Marvin OnumonuInspira has been appointed to deliver the employment support programme across Cumbria, working with Cumberland and Westmorland and Furness councils through Enterprising Cumbria.
Inspira is confirmed as service co-ordinator for a contract worth almost £10m over up to five years.
The programme is set to launch in January and aims to reach 3,000 people.
Funded by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), Connect to Work will offer up to 12 months of support to those out of work due to health, disability or other circumstances.
It will also support people who are in work but struggling with their health.
Eligibility covers people who are disabled, have long-term health conditions, or are disadvantaged in the labour market, such as carers, care experienced individuals, survivors of domestic abuse or ex-offenders.
The aim is to get people into a job early and help them stay in work with ongoing support and training.
Inspira will manage day-to-day operations to ensure connect to work reaches all areas of Cumbria.
Councillor Mark Fryer, leader of Cumberland Council, said: “We know that Inspira has in-depth knowledge and experience of supporting Cumbrian people into employment.
“We are looking forward to working with them on this flagship programme for our county.
“This successful implementation of Connect to Work will lead to economic benefits, and will benefit our families and communities through the increased prosperity that work brings.”
Councillor Jonathan Brook, leader of Westmorland and Furness Council, said: “We are really pleased with this outcome. Inspira will be an excellent partner to the councils and Enterprising Cumbria in the roll-out of Connect to Work.
“As well as taking collective action on economic inactivity, it helps our businesses with recruiting and retaining new workers.”
Isobel Brown, programme director of Enterprising Cumbria, said: “We were delighted with the number of high-quality bids that were submitted for the Service Co-ordinator contract.
“Following a rigorous evaluation exercise, we are confident that Inspira brings a great deal of expertise that we can all benefit from as we develop and implement the programme.”
Mark Bowman, CEO at Inspira, said: “We are thrilled to be awarded the Service Co-ordinator contract for Connect to Work in Cumbria and can’t wait to get started.
“We have built our knowledge and expertise in how best to support people into employment over the last quarter century.
“Working with the councils and Enterprising Cumbria on this is a fantastic opportunity to give even more people the help they need to achieve their career ambitions.”
