Over 3,000 out-of-work residents in Newcastle, North Tyneside and Northumberland will be supported to develop skills and gain employment later this spring, thanks to £7.2m funding from North of Tyne Combined Authority (NTCA) and the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
Personalised one-to-one support will be targeted at young people, women, people aged 50 to 64, people from minoritised ethnic communities, people with caring responsibilities, and residents who may be finding it difficult to find work or stay employed, because of a disability, health condition or neurodiverse need.
Eight projects will receive a share of £6.4m to provide residents with support, such as mentoring, help with applying for jobs, digital support, financial advice, and personal and skills development.
Delivery of an additional 16 projects worth £750k has already begun in the region, targeted working age residents and based around sports-based initiatives which promote teamwork and resilience and creative learning opportunities encouraging innovation and problem-solving skills.
Each project is tailored to involve residents in activities that contribute to their personal development, preparing them to take the next step in their journey towards seeking employment.
Many of the projects will trial new ways of working providing pathways to employment through a variety of work placement and training opportunities. This includes providing work experience for young people and opportunities to match job seekers with businesses looking to recruit local people.
North of Tyne Mayor Jamie Driscoll said:
“If everyone had a secure, well-paid job, it would transform our region. Where people have decent jobs, health outcomes improve and crime rates fall.
“We’ve already created 5,377 good jobs and helped over 10,000 people to get ‘work-ready’. This funding aims to help a further 3,600 people into work.
“When it comes to solving unemployment there isn’t a ‘one size fits all’ solution. In the real-world, there are lots of reasons why people aren’t in work.
“We’ve funded 24 projects which will offer tailored support to people from all walks of life. Helping them to get the skills they need to earn a decent wage and live a better life.”
Councillor Karen Kilgour, Cabinet Member for Education, Inclusion and Skills said:
“When we set up North of Tyne Combined Authority, we set out to help people get good jobs. This funding will really help our residents to not only take that first step into or back to the workplace but also give them the confidence and the skills they need to succeed.”
More information about the NTCA employability programme is available from the NTCA website https://www.northoftyne-ca.gov.uk/what-we-do/projects/education-inclusion-and-skills/ or by contacting peopleskills.ukspf@northoftyne-ca.gov.uk