New initiative to support thousands of Plymouth residents into work

Connect To Work - Funded by UK Government

A new £7 million programme in Plymouth will help people with disabilities, health conditions and complex barriers to employment who want to find sustainable work.  

The ‘Connect to Work’ programme is funded by the Department for Work and Pensions and will be delivered in Plymouth over the next five years, supporting around 2,100 people.  

The overall area joint delivery plan has been created in partnership with Devon County Council, which is the lead partner and will distribute the funding, and Torbay Council.  

Connect to Work is a key delivery element of a new county-wide plan also led by Devon County Council, ‘Get Devon, Plymouth and Torbay working’.  

The proposal for the Plymouth programme was agreed at today’s Plymouth City Council Cabinet meeting.   

Councillor Sally Cresswell, Cabinet Member for Education, Skills and Apprenticeships, said: “Connect to Work is an exciting opportunity for Plymouth, which will help break down the barriers that prevent many of our residents from accessing meaningful employment. 

“By offering tailored support and creating new roles for people with lived experience, we’re not only helping individuals into work – we are building a more inclusive and resilient workforce for our city and local employers. 

“This will build on our existing activity developing inclusive employment pathways, such as our supported internship programme which has been co-produced and is successfully helping young people with special educational needs and disabilities into work.”  

More than 30 new staff will be recruited over the coming five years to deliver Connect to Work, including employment specialists, peer support apprentices and support staff. The apprenticeships are open to people with lived experience of barriers to employment, enabling them to offer first-hand advice and support to others.  

Where residents may face barriers to employment through disability, mental health, neurodiversity or a range of other challenges, Connect to Work offers intensive, individually tailored, high quality support to help them find, maintain and thrive in well-matched employment. 

The new team will be based at the Council’s new city centre skills hub, on the first floor of Cobourg House in Mayflower Street, alongside Skills Launchpad Plymouth, Careers Plymouth and On Course South West. The hub will serve as a one-stop shop for skills, training and employment support, enabling referrals as appropriate between each of the services to ensure residents receive the holistic wraparound support they need.  

The support offered by Connect to Work is optional, and eligible residents will be able to self-refer to the programme when it starts later this year. The Council will also work closely with local organisations and charities who can refer people for the support on offer, and pro-actively engage with local employers to enable more inclusive employment pathways.  

For further information email ctw@plymouth.gov.uk