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An ambitious plan to get more than 90,000 unemployed West Midlands people back into work has been unveiled. Mayor Richard Parker launched West Midlands Works which aims to help people overcome challenges in areas such as health, housing and skills and get them into well-paid jobs. It is hoped the scheme will get 93,000 people into work over the next 10 years and increase the region's low 69 per cent employment rate by five per cent. READ MORE: Better public transport needed for night-time economy Mr Parker and Pat McFadden, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, said the plan differed from previous schemes because it involved key agencies such as the NHS , colleges, councils and job centres working together. At the launch of West Midlands Works, Mr Parker said there are almost 600,000 across the region currently out of work. He said: "I'm really pleased we've launched the West Midlands Works plan today which is about how within this region, the Combined Authority is going to be working with our councils, health service and the DWP on the ground to look at how we can get more people in this region back into work. "We've got really deep structural issues around unemployment in this region and this programme is going to be focused on what we need to do to support people to get access to the support and skills they need to get good, better paid jobs. "We want to tackle and get into the issues and barriers preventing too many of our people getting into work. We've got 600,000 people across this region who are unemployed. "Work is a good thing. The only way I can improve people's lives is helping those out of work to get the support they need. He added: "Previously, agencies have worked independently from each other and not pooled together. "This new integrated approach will allow us to tackle the deep rooted issues in communities that face the biggest challenges." Mr McFadden said: "Too many young people are not in employment, education or training and a significant number of young people are going on to long term sickness benefits. That number has grown a lot over the last five years. "We don't want young people graduating from education onto a life of benefits, we want them graduating into further education or training or skills or jobs – a positive future. That's what this plan is all about. "In the past it was a bit 'one size fits all' and everyone was expected to go to the job centre and regarded that as a check-list you had to get through. "We're now having a more active approach which is employment support for people saying 'what's in the way of you getting a job? How can we help you get a job?' "It's more flexible than before and the message is 'we believe in you, we don't want to write you off'."
