Help available for people to get work and skills support

Three new initiatives aimed at helping people to access work and skills support are getting underway for residents in Stockport.

Help available for people to get work and skills support

Three new initiatives aimed at helping people to access work and skills support - including those who may need extra support due to health conditions or those with little progression opportunities - are getting underway for residents in Stockport.

WorkWell is a UK Government funded initiative aimed at supporting those in work, that are at risk of losing employment, or are very recently unemployed, due to a health condition. This programme will help provide low intensity preventative support to remain in the labour market whilst ensuring this is joined up with the health and wellbeing support services that are needed.

Greater Manchester is one of 15 locations across the country to pilot this programme. In Stockport, this programme is being jointly led by Stockport Council and the NHS, in partnership with Viaduct Care who will employ a team of Work and Health Coaches to undertake assessments and action plans for participants. WorkWell will run until March 2026, supporting over 800 Stockport residents.

The second initiative is In Work Progression, commissioned by the Greater Manchester Combined Authority, and will provide Stockport residents who are in work, with limited career progression opportunities, to either support their progression by, for example, upskilling.

This initiative will support around 300 Stockport residents over a period of two years, with a team of Employment Key Workers being based in the Council’s Continuing Education Service.

To receive help from either of these new programmes, or other existing support suitable to needs, you can be referred by the new Work and Skills Navigator. The Work and Skills Navigator is a new Council post, funded via the funding received from Greater Manchester Combined Authority, and will act as the single point of contact for residents, employers and front line services supporting customers, seeking help for work and skills needs. The Work and Skills Navigator will provide a ‘Work and Skills triage’ support in helping Stockport residents, employers and frontline services in accessing the necessary services and provisions that they may need.

All three initiatives will be based in community settings, linking in with the network of Family Hubs and local libraries, and the range of services delivered from these settings.

Employment support provision already available to Stockport residents, includes:

Funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, Build A Business empowers aspiring entrepreneurs, existing entrepreneurs, and small businesses across Greater Manchester with tailored support to meet the diverse needs of the business community.

Jobcentre Plus - This service is for people who need to claim out of work benefits. Residents who access this service will have an initial discussion with a Work Coach to determine what employment support they may need. Jobcentre Plus can also provide support with job searching, CV preparation and sector-based pre-employment training courses linked to recruiting employers. They also provide outreach provision for young people, three half days a week at the Cornerstone (Stockport Homes).

The National Careers Service can support residents with 1-2-1 careers sessions delivered by Standguide in Stockport.

Delivered by Growth Company, Greater Manchester Working Well provides the Individual Placement Support in Primary Care programme which focuses on providing support for people with health conditions who are unemployed or at risk of losing their employment status due to their health condition. They provide support to find employment or sustainment of employer through reasonable adjustments, access to occupation health services, skills development and other assistance. This is particularly suitable for those people longer term out of work with a health condition, and requiring more intensive support than WorkWell.

There are also a range of Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise organisations that are funded by Greater Manchester Community Grants to provide grassroots employment support projects to help further engage people in the labour market.

Stockport Homes run Work Clubs in the Cornerstone on Thursdays and in First House in Brinnington on Fridays, and also have their Social Supermarket offer. They have also been asked by the Council to deliver Steps to Work, providing a service to support employers to recruit young people with Special Educational Needs, including employers wage initiatives.

Councillor Colin MacAlister, Cabinet Member for Economy, Regeneration and Housing at Stockport Council, said:

“We know that the current economic climate is a challenging time for our residents. We have been providing local people with support on a range of areas as part of our warm and well initiative. The new initiatives offer support to those in employment, and also when residents are looking for jobs to know where they can turn for information and help.

“There is already a range of employment and skills support for Stockport residents, but these new initiatives will help provide more support for those who really need it.

“Those with health conditions are already facing obstacles in the working world and the new WorkWell initiative will be able to equip them with extra assistance to maintain their activity in the workforce.

“The new Work and Skills Navigator will be able to guide and further support those in need of assistance and help them to access whatever services they may need.”

For further information visit the jobs, training and skills pages on our website or email workandskills@stockport.gov.uk