University joins partnership to give skills and jobs boost

02 Jun 2016

The University is amongst the first employers to make a commitment to support ‘Working Well’, a Greater Manchester initiative developed to support 20,000 unemployed Greater Manchester residents into employment

Each person taking part in the programme receives an individually-tailored package of support ensuring that the issues which are holding them back from work are tackled at the right time in the right order by the right people. This approach will now be used to support a much wider group of people including Job Seekers Allowance Claimants, lone parents on income support and people in low-paid work who receive Universal Credit.

Currently, around 227,000 people across Greater Manchester claim out of work benefits. The cost to the taxpayer of worklessness and low-paid work has now reached over £2 billion and, in addition to the economic costs, there are significant social impacts on individuals, families and communities.

On Friday, 10 June, the University will host ‘Working Well Opportunities Fair’ in the Whitworth Hall. This event will see a range of employers from across GM come together with approximately 150 ‘Working Well’ clients to explore skills development and employment opportunities.

Steve Grant, the University’s Assistant Director of HR who leads on employment and skills, said: "I am pleased that as a significant employer in Greater Manchester we are able to contribute to this incredibly important initiative. As a product of the Greater Manchester Devolution Deal the expansion of ‘Working Well’ is a locally designed solution which will bring together a wide range of employers,services and agencies to work with common purpose to effect real change in the lives of unemployed GM residents."