European Social Fund in England

Adult learning provides much-needed boost for at risk workers in West Midlands

To mark Adult Learners’ Week 2009, the Learning and Skills Council (LSC) in the West Midlands ran a campaign to raise awareness of an innovative training project, backed by region’s ESF co-financing programme. The Better West Midlands project offers practical support to workers who have been told that their jobs are at risk of redundancy.

Adrian Lamburn was made redundant from JCB and is
retraining to be a self employed plumber. He is
retraining through the ESF-backed Better
West Midlands project at the Construction Skills College

Ian Austin MP, Regional Minister for the West Midlands, opened the region’s Adult Learners’ Week awards event at Cosford, Shropshire, which recognised adult learners who have overcome barriers and realised outstanding achievements. He was joined by Michael Kilduff, Economic Development Director at LSC West Midlands, who spoke at the event.

Ian Austin MP said: “We've got to make education, skills and training the number one priority for the West Midlands because we'll only be able to attract the well-paid, highly-skilled and hi-tech jobs of the future if we can show businesses and investors that we've got the skills they need.”

Between September 2006 and February 2009, the ESF-backed Better West Midlands project alone has provided support to over 8000 workers from 382 companies and there has been a sharp increase in the number of workers benefiting from the project since the start of the year.

John Day, Operations Manager for the Better West Midlands project, said:

“We are currently recruiting 375 workers a week to the project whose jobs are at risk of redundancy and we are working closely with employees at distressed businesses across the region including JCB, Land Rover, Jaguar Cars, Johnson Matthey Plc among others.”

Julie Robson, Deputy Regional Director at LSC West Midlands, said:

“Making sure adults continue to have opportunities to learn and acquire new skills throughout their working lives has always been important. During a recession, such opportunities are vital.

“The Better West Midlands project is helping to tackle worklessness in a practical way by providing one-to-one support for local people who are facing the prospect of redundancy.”

The regional Adult Learners’ Week award winner was Dane Phillips you can read his story and those of all the other ESF winners on the Adult Learners’ Week website.