Pathways to Work service launched in Sheffield

Unemployed people in Sheffield are now able to receive bespoke, personalised employment support through Pathways to Work, a new service we are pleased to be providing.

Pathways to Work is a free employability service that helps economically inactive people to start working. Reed in Partnership has been commissioned by Sheffield City Council’s employment and skills service, Opportunity Sheffield, to deliver Pathways to Work in part of the city.

Economic inactivity is a growing social and economic challenge in the UK. Of those who do not currently work, four in five are classified as ‘economically inactive’ which equates to 9.38 million people aged 16-64 across the UK not actively seeking work, either because they are unable to work, studying or do not want to work.

The Pathways to Work service is part of the government’s Economic Inactivity Trailblazers initiative that has given local leaders the opportunity to form a single, cohesive employment support system in their region - with an aim to reduce economic inactivity rates in South Yorkshire from 25.5% in 2023 to under 20% by the end of 2029.

Pathways to Work has been designed to target residents who are at a significant distance from the labour market, providing them with tailored support and enabling access to good, sustainable employment opportunities. By aligning health, employment and skills services, Pathways to Work will enable people to overcome their individual barriers to enter, re-enter and remain in the workplace.

Building on our previous experience delivering employability services in South Yorkshire, our teams are already at work throughout the local community building relationships with local organisations and partners to provide timely and supportive access to the service to those who need it most.

Julie McNicholas, Senior+ Business Manager at Reed in Partnership commented: “We’re off to a flying start with Pathways to Work in Sheffield. We have a great team who are already doing a fantastic job of getting out into the community we serve.

“The local community has been very welcoming. We’ve already begun to establish some strong relationships that are helping us to ensure we can reach the people who need our support the most and help them find the job that’s right for them.”

If you would like to learn more about Pathways to Work or refer someone to the service, please visit reedpathwaystowork.co.uk.