The Walsall-based project aims to build relationships with employers and link young people with local businesses and training opportunities “they would otherwise be unable to access”.
The move has been taken due to large disparities in finding and retaining jobs faced by young people with Bangladeshi and Pakistani heritage in the area.
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The project has been funded by the Youth Futures Foundation and will be delivered by Aaina Community Hub, with support from WMCA and the West Midlands Combined Authority.
A Youth Futures Foundation report released in March found that half of young people from a global majority background face discrimination in the UK workplace.
“We will be challenging the status quo in local industry and will facilitate dialogue between stakeholders and young people to identify viable solutions that lead to lasting change in recruitment and progression within employment,” said Aaina Community Hub chief executive A’isha Khan.
Also involved in the project is the West Midlands Race Equalities Taskforce, and Iqra Supplementary School, which provides activities to young Pakistani and Bangladeshi people from low-income families in South and Central Walsall.
“Reducing youth unemployment in our region is one of my top priorities as Mayor and a key focus of my youth plan,” said West Midlands mayor Richard Parker.
“I’m committed to ensuring every young person has the best possible start in life, no matter their background. It’s great to hear how the investment from the Youth Futures Foundation will help the Aaina Community Hub support young people from Pakistani and Bangladeshi backgrounds in Walsall to achieve their full potential."
Iqra school project lead Moshin Khan added: “Our hopes for this project are to create a clear pathway for young people of Pakistani and Bangladeshi descent to step confidently into employment, bridging the gap between talent and opportunity.
“By addressing the challenges they face during recruitment and integration into the workplace we aim to build a system that empowers the individual ensuring that potential isn't lost but nurtured, guided and given the space to thrive."
Earlier this month the Social Mobility Commission revealed that youth unemployment is at its lowest level in a decade.
However, regional differences in social mobility continue, especially for in the Midlands, North of England, Wales and Scotland.
