Employment specialist appointed to oversee North Tyne with government Levelling Up funding

EN:Able Futures, the employment and training delivery arm of regional social housing consortium Efficiency North, has been commissioned to develop projects boosting employment in the region.

The partnership of local providers, Karbon Homes, Your Homes Newcastle, Northumberland County Council, Bernicia, North Tyneside Council, and Changing Lives, has received £717k from the UK Government through the UK Community Renewal Fund.

The fund is a key initiative in the government’s Levelling Up agenda aiming to support people and communities most in need throughout the UK.

EN:Able Futures has been commissioned to undertake the feasibility study to explore the idea of a shared placement model of employment for SMEs in the North East.

One of two projects to receive UK Community Renewal Funding in the North East, and eight in the wider North East region, the project is backed by the North of Tyne Combined Authority, which put the project forward and is supporting aspects of delivery.

Charlotte Carpenter, executive director of growth and business development at Karbon Homes, said: “We’re delighted to have been successful in our funding bid for the UK Community Renewal Fund.

“By combining the knowledge and experiences of multiple housing providers in the region we have created a unique concept which will take great strides in building our understanding of the labour market barriers in the North East, which in term will help us monitor the impact of our interventions.”

North of Tyne combined authority mayor Jamie Driscoll said: “The New Start Scheme means more people and more employers will be part of the region’s recovery from Covid-19. It’s a collaborative approach that brings together the right people and the right organisations.

“This scheme will give people a helping hand into jobs. Increasing job prospects changes people’s lives and that’s what I want. I want everyone to be able to see their own potential. When we work together, we can be winners. This is what the North of Tyne devolution deal was all about: improving life for our people.”

Lee Parkinson, chief executive of Efficiency North, commented; “The EN:Able Futures team is delighted to use their knowledge and expertise to help social housing landlords in the North East realise their ambitions to deliver employment and training opportunities for the communities they serve.”