TRAINING companies in Birmingham chosen to deliver the Government’s ‘revolutionary’ Work Programme, pledging to support 2.5 million people back to work in five years, are making workers redundant.

The welfare-to-work programme was launched last month by employment minister Chris Grayling who said it would ‘transform’ the lives of millions of people.

But workers of the three training providers in the West Midlands are concerned about their own future after it emerged a consultation is under way to make cuts.

One worker, who asked not to be named, said: “This is a scheme about finding people jobs and yet people are being made redundant.”

Under the Work Programme, described as an ‘employment dating agency’, employers will be paid for finding people jobs and helping them stay there for a period of up to around two years.

It has replaced Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) funded contracts, such as the Flexible New Deal.