Severn Trent to help thousands in hardest hit areas of poverty
They're ramping up a series of multi-million-pound measures to help people get their first job - or get back into work.
Severn Trent are launching a programme throughout the Midlands to address poverty in employment throughout the region.
It will offer 500 people things like work experience and getting back into jobs by August next year.
They will also offer 10,000 hours of free skills and employability training in communities and schools.
The aim is to help 100,000 people in the region.
It comes at the water provider found that if children don't have work experience in school, they are six times more likely not to go into employment.
Part of the new scheme also comes from their announcement earlier this year, that the initiative will allow more customers access to savings of up to 90 percent on their bills.
The firm said 20,000 customers had already applied for the extra support, initially announced in May, but that it had now increased the annual income cut-off to just under £19,000 - up from £16,000 - to allow more people to access the scheme.
They unveiled a 30-million-pound fund in May to help another 100,000 customers on low incomes, adding to its existing scheme that supports 215,000 customers.
Neil Morrison is the HR Director and said: "For many in our community's life is harder than it has ever been before and as a regional employer we want to do our bit to help.
"By helping people with jobs, with the investment we do across the region on bills, we can't help in every part, but we can play our part.
The scheme aims to run for the next ten years throughout the Midlands.