Marvin OnumonuLondon has secured £30m from the Government to help young people and those with health conditions get back into work.
The funding will go towards five programmes run by the Mayor of London and London Boroughs under the ‘Get Britain Working’ trailblazers scheme.
Three programmes will focus on unemployed Londoners facing barriers to jobs, including disabled people, those with long-term health conditions and people from underrepresented groups.
Two more will support young people not in employment, education or training, including care leavers.
Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall said: “With so much talent and potential across our capital city, we want to help all young people thrive and reach their potential.
“That’s why we are investing £30million in our Youth Trailblazers scheme in London to support more young people, including those with disabilities and long-term health conditions, into work.
“In addition, our Youth Guarantee will ensure all 18-to-21-year-olds will get the chance to study, train or work.”
Kendall added: “This is a key part of our Plan for Change, which will put more money in people’s pockets and make everyone better off.”
The trailblazer schemes will join up local employment, health, skills and youth services, with more than 5,000 Londoners set to be supported over one year.
Plans include a digital hub for young people to find local opportunities and support, a starter pack with a laptop and mobile for care leavers moving into independent accommodation, and a childcare support fund for parents returning to work or training.
The schemes align with the London growth plan and the inclusive talent strategy, which aims to build a skilled workforce and boost the city’s economy.
Boroughs working in sub-regional partnerships and City Hall will monitor the programmes to help more Londoners get training, find jobs and progress at work.
Councillor Peter Mason, executive member for planning and skills at London Councils, said: “With 1.3 million Londoners currently economically inactive and 1 in 5 young people in the capital unemployed, it’s vital we have high-quality local support in place to help remove barriers to employment and support people into jobs and training.
“Not only will this benefit our residents and improve living standards, it will allow us to make most of the untapped potential and talent in our city in order to drive inclusive economic growth.
“Thanks to the Government’s £30 million trailblazer funding for London, boroughs have the investment boost we need to test new and innovative approaches, working through our sub-regional partnerships to learn what works best.”
Mason added: “These trailblazers will help pave the way for long-term transformation of employment support services, ensuring they are more integrated, deliver better outcomes and ensure the best possible value for public money.”
Deputy Mayor of London for business and growth, Howard Dawber, said: “The Mayor is committed to getting more Londoners into good jobs.
“We have ambitious targets in the new London Growth Plan to not only create jobs but good jobs, where people can start real careers and can thrive.
“This funding will allow us to reach people who most need support and help them to train for good futureproof jobs.
“Working together with national Government and local boroughs will mean we can build a better-skilled workforce and a better, fairer, more prosperous London for everyone.”
Adam Hug, chair of Central London Forward and leader of Westminster City Council, said: “It is unacceptable that young people with experience of care are more likely to be out of education and employment and more likely to suffer from poor mental health than the rest of the population.
“Central London boroughs already support care-experienced young people throughout their lives.
“This programme will allow us to innovate within these services and improve how the system works.”
Hug added: “We’re looking forward to better supporting care experienced young people to realise their potential and build fulfilling, stable adult lives.”
Antony Okereke, chair of Local London and leader of the Royal Borough of Greenwich, said: “London is growing eastwards, and with a GVA of over £50bn per annum, Local London sub-region is an economic powerhouse.
“The opportunities are huge, but not all our residents benefit from what’s available on their doorstep.
“We have more people who are out of work than the rest of the capital.”
Okereke added: “The reasons for this are multi-faceted, but we know that women, people with disabilities and long-term health issues, and carers are disproportionately affected.
“I’m delighted that Local London will be leading one of three trailblazers in the capital as part of the Government’s plans to Get Britain Working.
“Working with the Mayor of London and Government, we have secured £7million devolved funding for our boroughs to trial new approaches to help our residents overcome barriers to work and to transform their lives.”
Barry Rawlings, chair of West London Alliance and leader of Barnet Council, said: “West London Alliance boroughs are committed to fostering a more inclusive West London and are delighted to collaborate with the Mayor of London and our sub-regional partners on the Get Britain Working trailblazers.
“This initiative builds on our proven success in delivering devolved employment support programmes, which we have been running since 2016.
“Collaboration is at the very heart of everything we do at WLA, and these trailblazers exemplify that by bringing together employment, health, skills, and youth services to offer vital, tailored support to those facing profound challenges in the labour market.”
Rawlings added: “We are excited to continue our efforts in empowering Londoners to overcome barriers to employment and access new opportunities.”
Gareth Roberts, chair of the South London Partnership and leader of Richmond upon Thames Council, said: “The trailblazer pilots created by the South London Partnership represent a bold step toward integrated, person-centred support that will provide a bridge between health and employment services.
“By connecting our residents to tailored job and skills opportunities across our sub region through referrals from our health partnerships, we are removing barriers and accelerating access to impactful support to enable more people to rejoin the job market.”
