Shaw Trust to deliver £11.7m employment support programme

‘I’M EXCITED TO SEE THE DIFFERENCE IT WILL MAKE’: Mayor Luke Campbell

By Simon Bristow, Co-Editor

Employment charity Shaw Trust has been appointed to deliver a major employment support programme in Hull and East Yorkshire that it is hoped will help thousands of residents move towards secure, sustainable work.

The charity will run the region’s Connect to Work programme, providing tailored support for up to 3,400 people who have long-term health conditions, disabilities or other barriers to employment.

The contract was announced today by Hull and East Yorkshire Mayor Luke Campbell, and follows funding of £11.7m for it allocated by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) in March.

Mayor Campbell’s office has also committed £200,000 to the scheme to help cover transport costs for people who secure work through the programme – removing a key barrier for many residents before they receive their first pay packet.

The programme forms a key part of the Hull and East Yorkshire Combined Authority’s ambition to reduce economic inactivity, improve health outcomes and connect more people with good quality jobs.

Shaw Trust will work with the combined authority and local partners to prepare for the launch of the programme, which is expected to start on July 1.

Mayor Campbell said: “We know there are a lot of people across Hull and East Yorkshire who want to work, but need the right help at the right time to take that step.

“Connect to Work is about giving people practical, realistic support that fits around their lives, builds confidence and helps them find jobs they can stay in.

“Our programme is designed to work with local health services and community teams, so the support links in with help residents may already be getting. It’s about making things simpler and easier, not creating another complicated system to navigate.

“Shaw Trust has a strong track record of delivering this kind of support, and they’ll be working alongside local partners and employers to make sure the programme works for our communities.

“I’m confident they’re the right team to deliver Connect to Work, and I’m excited to see the difference it will make for people across Hull and East Yorkshire.”

David Harper, managing director for work, wellbeing and health at Shaw Trust, said: “As a leading employment charity, we’ve been helping people into good work for 40-plus years, most recently delivering Connect to Work in many areas across the country.

“We’ll be working with HEYCA to bring that experience to Hull and East Yorkshire in a way that reflects local needs.

“Being part of the community is a really important part of how we work. This means creating local jobs and working with partners like Hull and East Riding’s Working for Health CIC and Hull-based Autism Plus to tailor support to the area.

“We’re also investing in the local economy through a set of clear commitments. This includes backing local community projects through a dedicated social value fund and creating work experience opportunities for young people.

“We’ll be working with local employers to deliver employer-led workshops and sessions linked to key local industries, creating clear routes into those jobs. And we’ll be supporting small businesses to adopt more inclusive recruitment practices and improve workplace wellbeing.”

An estimated 71,800 people in Hull and East Yorkshire are currently out of work, with long-term sickness cited as a significant barrier to employment.

The £11.7 million Connect to Work programme will provide intensive support that fits around the needs of each person, helping to remove obstacles that can make traditional employment support difficult to access.

Support will include vocational profiling, confidence building, skills development, interview preparation, job matching, and in-work support for both participants and employers.

The combined authority led a comprehensive and robust procurement process to identify the right delivery partner for the programme, it said.

Shaw Trust was recommended as the successful bidder and the combined authority’s executive board approved the awarding of the contract.

The mayor has previously been accused of delays in setting up the programme.