West Midlands Mayor Andy Street is urging Great Barr people to take advantage of an opportunity to get free job training – in the biggest scheme of its kind in the country.
Under the new scheme, anyone in the West Midlands earning £30,000 a year or less can now take advantage of free Level 3 job training.
The West Midlands Combined Authority, led by Mr Street, has given the generous training offer the green light as part of a new far-reaching package of measures to improve people’s skills and qualifications so they can get into work or land a better job.
The annual wage limit was agreed at £30,000 as this is the average salary in the West Midlands.
Mr Street said: “We want to open up new opportunities for people right across our region, and helping them get new skills is vital to that. That’s why we’re so keen to increase the proportion of our residents qualified to Level 3.
“It’s about equipping people to do new jobs and opening up new careers for them as the economy changes.
“Great Barr is a place which has always provided a home for the people who have worked hard to make our region a success, from the days when there were mines in Hamstead to the thousands who travelled to work in Witton every day, at places like IMI and GEC.
“I would urge local people who want to get new skills to look into this offer for free training. It could open up new careers and brilliant opportunities for them.
“Over the past five years, we’ve increased our investment in higher level skills and now - following this latest consultation - we’re creating our most comprehensive approach yet by offering new learners Level 3 training free of charge if they’re earning less than £30,000.
“Now we want to raise awareness of what’s on offer for the benefit of young people, existing staff members working on their professional development or indeed any local person eligible for this initiative. Together, we can and will change lives for the better.”
Recent research showed that adults who boost their skills and gain new qualifications are more likely to be employed, earn more, and are less likely to need to claim benefits than those without.
A Level 3 qualification is equivalent to an advanced technical certificate or diploma, or two A levels.
Across the region, job vacancies that require a level 3 qualification pay on average £4,000 per year more than those that don’t.
For more information on the WMCA’s Level 3 training offer, please visit https://www.wmca.org.uk