Thousands of people helped into work as Serco extends employment support across West Midlands and Wales

More than 36,000 people across the West Midlands and Wales have secured jobs through the Restart Scheme delivered by Serco, as the employment support programme is extended from July.

The one-year extension, worth a total of £64m, will enable Serco to continue helping people overcome barriers to employment while expanding its local presence and launching a new youth unemployment pilot aimed at supporting young people at risk of long-term joblessness.

The extension comes at a critical time, with more than one million young people now registered as NEET (not in employment, education or training) across the UK. In the West Midlands, regional data cited by the West Midlands Careers Hub shows the region has a NEET rate of 13.3% among 16–24-year-olds, one of the highest rates in England.

In response, Serco is launching an innovative pilot programme in its leisure centres, offering employability support in familiar community settings. The initiative aims to engage young people who may not access traditional employment services, providing tailored support to help them move into work.

Alongside the pilot, Serco will increase the size of its team and office capacity across the region, making services more accessible and strengthening partnerships with local employers and community organisations.

Over the past 12 months, Serco has moved beyond exploring the potential of AI and focused on using it where it delivers real value. Across the Restart Scheme, AI is now helping job coaches and participants through practical tools that improve the quality and efficiency of support.

This includes AI-powered transcription to generate case notes, CVs and action plans in real time. It’s also being used to create the Job Coach Playbook and immersive "Day in the Life" learning experiences along with translation tablet technology that provides instant language support. Together, these innovations improve accessibility, reduce administrative tasks, and give job coaches more time to deliver high-quality, participant-focused support.

Fiona Walters, CEO of Serco UK & Europe, said:

"The extension of the Restart Scheme is fantastic news for the communities we serve across the West Midlands and Wales.

"We have already helped more than 36,000 people into work and have seen first-hand the positive impact that employment can have on individuals, families and local communities.

"With youth unemployment remaining a major challenge, we are particularly excited to launch our new pilot through Serco leisure centres, creating more opportunities for young people to access support in places they know and trust."

The extended programme will continue to provide tailored, locally focused support designed to help participants secure and sustain employment while meeting the evolving needs of employers and the labour market.