York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority: Trailblazer returns to help more people towards employment

An innovative programme designed to overcome barriers to employment is back, having supported 1,945 people across York and North Yorkshire in its first year.

The Get Britain Working Economic Inactivity Trailblazer will continue for a second year to help people with long-term health conditions or other barriers to work, support employers, and improve links between employment, health and training providers.

Led by York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority, a £10 million programme is underway, running until the end of March 2027.

In the opening year, of the 1,945 people supported, 1,561 were not in work. A total of 120 people have since begun employment, 225 have enrolled in education / training, 234 have started volunteering, 83 have started work experience and 25 have entered subsidised employment. A total of 261 employers received support from Trailblazer activity.

This year, the programme seeks to support 1,500 individuals not in work, 500 people currently employed and 150 businesses. This will be delivered through North Yorkshire Council, City of York Council, NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board, not-for-profit organisation Better Connect and other projects commissioned by the Combined Authority.

Support offered across York and North Yorkshire communities includes:

• The Work and Skills Interchange, which offers advice and makes connections for people seeking work, or trying to stay in work, and supports employers. The service includes a website, dedicated advisers and place-based navigators in urban, rural and coastal areas.
• Specialised programmes for young people who are not in education, employment or training, or are at risk of becoming so. This includes one-to-one support and mentoring.
• Support for adults aged 50 + who are retired, returning to work or changing careers due to caring responsibilities, health issues or major life transitions.
• A wage subsidy scheme for employers supporting them to employ someone who is not working and not actively looking for a job.
• The recently launched Employer Support Programme, connecting employers with support to help build inclusive workplaces.
• Health and employment support services based in settings such as GP surgeries, leisure centres and community hubs.

David Skaith, Mayor of York and North Yorkshire, said:  "Our trailblazing £10 million programme offers extra support to those who need it most, helping them overcome barriers, return to work, and transform their lives. 

"We've supported thousands of Disabled people and those living with long-term health conditions or other complex needs, giving them the confidence they need to succeed. 

"I'm proud of our progress, but we're just getting started. We want to reach thousands more and create a county where opportunity is open to everyone." 

North Yorkshire Council's leader, Cllr Carl Les, who is a member of the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority, said: Ensuring that our residents and businesses have the correct skills, support and jobs is vital to driving forward North Yorkshire's economy.

The first year of the Trailblazer project has been so important in helping to achieve this, with 17 projects being delivered across the county.

The projects helped people who were not looking for employment due to health and wider issues, those at risk of losing their job due to ill health and supporting employers to get more people back into work.

We are looking forward to working within the combined authority to provide another eight initiatives in the coming year. They will help to ensure that more people have the necessary support and skills to find the right job for them and help our economy grow.

Councillor Bob Webb, Deputy Leader of City of York Council, said: The continued funding will carry on the important work of powering the local economy and creating even more good jobs within our city.

 We'll continue working with partners in York to pilot innovative new approaches and ideas, scale up what's already working and was successful in the first year of the scheme.

The Trailblazer funding perfectly aligns with our Economic Strategy and is a further step towards unlocking hidden talent in York and making sure no-one gets left behind.

Hannah Prole, Head of Impact at Better Connect, said: "We're delighted to see the Trailblazer programme continuing into its second year and building on the strong foundations established during year one. It's been encouraging to see the positive impact the programme has had, supporting people to develop their skills, confidence and opportunities while strengthening connections across our communities.

At Better Connect through our Rise2Thrive Trailblazer programme, we've seen first-hand how collaborative working and targeted support can make a real difference. Together, through our partnership of 30 specialist VCSE organisations we have supported more than 1,300 people across the region, with 78% progressing towards employment, job search, education or training. 

As we move into year two, we're excited to continue working alongside our partners to build on these successes, reach even more people, and ensure the programme continues to create lasting, positive change across the region.

Jason Stamp, Chair of NHS Humber and North Yorkshire Integrated Care Board, said: "We are delighted that this pioneering programme has been extended for a second year. It is a brilliant example of what can be achieved when the NHS works with partners to tackle the health issues that can prevent people from finding or staying in work.

"By supporting residents who have been out of work, we are helping people overcome health and wellbeing barriers, access the right support and move closer to employment. Working alongside employers and partners, we are also helping create more opportunities for good work that supports a healthier local workforce.

"We look forward to building on these strong foundations, ensuring even more people benefit from this joined-up approach."

The programme is one of eight economic inactivity trailblazers in the UK and is funded by the Government.

To find out more about Trailblazer support, visit the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority's Work and Skills Interchange website:https://interchange.yorknorthyorks-ca.gov.uk/


Case study: Overcoming barriers in York construction programme

One of the projects supported by Trailblazer programme funding last year was the Supporting Pathways Construction Programme.

Its aim was to assist economically inactive York residents to overcome barriers, gain skills and progress towards employment in the construction sector.

Over 12 weeks 20 people learned new skills including roof and timber frame repairs and lime mortar plastering at a live site in Museum Street.

Megan, one of the course learners, said: I've absolutely loved taking part in the Heritage Conservation Programme. All of the staff at Pinnacle who've provided the tutorials and overseen the project have been really engaging and knowledgeable and it's been a great experience learning from them.

I've loved learning about lime plastering the most. It's a skill that I'd love to use in future. Getting the opportunity to learn all these skills on a real building site has also been invaluable. It's been great to feel like our work is contributing something.

: Our experience of working with York Learning has been very pleasant, we have continuously communicated which has made the process very smooth and easy to manage.

The York Learning team managed to recruit a great cohort to give this pilot scheme it's best chance of success.

Heritage skills is an area close to our heart. There is a huge skills crisis in our sector, and we all need to be doing our part to encourage greater participation.  From our more personal perspective we have a number of highly skilled operatives that are in their late 50s and 60s and who have openly admitted that they only have five years or so left before they hang up their boots.  For us as a business to survive beyond the next five years it is so important that we have a pool of talent entering the industry from all angles.