Mayor welcomes £11.7m employment fund

The mayor of Hull and East Yorkshire has welcomed government funding of £11.7m to help local people secure work.

Luke Campbell said the Connect to Work programme would provide tailored employment support for up to 3,400 disabled people, people with health conditions and complex barriers to work.

"We know that giving people personalised support to find work or stay in work can positively change people's lives. Being in work gives people structure, confidence and independence," he said.

Dame Diana Johnson, Labour MP for Hull North and Cottingham, said she was concerned the funding would not be in place in time where it was needed.

Hull and East Yorkshire Combined Authority said reducing economic inactivity and improving coordination between employment and health services was a core priority.

Commenting on the funding, Reform's Campbell said: "I'm excited to give residents practical support and take steps towards employment in a way that's right for them."

The combined authority said across the region there were an estimated 71,800 residents currently out of work, with "significantly more" people citing long-term sickness as the main barrier to employment compared with the national average.

As part of the programme it said it was also committing £200,000 via the Mayoral Investment Fund to help cover transport costs for people who secure employment through the programme, removing one of the practical barriers to starting work.

However, speaking to BBC Radio Humberside, Johnson said the scheme should have been up and running by the start of April at the latest.

"And it's not, and that's my big gripe," she said.

"The real problem with this is because it's so late we've got organisations and charities in the city who have had to give redundancy notices to the people they employ at the moment to help people get into work because they don't know if this funding is going to come to them," she added.

Campbell hit back by saying: "On one hand, Labour MPs are writing to me saying Connect to Work is a failure and nothing is happening. But today the government announced funding for our local programme.

"The minister for employment – our local MP Diana Johnson – now says she's delighted Hull and East Yorkshire has secured funding for Connect to Work.

"So, which is it? Because both can't be true."

He said the funding had been signed off, meaning "a proper procurement process" would now take place before it could start.

"I'm not interested in political games. I'll work with anyone if it helps Hull and East Yorkshire," Campbell said.

"My focus is on putting people and place first – that means getting people into work, which is exactly what I'm doing."

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