European Social Fund in England

2007 - 2013

West Midlands’ employers support back to work initiative

An initiative aimed at getting long term unemployed people retrained in manufacturing skills and back into work is being piloted in Birmingham.

The eight-week long, full-time course is being delivered by Bournville College with input from local employer Cadbury. It is co-financed by the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) and European Social Fund (ESF), and is supported by partners including Birmingham City Council, Jobcentre Plus and the West Midlands Employer Coalition. In the final stages of the course, the trainees are invited to spend working days at Cadbury so they can gain first-hand experience of working on a production line.

Over 90 unemployed people from across Birmingham competed for a place on the course and 30 have been selected to take part.

The course includes training in areas like communication, team-building and problem-solving as well as technical training.

Dave Nelson, HR manager at Cadbury, comments on the course and his support for this employer-led approach to training. He says, “The enthusiasm of those taking part is exemplary and the programme will provide a great source of skilled talent, while helping to avoid the time and costs typically spent filling such vacancies.”

You can listen to a BBC Radio West Midlands interview with Michael Kilduff, Economic Development Director for the Learning and Skills Council in the West Midlands and a project participant, Richard Horton via www.esf-works.com. The interview praises this initiative and demonstrates how it is already improving people’s lives.

For more information about the pilot scheme currently underway, contact the Careers and Employment Team at Bournville College on 0121 483 1114.