A leading Birmingham training company has secured a £250,000 grant to help unemployed teenagers get a foot on the jobs ladder.

The grant means GB Training (UK) Ltd can offer free intensive training courses targeted at 16-18 year-olds currently not in education, employment or training.

The money will support around 250 young people who need to get vocational qualifications to help them move onto an apprenticeshi

Teenagers can sign up for the training in ICT, hospitality, customer service, or care, which would then lead them onto getting a full-time apprenticeship.

This is the latest contract for the Bromsgrove Street company, which recently secured a six-figure contract directly with the Skills Funding Agency to deliver apprenticeships to 16-24-year-olds

The family-run business, one of the largest independent providers in the UK, was one of less than 100 providers to get a direct contract from the government-funded agency.

The firm, which was founded 17-years-ago by mother-of-five Gill Barton from her spare room, now works with industry giants including Cadburys, the Royal Mail, IKEA and Radisson Hotels.

It also works with more than 150 SMEs looking after around 1,000 learners registered with GB Training (UK) Ltd and currently has around 36 jobs vacancies for apprentices.

Lawrence Barton, GB Training (UK) Ltd managing director, said: “We are pleased to have been awarded this contract which will allow us to target young people who need to improve their qualifications in order to then step onto the apprenticeship ladder and make a career for themselves.

“We have plenty of job placements out there and we work with some great employers so we hope this new programme will give young people the encouragement they need to find work with good training.”

GB Training (UK) Ltd is also reminding employers they can help them access £1,500 towards the cost of taking on an apprentice.

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