This web-site is due to be re-developed in the coming months. The re-development of the site will give you access to a number of new facilities and a range of new information! Please come back in a few months time to see our brand new web-site!

In the meantime if the information you need isn’t available on our web-site please contact a member of the Employment Team on 0121 704 8582 or by e-mail to employmentteam@solihull.gov.uk.

There is also some useful employment information available on the Solihull Council web-site http://www.solihull.gov.uk/employmentsupport/default.htm

Click-on “HOW WE CAN HELP” to find out more about the network of Solihull employment support providers and “SEARCH” for details of who the actual providers are, where they are located and what support they offer.

The “LINKS” section gives direct links to providers’ websites and the “DIARY” section highlights forthcoming activities and events.

The providers hope that you find this site useful. If you do have any comments or suggestions then please click here and let us know!

If you think your organisation should be on this website but isn't, use the on-line application form to apply for inclusion. Members can click here to update their information.

The Solihull AEG is a collaboration of local partners who deliver employment and training related services within Solihull. The group covers the Borough of Solihull but has a main focus on reducing worklessness in North Solihull. Although the AEG members aim to assist anyone in Solihull who is unemployed or at threat of redundancy the main target groups that the AEG focuses on assisting are:

• Long Term JSA Claimants
• Incapacity Benefit Claimants
• Ex-Offender
• Lone Parents

City Region – City Strategy

Given the AEG’s focus on North Solihull the policy and programme framework for tackling worklessness is directed by the Birmingham, Coventry and Black Country City Region “City Strategy for Worklessness”. The main aim of the City Strategy is to bring the employment rate in disadvantaged areas up to a similar level of the overall City Strategy area.

In Solihull this means bringing the employment rate in North Solihull up to the level for the overall borough. (Information on unemployment rates for the borough is available in the Library section of this site in the monthly Unemployment Briefings.) This therefore fits with the aims of the Regenerating North Solihull Partnership and Solihull Sustainable Community Strategy.

The precise aims of the City Strategy are to:

• Increase skill levels to ensure that the workforce has the skills to compete in the global economy by delivering an employer led and skills for growth agenda

• Improve participation and progression across the City Region to allow individuals to progress into and sustain employment with vocational training support.

• Tackle worklessness by enabling employers to understand the benefits of our diverse population and to gain commitment to increasing recruitment from disadvantaged areas and groups

• Remove barriers to employment to assist the economically inactive into work by strengthening partnership working and taking a joint approach

The Solihull Access to Employment Group (AEG) is the Local Management Group for the delivery of City Strategy in Solihull.

In order to fulfill the aims of the City Strategy the Deprived Area Fund Project was launched in January 2008 in Solihull.

Aim: The project will assist long-term (workless for 12 months plus) working age benefit claimants, in particular Jobseekers Allowance claimants. Clients are provided with tailored personal support, bespoke training in line with the needs of the individual and employers and tailored support in work to ensure sutainability of employment and career progression.

Programme duration: January 2008 to March 2009.
Delivered by: Pertemps
Wards covered: Chelmsley Wood, Kingshurst and Fordbridge and Smith’s Wood.
Funding body: Learning and Skills Council

Targets:               

• Contributes to permanent reduction of 368 benefits claimants (2007-2009 target);
• 672 people starting Level 2 qualifications;
• 161 people starting Skills for Life qualifications.

ESF Co-financing funding for the period to 2013 has also been made available through the Birmingham & Solihull LSC to fund similar activity to the DAF project. While this will also benefit the North of the Borough this activity will also extend across the whole of the Borough. Contract and delivery agent details will be publicised from May 2008.

As well as activity taking place under City Strategy and the mainstream (e.g. via Jobcentre Plus), the following projects are being run in Solihull.

Solihull Employment Support Project (LAA Reward)

Aim: To support 150 Solihull residents aged 19-64 years old into sustained employment. The project is specifically targeted at Lone Parents, Ex-Offenders and people claiming Incapacity Benefit in an attempt to reduce the overall number of benefit claimants.
Programme duration: October 2007 to March 2010
Delivered by: Pertemps
Wards covered: Whole Borough
Funding body: Solihull Council using Local Area Agreement Reward funding.

Neighbourhood Learning in Deprived Communities project (NLDC)

Aim: To deliver bespoke personalised support to workless individuals (aged 19+) on working age benefit to assist them in overcoming barriers to their participation in employment. The project will be undertaken by the Birmingham Development Agencies Network Consortium. 

Examples of the interventions that beneficiaries will receive include; Benefit Advice, Debt Advice, Debt Counselling, Personal Development including OCN and Job Coaching.
Programme duration: January to July 2008
Delivered by: Colebridge Community Development Trust.
Wards covered: Chelmsley Wood, Kingshurst and Fordbridge and Smith’s Wood.
Funding body: Learning and Skills Council

Employment and Training Information Packs

The AEG along woth Solihull Council has produced an Employment and Training Information pack with a wide range of information for anyone looking for employment, training of volutary work within Solihull. The information pack contains information from skills for life, vocational training, job search, transition from benefits to employment and self-employment. The pack also includes information on services that aim to address barriers to accessing employment or training such as child care, finance, health problems and substance misuse. The pack gives information in a user friendly way and is a source for advisors to use when referring clients to other service providers and also for clients to be able to have all the information they need on training and employment in one source.

To get a copy of the free pack please contact the Employment Team on 0121 704 8582 or at employmentteam@solihull.gov.uk.

This page will be updated until such time as the new website is available.

 Last updated: 21 April 2008