'Creative' scheme to help people get back into work

A five-year programme is aiming to help thousands of people get back into work.

The South Midlands Connect to Work programme helps job seekers who face barriers to work to identify skills and match them to their future career.

The scheme will work with more than 8,000 people across six local authorities covering West Northamptonshire, North Northamptonshire, Luton, Milton Keynes, Bedford and Central Bedfordshire.

Dave Southall, 47, from Gretton, said the scheme "got to see my strengths as a person individually, not just from a piece of paper".

He became involved with Connect to Work after attending a jobs fair in Milton Keynes last year.

Southall had been unemployed for over 12 months after working in IT for 23 years, leaving due to ill health, and was looking for a job.

He said the scheme helped him with updating his CV as well as giving mental health support.

"It also gave me a referral for the gym and they provided emotional support as well as basically understanding the landscape of the working environment and what it's like nowadays looking for a job," he said.

"It is not straightforward anymore - back in my day, you turn up for an interview and that was it; nowadays it's team meetings and you've got one-on-one interviews and things like that, so it's a changing climate and you need to adapt to it and they helped me adapt to that."

The scheme is backed by £32m in government funding.

Julia Green, supported employment manager for North Northamptonshire Council, said: "I've been in the sector now for 21 years and this is the first time we've seen that funding come into local authorities with complete control over how they provide that support to local people."

She added: "It isn't just about job seeking, although it is really important. So, CVs, interview preparation, cover letters - all really important parts of the job-seeking process - but also supporting people with complex barriers that may well be health and disability related."

Green said the schemes used "creative fixes" such as helping job seekers get their car back on the road or sourcing clothing for an interview - "anything that is going to give that person a really good opportunity and chance in the workplace".

The programme will run across the South Midlands region until March 2030.

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