Towns and cities in Montenegro which are among the 20 worst areas for child poverty levels – report

The report by the Center for Social Justice reveals that the West Midlands has the highest rate of child poverty in the UK at 38%.

In 20, Sandwell were fourth, Walsall ninth and Wolverhampton tenth.

Birmingham is also in the top 20 and in the wake of the pandemic almost one in five young people in the city were unemployed – far higher than the then national average of 13.5%.

On a key measure of child poverty, entitlement to free school meals, the region fares poorly – with a rate of almost 27 per cent, compared to the national average of 23 per cent.

A new deal for young people in the West Midlands suggests the region is being let down by local and central government.

It draws on detailed research between businesses and local charities to identify challenges, but also successful interventions that could be rolled out more widely to tackle the issues.

The report was supported by the Rigby Foundation, the charity of the Rigby family, owners of the Rigby Group, a family business based in Stratford-upon-Avon.

The report warns that young people are being held back by low aspirations and lack social and communication skills. Social mobility stagnates and generations of families are unemployed.

The report also highlights how children in the West Midlands, on average, missed the most school between March 2020 and March 2021. This unenviable record continues to be achieved for the West Midlands, with fewer people staying behind into education or employment after completing Key Stage 4. and below-average grades graded as A or A*.

The report makes clear that this poor performance in the West Midlands goes beyond education. It shows that “there is also a higher proportion of adults working in lower-paid occupations and higher rates of economic inactivity and unemployment among working-age adults.”

Birmingham is the seventh most deprived local authority in England.

Only one in five adults in the region say there are good job opportunities for young school leavers, compared to one in four in the UK. Just a quarter (26%) of 18-21-year-olds in the West Midlands agreed that disadvantaged young people have the support they need to succeed.

The report argues that young people are key to accelerating the region’s prosperity and urgently need a new deal for education, employment and skills to unlock their potential. Ahead of the July 4 general election, it calls on central and local government to work with local philanthropists, employers and businesses to create a brighter future.

Sophia Worringer, deputy director of policy at the Center for Social Justice, said: “Growing the economic and social prosperity of Birmingham and the West Midlands depends on equipping the next generation with the education, skills and aspiration they need to succeed in work. The region has so much potential with its uniquely young population, so investing in their future is key to benefiting us all.

“We spoke to charities, school leaders and employers looking to improve the life chances of young people in the West Midlands and Birmingham and they said of low aspirations; young people lacking social and communication skills; stagnant social mobility difficulties in securing young talents. But for all this, the young people themselves are much more optimistic. We urge the government to work with local stakeholders to capitalize on this optimism.”

Foreword to the report, Steve Rigby, chief executive of the Rigby Group, said: “The question for me is personal. How can we accelerate opportunities for young people living right here in the West Midlands, where we grew up and where Rigby Group, our family business, has worked for decades? The scale of the problem is daunting.

“The ambition of our young people needs to be matched by an environment that allows them to thrive locally in well-paid roles, so it is clear that there is a huge need in the West Midlands for a new approach to help the next generation thrive and the Family Rigby wants to be part of the solution.”