Black Country
The PRIME Black Country project is based in Walsall, at the heart of the Black Country in the West Midlands. It is part of a major project funded by Microsoft that aims to make a big difference in the Black Country by focusing on digital inclusion, employment and self-employment.
PRIME is engaging directly with older people over 50, local businesses, potential mentors, business and enterprise agencies, local authorities and business support groups all around the Black Country.
The outputs are a series of information events and workshops aimed at helping people over 50 starting up a business, or at least consider whether self-employment is right for them. There is also an IT training component.
Workshops include an introduction to self-employment, finding the right business idea, developing your idea, basic business skills, computer literacy and basic business IT.
The outcomes of the project will be 450 referrals, 20 mentors and 440 mentoring sessions with an anticipated 180 new businesses started in the Black Country by the end of 2009.
Partnerships
The Microsoft project as a whole has three main partners – PRIME / Age Concern, the RNIB and The Black Country Consortium.
Microsoft specifically wanted PRIME, as a charity linked to Age Concern, to be involved in delivering a programme helping people aged over 50 to set up in business.
The RNIB will deliver accessibility training to local businesses and IT centres to ensure learning and employment opportunities are open to visually impaired people (including those over 50).
The Black Country Consortium has 120 centres in the Black Country to deliver IT training (also available to the over 50s). In a final strand to the project, the Scarman Trust will work with disadvantaged young people:
Funding
The project is funded by Microsoft.
Contact
PRIME Black Country Project
Martin Sarling, Black Country Area Development and Mentoring Manager
Tel: 07793545356
Email: martin.sarling@ace.org.uk
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