The Royal Borough of Greenwich has received £5.8million to help secure good jobs for people who experience difficulties finding work.
Connect to Work is a voluntary, supported employment programme to help people who face challenges – such as health conditions, physical disabilities, learning disabilities or other personal circumstances – find and stay in meaningful work. The programme will provide up to 12 months of personalised one-to-one vocational support to people who are unemployed or at risk of leaving their job. This will be delivered by Greenwich Local Labour and Business (GLLaB), the council’s employment and skills service. It is anticipated that Connect to Work will support over 1,500 people in Royal Greenwich over the next five years.
Councillor Jackie Smith, Cabinet Member for Inclusive Economy, Business, Skills and Greenwich Supports said: “Our mission is that everyone has the opportunity to secure a good job. By providing tailored and individual support, Connect to Work will help overcome barriers experienced by some of the most vulnerable people in our communities and give them a helping hand to find sustained employment. We have seen a great success with similar supported employment programmes such as Restart and we are confident Connect to Work will be just the same.”
Councillor Mariam Lolavar, Cabinet Member Health, Adult Social Care and Borough of Sanctuary, said: “We are committed to making sure that people’s health is supported to live their best life and that they can access the right support, advice and opportunities to improve their situation. Finding suitable job opportunities for people who have disabilities and complex needs will not only help them with a regular income – it will have a positive impact on well-being by expanding social connections and bringing with it a sense of achievement.”
Connect to Work is open to anyone over 18 who meets one of the following criteria:
Unemployed with a physical or mental disability, or a long-term health condition
Ex-offender
Carer or ex-carer
Affected by homelessness
Served in the Armed Forces
Been in care
Have drug or alcohol dependency
Been a refugee, is a resettled Afghan, or on the Ukrainian scheme
Survivor of domestic abuse
Survivor of modern slavery
Young person involved, or at risk of being involved, in serious violence.
People can be referred to Connect to Work by their health practitioner, or they can seek this support themselves.
Launched by the Department of Work and Pensions, Connect to Work is part of the government’s Get Britain Working Plan and will complement two other programmes in Royal Greenwich. Since 2021, the Restart employment programme has supported 1,496 people who have been out of work for nine months or more. From June this year, Trailblazer initiative has resulted in 24 paid placements primarily for people not in education or training, care leavers and unpaid carers.
GLLaB can still provide support to people not eligible for Connect to Work. They work in partnership with a range of organisations to give residents the best chance of finding work in Royal Greenwich and the wider area. GLLaB help people at all stages of their working life whether that’s someone looking for their first job, career changers or those returning to work after a break.
