Two awards for the borough

The Awards, which are supported by the Learning and Work Institute, champion outstanding commitment in adult learning, skills and training activities that are funded by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA). They shine a light on learners, tutors, employers and providers from across the West Midlands.

Dudley Council and Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust’s (ICAN) have won the Inclusive and Innovative Recruitment and Career Champion category.  As the two largest employers in the borough, they partnered to enhance employment pathways for local residents and establish themselves as employers of choice using funding from the Commonwealth Games Legacy fund.

The programme supports residents’ skills development, enhancing the organisations’ reputations as good employers, and building infrastructure for a systemic workforce approach. It focuses on reaching unemployment hotspots, supporting jobseekers in accessing careers within the NHS and council and simplifying recruitment processes.

The programme focused on those residents living in areas rated in the 20% most deprived in England (IMD 1&2), residents from ethnic minority groups, residents with a disability including learning, mental health conditions, and physical disabilities and care leavers. As a result of the programme, 103 people received locally based job support, 30 local people completed paid work experience programmes, 97 people were supported to participate in adult and further education, and 72 people gained employment.

To date the economic value of the programme is estimated at c £6m

Ben Cooper, CSW trainee said: “I was unemployed for nearly 12 months; I lost my purpose. This has given me a purpose again and helped me to gain confidence. If you had said to me before that I would be working for the NHS, in the busiest department I would not have believed it.”

Dudley Council celebrated another success with one of their adult learners winning the Inspirational Learner of the Year award. Arriving in the UK in 2018 from Pakistan with her two children, Asifa Shaheen fled from domestic abuse. In an act of incredible courage, she left behind everything, her family and home. This decision marked the beginning of a long and at times, difficult journey toward building a better life in an unfamiliar country.

While walking her children to school, Asifa noticed many other Asian women entering the centre. Driven by the need to overcome isolation, she bravely walked in to seek help. Once Asifa began attending Dudley Wood Neighbourhood Learning Centre, she engaged in various supportive sessions designed to help her integrate into her new environment and build her self-confidence.

Through her resilience and the support provided by centre, she has gained the skills, confidence, and motivation to shape a positive future for herself and her children. In October 2022, Asifa became a volunteer at her children’s school. This experience laid the foundation and in September 2024, she was hired as a part-time Catering Support Assistant. Marking a significant milestone in her journey toward self-sufficiency. In September Asifa plans to enrol on the Level 2 Supporting Teaching and Learning Programme, with the ultimate goal of becoming a Classroom Teaching Assistant.

Asifa said: “When I was safely in the UK. I knew I had to make a better life for myself and my children, we had all lived in fear for so long. I wanted better for my children, it was important for them to get settled in school and then for me to get education and to get a job. I was frightened but didn’t show this to my children.

“The centre arranged a one-on-one meeting to create a tailored action plan for me. This support has kept me focus and I have achieved so many of my goals. Arriving in the UK with nothing, I am so happy and proud to have learnt English, get qualifications and start working in a School. To live without fear and have people believe in me is truly a dream come true and I do feel proud of what I have achieved.”

Councillor Simon Phipps, cabinet member for economy and infrastructure, said:

“This is a remarkable achievement for the teams and for Asifa. The ICAN project has made such a positive impact locally, helping people who had faced all kinds of obstacles, start on a career path which benefits them and the communities they are serving. We know that the best way for people to improve their life chances is to move into work, so everything this council does to support all residents to do that makes a huge difference in our communities.”

Diane Wake, chief executive, Dudley Group NHS Foundation Trust said:

“The ICAN project has been a fantastic initiative and we are very proud to work closely in partnership with Dudley Council to provide local people the opportunity to thrive in the workplace.

“Our ICAN placements have been a real asset to the Trust and I have been so impressed by the way those on the scheme have integrated into the Trust so quickly.”

The awards were held in central Birmingham on Tuesday 8 July.