Six colleges and training providers are to receive extra Government funding to help people in the West Midlands who have lost their jobs or are facing redundancy in the current recession.

They will share in a new cash windfall of £100 million which the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills and European Social Fund are jointly making available to help tackle redundancies during the ongoing economic downturn.

The national Response to Redundancy package seeks to fund high-quality training places for up to 70,000 people in England. 

Money will be used to directly help people who have recently lost their jobs or are currently under notice of redundancy by offering them free, flexible training to boost their skills so they can move quickly back into work.

In the West Midlands, six colleges and training providers will share around £13 million. They are: JHP Group Ltd, Coventry; North Warwickshire & Hinckley College; SEETEC (contracts to be delivered across the West Midlands); Shropshire County Training Ltd; Stoke-on-Trent College; Ufi Ltd (contracts to be delivered across the West Midlands).

Kevin Brennan, Minister for Further Education, Skills, Apprenticeships and Consumer Affairs, said: “We will not stand by and leave people without support. That is why we’re investing £100m to fund high-quality training for unemployed people across the country.

“Colleges and training providers are at the front line in helping people back into work, particularly during a recession, and are playing a key role in building a stronger Britain. This funding will open up access to training and new skills.”

The colleges and training providers in the West Midlands will use the cash to pay for short courses to update existing skills or start to retrain in new occupational areas. Everyone who trains through the programme will also receive an individually-tailored package of careers advice, help with searching for a job and guidance on job applications.