
Action Towards Inclusion – Better Connect
This project is for adults who are not currently working but who are keen to get ready for work or training in the future. Your business can link with the project to help identify local people who may be suitable for your vacancies. For more information about the how the project can support your business contact: Joe McKenzie, ATI Project Manager via jmckenzie@betterconnect.org.uk
Watch Rosie’s story about how the project helped her get a rewarding job:

*Action Towards Inclusion is part of the national Building Better Opportunities programme which is funded by the European Social Fund and the National Lottery Community Fund.

National Careers Service
National Careers Service can help you to recruit and support staff to progress in the workplace, as well as offer free, impartial and personalised careers advice to individuals.
The National Career Service can work alongside your business to develop skills specific workshops to help attract potential candidates. The content can be tailored to give an understanding of the vacancies, business, sector, labour market information and support candidates applying for your vacancies.
Next steps
Contact National Careers Service on 0800 100 900 or email nationalcareersservice@educationdevelopmenttrust.com

Thriving at Work – Better Connect
Thriving at Work can help your business to recruit and retain staff as well as increase productivity by creating a working environment where all employees can thrive. This project has a particular focus on supporting inclusive workplaces. Flexible delivery is through specialist coaching, mentoring and training as well as lunchtime webinars and 1-to-1 support.
For more information follow this link or contact Emma Lyons, Thriving at Work Programme Manager via elyons@betterconnect.org.uk
The video below showcases the amazing work done by The Blue Dolphin Holiday Park near Filey with the support of Autism Plus to make their workplace inclusive for neurodiverse staff.

*Thriving at Work is funded by the European Social Fund and is managed nationally by the Department for Work and Pensions.

Job Centre Plus
Your local jobcentre can offer a range of support if you’re looking to recruit, including:
- Advertise vacancies on Find A Job – Register on gov.uk/advertise-job
- Issue and collate CVs or application forms
- Screen and match applicants to your job specification
- Arrange interviews
- Use of city centre interview facilities
- Arrange for you to attend Jobcentre meetings to promote your vacancies
SWAPs (Sector Based Work Academy Programme) – pre-employment training courses, tailored to your recruitment needs. At no added cost to yourself. The only proviso is that all course-completers are given a guaranteed job interview.
Work trials: if you are not sure whether someone is right for a particular role, you could offer a limited work trial.
Access to work – grants for individuals with a disability or long-term health condition to help them do their job.
For further information on all of the DWP/JCP provision contact: EMPLOYERSERVICE.NORTHEASTYORKSHIREANDHUMBER@DWP.GOV.UK
Other DWP funded provision that can link you with local people looking for work:
Restart –The programme provides Universal Credit claimants with enhanced support to find jobs in their local area, including work relevant certificates, training and support with CVs and interviews. For further information
https://reedinpartnership.co.uk/services/recruitment-support/
To get in contact with your local office Reed in Partnership office please contact us on 0122 237 90677 or visit reedinpartnership.co.uk
Job Entry Targeted Support – light-touch support for those unemployed for 3 months plus including help with IT skills, job search, CV writing, interview support
https://jobhelp.campaign.gov.uk/government-services/job-entry-targeted-support-jets/

Ingeus
The focus of the CFO3 project is to help offenders turn their back on crime and benefit from targeted support in training and job search provided by a case worker. For example, a 46 year old participant had spent his whole life in and out of custody as a result of crimes committed to fund a drug habit. As a result of support from the programme including goal setting, engaging with local drug & alcohol service, completing his Level 1 H&S in a Construction Environment & CSCS card and improving his job search, application and interview skills; he was offered a 4 week contract as a labourer with a local agency. This would be his first formal job in years. The project continued to support the participant and after 4 weeks on site, the site manager offered him a permanent, full time contract. He said: “this is the longest time in my life I haven’t used drugs and I can now see a clear future in the construction industry”
Ingeus ‘Inclusive Recruit’
As part of the support, employers can also benefit from Inclusive Recruit – a free service to help identify and prepare candidates for your vacancies.
Learn more by clicking here or contact Andrea Berkley at ABerckley@ingeus.co.uk
Employers Forum for Reducing Re-offending
We also work with business throughout the UK as part of an innovative employer engagement programme, designed to improve the recruitment practices of employers and the job prospects of offenders.
The Employers’ Forum for Reducing Re-offending (EFFRR) is a HMPPS-led initiative chaired by Greggs Retail and Ingeus People Director, Roisin Currie. It is a collective of local and national employers that provide training and employment opportunities for offenders, including Greene King, Timpson, Marks & Spencer, Willmott Dixon and many more
Our overall aim of the forum is to encourage more businesses to consider adapting their recruitment practises to support more returning citizens into employment, therefore reducing the impact of re-offending on our communities. It’s strength comes from the ability to attract like-minded businesses who support the re-employment of returning citizens. To join EFFRR or for more information please contact us or email effrr@apm-uk.co.uk.

The CFO3 programme is commissioned by HMPPS and is part funded by the European Social Fund as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020.

New Futures Network
The New Futures Network (NFN) is a specialist part of Her Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS) helping businesses fill skills gaps and prison leavers find employment. The Network can support you directly or link you with local organisations that can support you to explore what employing a prison leaver can bring to your business.
Click here for case studies from businesses who have benefitted from the Network.
For more information, visit their website.

Careers Enterprise Company
Work with us to connect to your future workforce.
Through our York & North Yorkshire Careers Hub and Careers Enterprise Company project we can connect you with young people who have the potential to become part of the future of your business. We can support your business to engage with your local schools and colleges.
If you are an employer who is looking for a dynamic way to connect with young people, then get in touch.
How does it benefit your business?
- Bring new skills and expertise to your business.
- Develop your corporate social responsibility to include an emphasis on education or provide more focus and structure to your recruitment strategy.
- Boost business and employee moral by making a real difference to the lives of young people through mentoring schemes, work placements and structured projects.

This Programme is part funded by the European Social Fund as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020.

Skills Support for the Unemployed – Talented Training
Skills Support for the Unemployed can help to match people to jobs by providing training and qualifications for specific sectors including Construction, Health & Social Care, Logistics/Warehousing and Forklift Training and Security. The project can also work with your business to ensure the support is aligned to your recruitment and skills needs and can adapt courses so that they are relevant to the jobs available and meet both employer and candidate needs.
Additional support is also provided to ensure candidates are ready to take on job roles, for example CV writing and interview skills.
For more information about the support the project can offer contact: sarah@talentedtraining.co.uk

This Programme is part funded by the European Social Fund as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020.
For more information on these programmes, get in touch and we’ll connect you to the expertise and resources you need.
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Events
15th February 20239:00 am - 5:00 pmFREE
15 Feb - Harrogate Co-Lab: Business Support Drop-In Session
This free drop-in service based in Harrogate can help answer your questions and direct you to relevant business support, resources and programmes.
22nd February 20239:00 am - 4:30 pmFREE
22 Feb - Pitching Perfectly - To win new business
Are you a small to medium sized food or drink business that wants to win more business and need to plan the perfect pitch? This full day workshop will help you understand what buyers are looking for and give you the confidence to pitch to them.
01st March 20234:00 pm - 6:00 pmFREE
1 March - Ian Howard- The Enterprise Growth Roadmap
In this two-hour session, Ian Howard will introduce The Enterprise Growth Roadmap. Regardless of where you are at right now, whether you are just launching your business, trying to make sense of the number of opportunities available to you or looking to attract external investment, the Enterprise Growth Roadmap Planning Workshop will help you create a framework to develop your own growth strategy together with some simple steps to help you implement it.
Resources
Glossary of Climate Change Terms for Businesses
A free digital glossary defining the key climate change terms relevant to businesses, to help you understand and engage with sustainability resources and support.
2022 Seminar Recordings
We have recently hosted a programme of in-person seminars and other events, some of which were professionally recorded and can now be viewed on our website.
Seminar Recording : Access to finance: Funding growth
This workshop will provide guidance on cost based pricing, calculating your costs before deciding an appropriate margin, as well as covering market based pricing asking questions such as: What value do you add? What are you worth? How do you position yourself?