Category Archives: Local news

Our first Mum’s Jobs Fair: Where do we go from here?

A big thanks to everyone who helped make our first ever Mum’s Jobs Fair such a big success today. We had a lot of training providers and lots of help and advice from colleges, Mumprenuers, and people who can help with starting a business. 

 

I spent the morning talking to mums about what they felt they needed to get back into work – and what we need to campaign on locally. Here are the big points I heard: 

 

1. Lots of mums want to work. Lots of people I spoke to today are really ambitious to get to work. Lots of families are really feeling the pinch right now – and lots of mums are looking to get into work to help top up the family income, especially now tax credits have been cut back so savagely and because bills are spiralling up and up. 

 

2. We need more childcare. Lots of mums said to me that they couldn’t find childcare – especially for 1 year olds or two year olds. People had heard about the new entitlement to free places for 2 year olds – but it was very hard to find anywhere planning to offer it locally. In addition, because free provision was available for only 15 hours – and often only available in bite-size chunks in the morning or the afternoon, it was really hard to find work to fit around it. Lots of people had some children in school, and preferred nursery provision on the same site. 

 

3. We need more skills training – and ESOL provision. Lots of mums wanted more ambitious skills training to be available in the area – and lots were struggling to find ESOL provision that would help along the road to work. We need to publicise the loans which are available to fund people in taking a course. Some felt that the JobCentrePlus courses which many were required to take – e.g. CV writing – were actually getting in the way of people finishing their English training; the vital first step towards work. 

 

4. The childcare sector was seen as a big employment opportunity. Working with children is a big job – and lots of mums who came along today were interested in developing their skills to qualify as workers in the childcare sector. This was seen as a really accessible sector to work in – but more jobs were needed here. 

 

5. People felt that community centres and schools were all good places to offer training and childcare services. 

 

6. Starting a business was seen as an attractive option for many. While lots of mums told me today that they definitely wanted a job out of the house, lots more said they’d like to be able to work from home, for example starting a business. Local organisations like Mumprenuers can help with this. 

 

7. We need to work harder with local employers – like the hospital – to offer local jobs to local people; many also wanted more opportunities for work experience. 

 

Please drop me a line if you would like to add to this list. I’m going to now undertake the following: 

1. We need to do a childcare audit to see where the big gaps are in local provision. In particular we need to make sure enough provision for 2 year olds is on the way. We need to explore how expansion of this sector can lead to expanding the number of jobs locally

2. We need to campaign for more ESOL provision and skills training – but made available in an accessible ways 

3. We need to bring the City’s new Womens’ Enterprise Hubs to our constituency as soon as we can

 

Thanks again to all who made today possible. 

 

Liam

 

Liam’s Latest – May 2013

Dear friend,

 

I thought I’d drop you my new monthly update with some news about what we’re up to across Hodge Hill!

 

Youth jobs

 

This government is badly letting down our young people. I’m taking action to help. Plans are now well underway for this year’s youth jobs fair. Following the success of last year’s event, attended by over 300 local young people, we’re organising another event this year – but with a twist.

To maximise the number of businesses that come with real offers of youth training, apprenticeships, and work, I’ve decided to team up with neighbouring MPs, Jack Dromey and Shabana Mahmood to organise the first ever East Birmingham Jobs Fair. I’m delighted that Julian Buttery, on secondment to Business in the Community from the National Grid, is working with Hodge Hill full time and is helping us get as many businesses to our fair as possible. Then we’ll be working with local schools to spread the word.

 

If you can help publicise the event, please let me know!

 

I am delighted to welcome Birmingham City Council’s new Jobs Fund, which you can find out about here. We’ll be using our East Birmingham Jobs Fair to spread the word.

 

Local jobs and HS2

 

I’m a big supporter of HS2 because I think it will create a lot of jobs – and we need them. I met the HS2 team recently to welcome plans that the line will now tunnel under – not cut through – the Bromford and Firs. There will be a new consultation launched in June to confirm this.

 

I am however campaigning hard to stop the marshalling yard going on the old Alstom site: it’ll destroy the 800 jobs already there – and stop us creating 7000 new jobs on the site. The government has foolishly refused to listen – so now I’m gearing up the campaign for a fight.

 

Residents meetings

 

My popular residents meetings are back under way. This year, we’ve held meetings in Kitts Green and Bromford and Firs. This Friday we are holding a residents’ meeting at York’s Wood in Shard End. The details are:

 

Friday 17th May 18:30 – 20:30

Horne Way Hall, Horne Way

Shard End, B34 7SW.

 

You can see the reports for Kitts Green here and Bromford and Firs here.

 

Best wishes,

 

Liam.

 

Response following my residents meeting at the Hodge Hill Primary Care Centre on 28 March 2013

Thank you to everyone who was able to attend another popular residents meeting before Easter – and thanks to all who sent back the surveys. Thanks too, to our hard-working local councillors who were able to join me.

There were a few key issues raised;

New health centre.

We were briefed on the £10 million health centre, based on the Firs, by some of the city’s NHS leaders. The new health centre is an amazing new facility – but is simply not being used to the maximum extent. There are now 3,000 patients registered but room for lots more. There is also a dentist and community health services, plus opening on Saturdays.

But, residents said: they would like more ‘hospital-like’ services (for example chiropody or help for diabetics); bus links are still are problem as is signage. Quite simply, awareness of the centre and its services are too limited. Residents also suggested a proper open day to publicise the centre and specialists services for women and children. 

Next step: Liam plus local councillors to meet NHS officials to plan way forward and possibly a neighbourhood advisory committee.

High Speed 2.

New plans have been published for the High Speed line. Instead of ploughing through the north of the estate and relocating the river, the good news is that the HS2 line will now go in a tunnel under the estate and re-emerge on the old Alstom site. I have met HS2 officials subsequently. They are planning some projects in particular to acquaint young people with job opportunities working on building the line. More news about further consultation events (planned for June or July) will follow.

Benefit changes.

We talked about benefit changes which have been forced through by the government. The bedroom tax is hitting many people as is the big cut in help for paying council tax. I continue

to help lead the national campaign against these terrible cuts which are hurting local people – driven through at a time when millionaires are being give a tax cut.

Survey Results

On the idea of holding an older peoples forum – 85% of residents thought that was a good idea.  On bankers bonuses a huge 94% of you thought that the bonuses should be used to fund our young people.  On the 2 year limit on job seekers allowance – 73% said yes and 24% said  no, they do not agree with that idea.  On the bedroom tax for fosters carers etc, again a massive 94% said this was wrong to charge these families the extra tax on a spare bedroom.

Many thanks again to everyone who was able to come or send back a survey.

 

Results of the Kitts Green Survey

The results of my survey to Kitts Green residents are back, and here are the results:

Do you think I should hold an older peoples forum? 91% said yes and 9% said no

Should a bankers bonus be used to fund jobs for young people? A massive 95% said yes with nobody saying no but 5% were not sure.

On the 2 year limit on JSA and after that people should get a job? it was very mixed With 54% saying yes, 27% said no and 18% were not sure.

Asking if it was fair that Foster Carers, armed forces families and the disabled will have to pay a bedroom tax? 28% of people agreed with this statement, 73% did not and 4% don’t know.

 Thank you to those who replied.  I can use the results to shape the work I do in parliament.

 

The Government’s discredited policies deliver yet another set of dismal unemployment figures for Birmingham

“Three years on its now as clear the Government’s plan is failing Birmingham, and failing badly. At a time when hard pressed families in our city need decisive and credible action, this Government’s discredited policies deliver yet another set of dismal unemployment figures. Unemployment in Birmingham is up again; the number of people on the dole is standing at nearly 49,000  – up by over 800 since December.

 
“Yet just to add insult to injury this Government is slashing tax credits and child benefit but giving millionaires a tax cut. Families are £891 worse off because of tax and benefit changes and pay packets are now a whopping £1,700 smaller than at the last election. People have to work almost an extra month and a half to make what they did in 2010. Working people feel they’re going backwards because they are going backwards.
“With the IMF warning George Osborne to change course and unemployment getting worse, it’s clear the time has come for a fresh approach. Ministers must now take the decisive action we need to get Britain working again starting with Labour’s compulsory jobs guarantee to get anyone out of work for more than two years back into a job; a job people must take or lose their benefits.”

 

Ends.

 

Notes to Editors:

 

  • The number of people claiming JSA in Birmingham in the first quarter of 2013 was 48,954. The number of people claiming JSA in Birmingham in the final quarter of 2012 was 48,079. Source: www.nomisweb.co.uk
 

My letter to residents after our meeting at the Pump, 16th Feb 13

 

 

                                                                                                4 March 2013

Thanks to all those who were able to make it to my residents meeting at The Pump the other week, together with Cllr John Cotton.

 There were three key local issues that residents wanted to flag:

 1. Potholes. Residents felt the roads locally were in a right old state. Cllr John Cotton is going to raise this issue with Amey, the Highway contractor

 2. Parking on verges and pavements. Some verges – for example in the Roundhays and Elmore Rd – were inches deep in mud as residents parked on both verges and pavements. I will investigate what powers police have to enforce laws against this.

 3. Affordable space for local groups to hire. Cheap space for local groups to hire for activities was in short supply. This is something I will raise at the forthcoming District Convention.

 In addition, there were some big national issues residents wanted to highlight.

1. Horsemeat. Food protection appears to have broken down altogether; one resident raised the worry about horsemeat from countries as far as America and Russia entering the food-chain.

 2. Bedroom tax. This is a government plan to charge people £14 to £25 a week if they have a ‘spare bedroom’ in their council property. Two-thirds of people hit are disabled and up to 15,000 will be hit in Birmingham. One resident said ‘why can’t we look after our own for once’. Others worried about putting off potential foster parents – they will have to pay the new tax so they would not volunteer.

It didn’t seem fair when millionaires were getting a £2,000 a week cut from April.

 3. Jobs and skills. Concerns were raised about newcomers arriving from Romania and Bulgaria while local unemployment was still so high. It was vital we had schools and colleges that trained local youngsters for good local jobs; that we fostered more businesses locally ‘we need more industry’ said one resident; and that we sent a signal that people couldn’t stay on the dole for ever, by having a two year limit on Job Seekers’ Allowance. We needed too proper training in personal budgeting in schools.

 By the way, one idea that was raised was the possibility of a conference for older people in the ward to pin down older peoples’ priorities. Let me know if you think this is a good idea.

Thanks again to all who came. If you couldn’t come but want to raise an issue or join the thousands of local residents on my eNewsletter just fill in the enclosed survey and return it to me. You don’t need a stamp.

 

Best wishes,

 

Rt Hon Liam Byrne MP

Member of Parliament for Birmingham Hodge Hill

 

Budget day shows that George Osborne has failed Birmingham

“Budget day shows a clear sign that George Osborne has failed Birmingham.

 “Unemployment in Birmingham is up again, now at 49,000 and we still have some of the worst youth unemployment hot spots in the country, and the problem is getting worse.

 Half way through the Parliament, Britain is still being scarred by rising unemployment and it is our next generation that is paying a brutal price.

If the Chancellor needs any more evidence for why he should change course he should look no further than today’s figures which show the massive hit working families in our communities are now taking. Families in Britain have taken a £1,200 a year pay cut and that’s why we need real action to kickstart our flatlining economy and help families on middle and low income, not a tax cut for millionaires and more of the same failing policies”.

 

 

More land for Leigh Road school?

Leigh Road school is a great school, popular with local parents, and one of the first schools built in Hodge Hill when the city of Birmingham expanded its boundaries east a century ago to become the country’s second city.

But Leigh Road school needs more land, so on Friday I met the school’s leadership team together with Cllr Majid Mahmood is have a look at just how squashed the school is.

Together, Hodge Hill’s councillors and myself will be asking the owners of the old LDV-Alstom site what can be done to offer the school a bit of their site – and what can we do to ease the tight parking problems on the road.

Thanks to the Leigh Rd governors and our own Cllr Mohammed Aikhlaq for inviting us in.

 

‘We’re up for it’. South Birmingham and City College passionate about Hodge Hill youth jobs

Last Friday I caught up with Mike Hopkins, principal of South Birmingham and City College at his headquarters in Digbeth to talk about how the college can help in our fight for youth jobs.

 

The good news: Mike is totally on board.

 

Preparing young people for jobs is at the heart of the mission Mike has set the college and you only have to look around the Digbeth campus to see what that means in practice. Everywhere you look there’s industry standard kit to make sure students graduate with skills at the cutting edge.

 

Joining me was Julian Buttery, on secondment to Business in the Community from National Grid, and together we’ll be getting our campaign in gear with a big jobs fair for young people later in the year and we’ll asking Birmingham’s new Youth Employment Commission to come and tell us soon how they can help.

 

Watch this space for news.

 

As unemployment goes up in Hodge Hill and wages go down, I’m taking action

Today’s unemployment figures offered no respite for Hodge Hill as unemployment rose, yet still Ministers have no answers to Birmingham’s ongoing jobs crisis. We now have 6,860 on the dole in our constituency.

It’s getting harder to keep a job and people have now taken an average £1,200 pay cut since the election because jobs are so hard to come by and today we see there’s still more than five people chasing every vacancy nationally. The people of Hodge Hill are paying the price for this government’s failure, especially our young people with over 2,000 youths unemployed.

This simply can’t go on, and let’s face it – we’re not going to get any help from Tory Ministers up in London

So the main theme of my work in Westminster and here in Hodge Hill will continue to be jobs, jobs, jobs.

I took action last year by hosting a Youth Jobs Summit in the constituency attended by over 300 young people where I introduced them to employers and training providers, giving them the opportunities they deserve. In 2013 I am repeating this successful project for those young people in need of help.  I’m also hosting a Women’s Jobs Summit to tackle head on the problem that many women in Hodge Hill are being paid less than men. Our area also needs investment and innovative ideas to address its problems. So I’m holding a Social Finance Conference which will pool together our schools, businesses, charities and community leaders to come up with sustainable and credible solutions to the issues which are affecting us all.

I took my campaign for jobs in Hodge Hill constituency to the House of Commons last month, where I called a debate on the proposed redevelopment of the old  LDV Alstom site into a High Speed 2 marshalling yard. A proper redevelopment could create up to 6,500 jobs over the next 5 years, compared to only 300 jobs with a noisy yard.

What Britain now needs from next month’s budget is an industrial strength back to work programme to match the crisis we face. That’s why I’m demanding the Government introduce a Compulsory Jobs Guarantee to get anyone out of work for more than two years straight into a job. Hodge Hill needs this kind of decisive action to give people the opportunities and security they deserve.