A government pilot of “hyperlocal” job support in 10 neighborhoods across England has shown “early signs of impact”, including for young people, and could be scaled up across the country, a new assessment has revealed.
The Jobs Plus scheme, which is supported by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) and the Youth Future Foundation, an independent not-for-profit organisation, focuses primarily on intensive support in a small area of social housing. Echoing a similar, long-established scheme in the US, “community champions” at each site help engage hard-to-reach people in the local area.
Social housing residents are almost twice as likely to be unemployed as the population as a whole, and many participants have barriers to work such as caring responsibilities or health conditions.
JobsPlus caseworkers offer one-to-one support, provide financial support for needs such as interview clothing or transport to facilitate the job search, and can connect clients with local employers, Jobcentre Plus offices or NHS services.
The evaluation found that the pilot is “engaging residents who are generally further out of the labor market and who may require longer and more intensive support before employment outcomes are achieved”.
Between July 2024 and December last year, 27% of the scheme’s more than 1,000 participants had achieved a positive employment outcome – in most cases, moving from unemployment to employment, or for some, finding a better job.
Participants reported overall “improvements in mental health including less anxiety, less moodiness and improvements in social isolation, as well as resilience”, the evaluation found, with many feeling these improvements were “necessary precursors to applying for roles or keeping work”.
Almost a third (31%) of those enrolled so far are aged 16-24 compared to 12% of Indigenous people in eligible locations.
Labor is keen to experiment with ways to help young people into jobs or training, with the number of 16- to 24-year-olds not in employment, education or training (Neet) surpassing 1 million for the first time in a decade. Former minister Alan Milburn is examining the problem for the government, and highlighted the scale of the problem in his interim report last month.
Stephen Evans, chief executive of the Learning and Work Institute, an independent policy and research organization running the pilot schemes, said: “With more than a million young people now estimated to be out of education, employment or training, it is time to move from analysis to action.
“We welcome the findings that JobsPlus’ hyperlocal approach provides that opportunity for action: proactively finding and supporting young people in their local communities, and offering support that understands them as people.”
10 pilot schemes, including Stockton-on-Tees, Toxteth and Wirral on Merseyside, and Pange in south London, have been funded by the DWP until next March.
Minister for Employment, Diana Johnson, said: “Too many young people are not currently accessing the support that is out there to help them, and that must change. That’s why we are supporting innovative approaches like JobPlus, which works directly with local communities to find and support young people.”
It added: “JobsPlus complements our Youth Guarantee – our commitment to give every young person an opportunity to earn or learn – by reaching out to those furthest left by the system.”
The assessment was carried out by the independent Institute for Employment Studies, which said the scheme could be scaled up nationally.
One aspect of the pilots is a £400 “in-work bonus” for those who manage to find a job and stay employed for two months. The evaluation found it was “helpful but not central” to achieving successful outcomes.
