Charity will help thousands of residents overcome barriers to work
Leading charity Shaw Trust has been appointed to deliver a major employment support programme in this area that will help thousands of residents into secure, sustainable work.
Connect to Work will provide tailored support for up to 3,400 people across Hull and East Yorkshire who have long-term health conditions, disabilities or other barriers to employment.
Hull and East Yorkshire Mayor Luke Campbell has committed £200,000 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.
Across Hull and East Yorkshire, an estimated 71,800 residents 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.
Luke Campbell MBE, Mayor of Hull and East Yorkshire, 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, added: “As a leading employment charity, we’ve been helping people into good work for 40+ 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.”