Welcome to Workwise
What is WorkWise?
WorkWise helps unemployed people access interviews and jobs by overcoming transport barriers to employment.
Who can access WorkWise?
WorkWise is aimed at unemployed people who are living within specific postcode areas. It is currently available for people living in Birmingham, North Solihull and Walsall. To find out if you may be eligible for WorkWise, please click on the link below that covers the area where you live.
What does WorkWise provide?
Journey planning
Many people find reading timetables and planning routes for travelling to interviews and jobs very confusing. WorkWise can provide an illustrated step-by-step guide on the best way for you to travel from home to your destination and back. This helps you to broaden your job search by increasing your awareness of existing local public transport services near you.
Travel passes
If you are eligible for WorkWise, you can receive
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One-day travel passes for job interviews.
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Monthly travel passes for your new job.
Passes are available for train, bus and tram, depending on where you need to travel to work. They are valid throughout the West Midlands including Birmingham, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall and Wolverhampton.
WorkWise currently operates from three areas in the West Midlands.
Birmingham : This covers 9 wards in Birmingham. Click here for details.
North Solihull : This covers North Solihull wards Chelmsley Wood, Smiths Wood and Kingshurst & Fordbridge, including postcode areas B36 & B37. Click here for details.
Walsall : This covers the whole of Walsall town, including Aldridge, Brownhills, Bloxwich, Darlaston, Pelsall, Streetly and Willenhall. Click here for details:
Future Developments
WorkWise helps to overcome very real transport barriers experienced by people seeking employment. It has been a tremendous success, with achievements that have been recognised both locally and nationally. WorkWise is seen as a valuable asset, not only to the individuals assisted by the scheme but also to local communities and employers.
Starting as a small project in Nottingham, WorkWise has been significantly developed in the West Midlands and is now approaching the end of it’s fourth year of operation. Up until December 2006 over 3,500 one-day passes have been provided to assist with travel to interviews and people have been provided with monthly passes to access nearly 4,000 new jobs. Overall, over 11,000 passes have been issued by WorkWise to help unemployed people access jobs.
As part of the Floor Target Action Plan for Worklessness, Birmingham City Council are providing Neighbourhood Renewal Funding (NRF) funding to expand WorkWise to more areas across the City. This has been achieved as a result of the successful partnership approach favoured by Centro, the commitment of our partners and the significant success of the project to date. The WorkWise expansion means that unemployed people who live in some of the most deprived wards in Birmingham will now be eligible for travel assistance.
For general enquiries about the WorkWise initiative please contact Alison Pickett (tel 0121 214 7417 or email alisonpickett@centro.org.uk)
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We use Language Line, a telephone interpretation service. For more information call: 0121 214 7878.
