Hundreds of young people are set to benefit from more than £750,000 to help kick start their careers.
Teenagers in Dudley and Sandwell will be able to sign up for specialist training thanks to training business BCTG which secured funding from the European Social Fund (ESF) through the Skills Funding Agency for its Kick Start Gold programme.
Oldbury based BCTG says the money will fund bespoke learning programmes for young people who are not currently in education, employment or training.
Currently 325 young people from Sandwell and Dudley are signed up to the scheme, which will see them move onto either college, apprenticeships or employment.
Under the scheme young people are signed up to learning programmes, which are delivered by a consortium of 14 training providers who have the expertise to help young people kick start their careers.
Chris Luty director BCTG
BCTG director Chris Luty said the programme would continue work – already under way – aimed at reaching ‘the hardest to reach.’
He said: “Kick Start Gold is a rolling six-week and 12-week programme. Young people on the course will get support from specialist training providers. The programme gives young people a kick start back into learning which will then lead to a place at college, an apprenticeship or employment.”
BCTG (formally Black Country Training Group Limited) works with a range of training organisations across the West Midlands delivering a range of publicly and privately funded training initiatives. It is based In Taylors Lane, Oldbury, www.bctg.org.uk.