NCC Employability & Inclusion Team to deliver DWP Economic Inactivity Trailblazer
Northumberland County Council’s Employability and Inclusion Team will continue to support services and programmes across the county that help residents to get into and stay in good quality work. They are now mobilising to help deliver the DWP Economic Inactivity Trailblazer which is a flagship initiative under the UK Government’s wider strategy to reduce economic inactivity and support more people into work.
Funded by DWP for the 2025/26 financial year, this place-based pilot is closely aligned with the ambitions of the Get Britain Working White Paper, aiming to bring together local health, skills, and employment systems to better support working age residents who are economically inactive due to long-term health conditions, caring responsibilities, or other complex barriers.
In the North East, the Trailblazer will test innovative, locally tailored approaches to improve employment outcomes. It will strengthen collaboration between public health, employment support, and skills providers, and drive system change and unlock new ways of working.
Work Smart Live Well, an employment and skills drop-in service for residents currently delivered every Tuesday morning in Cramlington, will expand to deliver new sessions across Northumberland, the first in Hadston on 7 November and the next in Ashington on 13 November. Anyone looking to return to, or progress into work or training, can meet with a range of organisations delivering funded support to access information, advice and guidance around work, health and skills.
Employers will also receive support to help economically inactive residents into employment via guidance, training and resources.
Development and growth of the Northumberland Employability Network will continue. Co-chaired with Northumberland CVA, the network shares information, identifies collaboration opportunities, supports signposting and raises awareness of provision and areas of need in the sector.
The Trailblazer offers us the opportunity to develop and test new and innovative ways to address the persistent challenge of economic inactivity – with the aim of harnessing untapped human potential to help grow our economy, raise living standards, reduce child poverty and create opportunities from which everyone can benefit.