The Midcounties Co-operative hosts roundtable aimed at helping to reduce youth unemployment
The Midcounties Co-operative and Birmingham-based social enterprise Miss Macaroon have hosted a round table where organisations in the Walsall area have pledged to take practical steps towards reducing youth unemployment in the region.
They have also committed to forging fairer, more accessible routes into work.
Held in partnership with West Midlands Combined Authority and Walsall Council, the Fairer Futures Employer Roundtable looked at how youth unemployment and health-related economic inactivity in Walsall could and should be tackled.
Participants included representatives from local businesses and organisations such as Walsall College, Vine Trust Group, Atkins Realis, Severn Trent, Walsall FC Foundation, and Walsall Housing Group.
Subscribe to TRBThree graduates from The Fairer Futures Programme, the initiative run by The Midcounties Co-operative and Miss Macaroon to help support young people into work, also joined the discussion.
The event explored how initiatives such as taster days, work experience placements, mentorship programs, flexible start dates, and regular check-ins can help employers foster inclusive recruitment practices and improve employee retention.
Fairer Futures, based at The Midcounties Co-operative Food store in Walsall town centre, provides personalised support, counselling, one-to-one mentoring, training, and work experience for young people facing barriers to employment, including those with disabilities, mental health challenges, neurodiversity, learning differences, lone parent responsibilities, or experience with the criminal justice system
Phil Ponsonby, chief executive of Midcounties Co-operative, said: “As a co-operative, fairness is at the heart of all we do and championing a more inclusive employment environment is really important to us.
“That’s why we’re so pleased to have hosted this roundtable event. Hearing from Azhar, Leona and Luke, graduates from our Fairer Futures programme, was invaluable in understanding how to make changes that matter, and we’d like to thank everyone else that got involved in the event too.”
Rosie Ginday, Miss Macaroon chief executive, said: “We’re so pleased with how our roundtable event went – it was great to chair such a productive conversation around employment equality, helping to hold ourselves and other local businesses and organisations accountable to reducing barriers to employment within Walsall.”
