Marvin OnumonuSurrey County Council has launched the ‘STEP Surrey’ gateway services portal to make finding work, training, and employment support easier for jobseekers across Surrey.
Recent research found 17.9% of people of working age in the county were not in work, with 22,400 wanting jobs but unable to find suitable roles.
Barriers identified included education (30%), long-term health conditions (20.2%) and care responsibilities (19%).
STEP Surrey brings together a live jobs board updated twice daily, thousands of vacancies, and direct access to employment experts for tailored guidance.
The council launched the service at the Surrey Skills Conference, attended by 200 employers, education, academia, and Government delegates.
The event was run in partnership with Surrey Chambers of Commerce, with keynote speeches from Robert West, head of employment and skills at the Confederation of British Industry, and Holly Hobbs, a Gen-Z influencer and co-founder of urfuture.
Delegates discussed local control of skills policy and ways to help those out of work gain skills needed by employers.
Upcoming Government-funded programmes were also outlined, including Connect to Work, which aims to support 2,500 people facing complex barriers into employment over five years, and WorkWell, which offers coaching for people with health challenges to get into, return to, and stay in work.
Councillor Matt Furniss, Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Economic Growth at Surrey County Council, said: “Surrey is a diverse, vibrant and well-connected region contributing more than £50 billion a year to the UK economy – we have a great economic story to tell.
“But beyond those headlines, we know there are challenges, not least the tens of thousands of residents who are currently out of work but want to work.
“This renewed focus to work, health, economic inactivity and skills, alongside ongoing devolution, means for the first time we can shape our approach to skills and employment across a single Surrey footprint.”
Furniss added: “STEP Surrey is central to that mission – making it easier for every resident to access the training, support and opportunities they need to thrive in our local economy.”
