Across the country, thousands more people will be helped back towards employment through support ranging from peer-to-peer support groups to mental health support, thanks to a funding package announced today.
The extra money for nine inactivity trailblazers across England and Wales includes specific funding for Newport East, which will enable local leaders to give those furthest from employment the tools to get into work.
Unlike traditional employment support, this scheme empowers local areas to design tailored solutions that tackle the root causes of economic inactivity – such as poor mental health, low skills, and barriers like social isolation – rather than just treating the symptoms.
New support that areas can offer will include work readiness skills, employer engagement to change hiring practices and support Local Growth Plans, mental health support, confidence-building social groups, and skills training to move thousands more people closer to the labour market.
Newport is the fastest-growing city in Wales, with a strong workforce and a strong economic outlook thanks to the growing tech sector and investment into the city, which is bringing the jobs of the future to the city. This additional funding will support the integration of local services to bring together work, health and skills, creating a supportive environment, working to reach economically inactive groups and helping people into employment – which in turn strengthens our economy.
Having already been trialled in other parts of the UK, by taking a holistic approach, the programme is already delivering results through early intervention, flexible training, and working directly with employers to create supportive environments – rather than treating health and employment as separate issues.
This groundbreaking scheme is helping to break the vicious cycle between poor mental health and unemployment by trialling initiatives that combine job support with health and skills support.
This investment is central to the Government’s Plan for Change mission to break down barriers to opportunity and kickstart economic growth by getting Britain working again.
I’m looking forward to seeing the scheme in action.