Midlands Combined Authority, local councillors and Smethwick MP Gurinder Josan, third left, and ASRA apprentice Ellie Rowton, right.

ASRA, a community-focused business, delivers care services to around 350 people every day in Sandwell, Dudley, and parts of Birmingham.

While the sector does not require workers to have formal training, ASRA is investing in its predominantly local workforce, with its 50 staff already holding, or being supported to achieve, industry-recognised qualifications.

The Mayor visited ASRA’s daycare centre in Smethwick to hear how the organisation’s growth ambitions are being supported through a business support package that underpins the region’s Growth Plan.

ASRA’s commitment to raising standards in the care sector has been recognised with a place on the High Growth Programme, funded by the Mayor and the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA).

This intensive support has already helped increase the company’s turnover by more than a third, while also enabling them to expand and train local people for the new jobs it is creating, including taking on an apprentice to support its business operations.

Ellie Rowton, an ASRA apprentice, said: “The apprenticeship I started through the High Growth Programme has been a brilliant opportunity. It’s helped me build confidence, develop professional skills and gain a formal qualification while contributing to a growing local organisation that’s making a real impact on our community.

“I’ve been able to take on more responsibility and play a key role in supporting ASRA’s expansion and day-to-day operations.”

Javed Parvez, ASRA director, said: "We’re incredibly grateful for the Mayor’s support and for the backing we’ve received through the High Growth Programme. His interest in our work means a great deal to us.

"The programme has been hugely successful, adding real value to the business and accelerating our growth. It has enabled us to expand our service capacity, strengthen our infrastructure, and modernise both our business and marketing approach.

"We’re proud to be growing sustainably, with the creation of a new Social Care Hub and Care Academy in Smethwick, soon to become a reality. Together, they will provide training, employment, and career opportunities for women, young people and underrepresented groups in the local community while delivering quality care and strengthening our community."

Cllr Jackie Taylor, Sandwell Council’s cabinet member for adult services, health and wellbeing and chair of Sandwell’s Health and Wellbeing Board, said: “We welcome the Growth Plan’s recognition of the contribution health and social care makes to the region’s economy through spend and employment.

“Support such as this not only improves the care and support local people receive, it also helps to recruit, train and retain people in the health and social care economy.

“It’s fantastic to see a local Sandwell care and support provider participating and benefiting from this support.”

Rebecca Bekkenutte, managing director, Gateley Global, which runs the WMCA’s High Growth Programme, said: “ASRA Smethwick is a fantastic example of how the High Growth Programme is driving real, measurable impacts for local businesses.

“Through tailored support and strategic guidance, ASRA has been able to unlock new opportunities, strengthen its operations and contribute meaningfully to the regional economy. We’re proud to be delivering a programme that is not only transforming individual businesses but also fuelling long-term economic prosperity for the region."