A pop-up careers fair, in Wolverhampton, matched up young people with training and job opportunities to help tackle the city’s high youth unemployment rates.
Wolves At Work, West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS) and the Army were some of the stallholders at the event, which was organised as part of the My Tomorrow campaign, which aims to improve the life chances of under 25s across the region.
The West Midlands currently has the third highest rates of young people who are not in employment, education or training in England, with 12.5% of 16 to 24-year-olds classed as NEETs.
Figures for Wolverhampton show youth unemployment currently stands at 18% for 16 to 24-year-olds, which is well above the national average of 14.8%.
15-year-old Bahaa Abdullah, said he was determined to get a job in Cyber Security, and spent time at the stall for the City of Wolverhampton College, finding out about their computing and IT courses.
He said: “It’s my passion, it’s what I have wanted to do since I was young. That’s what I would really love to do. Since I’ve been young I’ve always been on computers and I think I’m really good at it.
“These guys here educated me and told me what I need to do so it’s been really useful. I need to do it too because it would make my mom proud.”
Research from the Youth Futures Foundation suggests that 16% of young people in the city are at risk of becoming a NEET, due to a number of risk factors including poverty, school exclusions, crime and home life. As a result, young people, from pupil referral units, were also invited to the event.
Fifteen-year-old, Wiktoria, from Lawnswood Campus, said she wanted to join the Army.
“I do cadets now and I thought it’s a job where you sacrifice yourself to save everybody else so that’s the main reason why. I think I am a brave person.”
An ‘Ambition Washing Line’ was also set up so young people could display their dreams and aspirations, which included becoming a footballer and a mechanic.
14-year-old Patrik Gadzo said he wanted to focus on a career in business.
“All I know is, I want to go into a job that’s going to make me a lot of money. I found this really useful because they’ve given me some really good advice and I’ve had a chance to look at some other options like the police and fire service.”
The My Tomorrow careers fair, which took place on Thursday November 15, was organised and funded by the Violence Reduction Partnership (VRP). It is one of a series of My Tomorrow initiatives running across the West Midlands for the duration of the year long campaign, which involves a number of partners including local government, sports clubs and the education and voluntary sectors.
