Type=image;ImageID=11348;ImageClass=left;ImageTitle=The One City Skills Conference at Molineux Stadium;TitleClass=strong;
The One City Skills Conference at Molineux Stadium, hosted by the Wolverhampton Skills and Employment Board, will see around 100 delegates working towards a more integrated approach to delivering quality training and employment services for residents.
It is another step forward in response to the recommendations of the Wolverhampton Skills and Employment Commission in September 2015.
City of Wolverhampton Council Cabinet Member for City Economy, Councillor John Reynolds, will open the event and reaffirm the council's priority to help local people gain the skills and confidence they need to get city jobs.
He said: "I am really excited to open the One City Skills Conference.
"When the Wolverhampton Skills and Employment Commission reported in 2015, it was clear that a more integrated approach to delivering training and employment services was needed in the city.
"I see this as a major step in the direction of bringing these services together and creating a more joined up approach for local residents to access the support they need through a 'One City Vision'."
David Danger, Chair of the Skills and Employment Board, will lead the conference and will outline the challenges the city faces in terms of helping people become more employable and capable of getting and keeping a job in Wolverhampton.
He said: "I am really pleased as Chair of the City's Skills and Employment Board to lead the conference.
"As a local business, I am keen to do what I can to support local people to take up the skills and employment opportunities that are available.
"The city is seeing unprecedented development with over £3.7 billion investment on site or planned with developments such as the city's bus and rail interchange, major developments in the city centre and on Westside, and more houses being built over the next 5 years.
"This presents growth in many sectors including retail, construction, health and social care and engineering, and we need to ensure that our residents are up for the challenge and able to meet the needs of the labour market."
The Conference will hear from local people who have been through a journey into work, training and apprenticeships, as they relay their experiences of the services available in the city, the challenges and barriers they have faced, and how they have overcome these obstacles to find the job or training course for them.
The Conference also provides an opportunity for the Skills and Employment Board to showcase the developing Wolverhampton WorkBox - an interactive website for residents, businesses and training providers detailing what skills and employment opportunities are available within the city.
Delegates will also be able to contribute to a series of workshops on job readiness, information advice and guidance working with businesses to deliver their training and skills needs.
This conference is one of several collaborations planned with providers throughout 2017, and will be followed up with further events around the topics of schools, careers education and enterprise, and the links with mental health, family services and drug and alcohol.
- released: Monday 28 November, 2016