Marvin OnumonuWolves Foundation has launched Foundation Futures, a weekly skills hub aimed at helping people in Wolverhampton get into work and support the local economy.
The project is being run in partnership with the Department of Work & Pensions (DWP), with foundation staff working directly with city residents.
Support on offer includes employment, mentoring and financial wellbeing advice from the Building Brighter Futures team, who are based in the hub.
The hub focuses on young people with high-impact health conditions who are able to work, as well as customers who are economically inactive and have disengaged from the jobcentre.
All youth customers receive at least one intervention at the Wolves Youth Hub, with support identified alongside a work coach and foundation staff.
Local employers are invited each week to speak to participants and offer opportunities.
A jobs board is being developed for attendees to access.
After mentoring with a DWP work coach, participants also have the chance to get further support from foundation staff through sports activities such as darts, pool or basketball.
Jonathan Warburton, head of programmes for education, employability and youth engagement at Wolves Foundation, said: “One of the key pillars of our recently announced five-year strategy covers economic prosperity and employment, equipping local people with essential workplace skills and helping to match talent with opportunity.
“This also tallies with our youth engagement programme, and helping our participants to find the right pathways to lead to training and employment.
“Working with the dwp and city of Wolverhampton council, our new Foundation Futures project will feature a skills hub with young people able to access guidance and support from several different agencies.”
Warburton added: “We have found with our building brighter futures programme, that using the power of the Wolves badge and opportunity to come to Molineux can really open doors and break down barriers in working with participants.
“Young people can come along to Foundation Futures with complete confidence that they are accessing a relaxed and supportive environment to help them with the next stage of their career.”
Foundation Futures runs every Tuesday from 10am to 4pm in the North Bank Bar at Molineux.
