In the West Midlands region:
- 119,000, 18.60% of 16 – 24 year olds are not in employment, education or training (NEET)
- The unemployment rate of all over 16 year olds in the South East is 9.5%
- The unemployment rate for 16-24 year olds in the West Midlands is 21%, the highest region after London (22%)
- 37.8% from the region are deemed economically inactive
Local organisations we’re working with:
- Birmingham’s Integrated Family Support Team – delivering My Life courses. The response has been brilliant – young people have requested additional courses and a community impact project is planned
- Trinity Training – delivering the Choosing My Life course and running a summer programme of activities, specialising in working with young people from a disadvantaged background
- Ridgewood School in Dudley – delivering the My Health Life workshop. A guest speaker who spoke on gangs and crime is now talking to all year groups about the price of crime
- Dudley Youth Service – working with local youth clubs to run the My Life courses and reach out to a wider audience
- DECCA (Drug, Education, Counselling, Confidential, Advice) – developing of the My Health Life course and resources, sharing ideas they feel would benefit our workshop. They continue to feed into course content, especially regarding drug related issues
Latest update:
- We’ve been working closely with Birmingham’s Integrated Family Support Team, which supports a group of ex-offenders or those currently serving their punishment. This partnership has allowed us to work with a group that is evidently marginalised within their community. Many individuals from the group came to Raising Your Game as referrals or were self-referred onto My Life courses, with the goal to gain confidence and skills, and increase employment opportunities.
Alex’s story:
Alex tells us how Raising Your Game is keeping him off the streets:
“Around here there’s nothing to do, so people cause trouble to get their thrills … Raising Your Game is something to do during the day; this is me keeping myself out of trouble.”
Regional contact:
Sharna Parkes
Telephone: 07960 520 585
Email: sharna.parkes@mencap.org.uk