Strategy laid out to get more people into employment

Plans to get more people into work in Bradford over the next four years have been revealed.

Bradford Council's Employment and Skills Strategy aims to better-equip people in the district to find jobs.

The blueprint has been welcomed as a "foundation" for ensuring people gain the skills they need to support existing and new businesses.

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It sets out five key objectives including reducing the number of people who are out of work and boosting people's basic and intermediate skills.

The strategy aims to support enterprise and jobs in the private sector.

It also focuses on investing in skills at all levels, including speeding up employer take-up of apprenticeships.

Councillor David Green, the council's executive member for regeneration and economy, said: "Building an innovative, productive and high value economy is one of the most important and urgent challenges facing the district.

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"A strong skills base is essential to attract and retain investment and good quality, well-paid jobs, to maintain and grow our manufacturing strength and to reduce worklessness."

Proposals include strengthening learning provision linked to sectors which are expected to grow in Bradford over coming years, including advanced engineering, creative and digital, professional and financial services, healthcare, food and drink, retail and distribution and the low-carbon economy.

Other aims included in the strategy focus on simplifying the way employers get involved in training, increasing support for apprenticeships and raising the level of basic skills among 14 to 19-year-olds and adult learners.

Measures to reduce unemployment include tailoring help specifically for long-term incapacity benefit claimants, people with mental health issues and ethnic minorities, as well as closer working between the council, JobCentre Plus and the Skills Funding Agency.

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The plans have been led by Bradford Council and have involved input from organisations in education and training and the private sector through Bradford's Employment and Skills Board, which includes representatives of high-profile employers in the area.