West Midlands Works plan will support over 90,000 residents into work

Mayor Richard Parker has launched an ambitious plan to help 93,000 people into quality jobs over the next 10 years and raise the regional employment rate by five per cent.

West Midlands Works is the Mayor’s response to the Government’s Get Britain Working initiative, which sets out to ramp up employment, health and skills support to help tackle rising economic inactivity amongst people of working age.

Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands, said: “Too many people across our region tell me they feel shut out of opportunity. People who want to work, contribute and build better lives – but who face barriers that hold them back.

"Nearly 600,000 people of working age across our region are out of work. That’s a challenge not just for those people, but for all of us. Joblessness is both a moral and an economic issue. Because every person who’s locked out of opportunity is a person whose talent our economy is missing.

"West Midlands Works is our plan to change that. It’s about creating a region where everyone who can work, can find good, secure, well-paid jobs. Where work brings pride and purpose, not just a payslip.”

West Midlands Works has been developed in close collaboration with local councils, the NHS, Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), colleges, skills providers, employers and local community groups.

It aims to tackle the low employment rate in the West Midlands, which is running at 69%, seven percentage points below the national average.

Rt Hon Pat McFadden, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, attended the launch of the plan at Sandwell College, and said: “I want the Department for Work and Pensions to be a platform to make people’s lives better.

“Being able to contribute to society gives people a sense of pride and purpose and we should be doing everything we can to equip them for the world of work.

“I’m ambitious for the people in the West Midlands – it’s an area with a fantastic tradition for creativity, innovation and opportunity. By working in partnership with the region we can do things differently by bringing support to where people are.”

The news comes as the Government today announced a three-year partnership with the West Midlands Combined Authority to drive forward Keep Britain Working, recognising that good health and good work go hand in hand.

Almost 500,000 out of 1.8m working-age residents in the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) area are currently economically inactive (meaning they are not in employment or actively seeking work), while an additional 92,000 are classed as unemployed.

West Midlands Works proposes an integrated health, skills, and employment system to remove barriers and challenges around health, care, skills and housing that may be preventing people from being able to work.

Building on successful local models such as The Link Walsall, Coventry Job Shop, Wolves at Work, Connect to Work, Thrive at Work, WorkWell and the Youth Guarantee, the initiative aligns with the Mayor’s West Midlands Growth Plan and youth employment priorities as well as public service innovation work across the region.

West Midlands Works brings together four priority areas of work:

1. Creating all-agency local hubs – transforming employment support and the integration of Jobcentre Plus
2. Removing health-related barriers to work – expanding initiatives like WorkWell and Thrive at Work to embed employment within health and community settings
3. Keeping the West Midlands working – through a West Midlands Good Work Charter, College Compact, AI and green skills delivery, and employer co-design
4. Delivering public service innovation for future generations – integrating provision around prevention, long-term outcomes and early support for young people and families.

Ethan Banks, aged 17, is an Esports student at Solihull College and University Centre while working with Ridge and Partners. He recently completed the Inclusive Work Readiness Accelerator Programme (IWRAP), which was created and funded by the Mayor to support young people with neurodiverse conditions and mental health needs into meaningful employment. 

Ethan said: “I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do when I left school and as I struggle with anxiety and live with cystic fibrosis, I didn’t know what options there were for me. The IWRAP course, with support from Solihull College and the staff at Ridge, has helped me work through those challenges and overcome barriers I thought I would never be able to.

“I always had an interest in motorsport and wanted to do something linked to it. While studying at college I am working with Ridge helping to create solutions for a range of clients, including Formula 1. 

“I feel so comfortable and don’t worry about asking questions. I’ve had one-to-one support to help me with interview skills, and everyone has been really flexible. I’m proud of where I have come from and what I have now achieved. My confidence is growing every day, and I believe in myself. By doing this step by step and with the right support I am now on the path of my dream career.”

Nancy Buckley, Vice Principal business growth, skills and partnerships, Solihull College and University Centre, said: “Ethan’s success at Ridge is a fantastic example of what inclusive work readiness can achieve. His enthusiasm and commitment impressed everyone, and the placement gave him the confidence to showcase his skills in a real-world setting. Programmes like IWRAP are vital for unlocking talent and helping employers see the incredible value neurodiverse young people bring to the workplace.”

British Olympic sprinter and silver medallist, Amy Hunt, aged 23, attended the launch event and shared her experience and journey to success, which included getting over a horrific tendon injury that she feared could end her career.

She said: “I only got through that with the encouragement of my family and those around that supported me through this time.

“I feel it’s important that we encourage young people to have the drive and confidence to get the support they need to get onto the pathway to their dream career, and this new plan for the region will help people to do that.”

The plan is also being supported by Paralympian Lauren Rowles OBE. The inspirational 27-year-old from Birmingham, made history at Paris 2024 by becoming the first three-time Paralympic gold medallist in rowing. Outside of her sport, Lauren is an active spokesperson for the LGBTQ+ community and inclusivity and encourages and inspires children to get involved in sport.

Lauren said: “I’m pleased that the Mayor’s West Midlands Works Plan will help people with health conditions overcome barriers and challenges to get into their dream career. I didn’t let my injury get in the way of me reaching my potential and encourage others to do the same.”

Central to the plan is a new West Midlands Works Partnership Board, ensuring joint accountability across the WMCA, DWP, NHS, local authorities, colleges and employers

Danielle Oum, Chair, NHS Birmingham, Black Country & Solihull Integrated Care Board Cluster, said: “The link between health and employment has always been deeply personal to me; it's the reason I joined my first NHS board. I’ve seen how a good job can transform a person’s health and sense of purpose, and how poor health or insecure work can hold people back. West Midlands Works recognises that connection and responds with action, bringing health, skills and employment together so that work becomes part of how we help people live well, not a barrier to it.”

Kate Glasby, Regional Director, Department for Work and Pensions (Midlands), said: “Across the DWP, we are on a journey of transformation, to make our services more responsive, more human and more joined-up. West Midlands Works gives us a great opportunity to journey towards that aspiration, working hand in hand with local partners to design services around people, not systems. This region has the ambition, collaboration and innovation to show how national reform can truly work at a local level.”

Joanne Roney CBE, Managing Director, Birmingham City Council, said: “Local government is where the impact of national policy becomes real for residents, and this plan recognises that. West Midlands Works gives councils and local partners the tools to tailor support to the needs of our communities, joining up employment, health and skills so people can move forward with confidence. It’s about turning potential into opportunity, one neighbourhood at a time.”