Working Well employment and wellbeing programme extended

A Greater Manchester programme to improve access to employment, training opportunities and wellbeing support has been extended until 2023 after its success during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Working Well Work and Health Programme Job Entry Targeted Support service (WHP JETS) will be extended for a further 12 months after helping over 20,000 people in the Greater Manchester since the Covid-19 lockdown began last year.

Following the outbreak of the pandemic, Greater Manchester’s devolved powers meant the city-region could quickly respond and support people who were at risk of losing their jobs or became newly unemployed. WHP JETs is the equivalent of the national Job Entry Targeted Support service but because of devolution, it was locally commissioned, designed and set up. The programme is a joint partnership between Greater Manchester Combined Authority (GMCA), Ingeus and The Growth Company, Rochdale, Oldham and Bolton Councils, as well as the Get Set Academy. Service users are provided with a variety of support ranging from one-to-one coaching, CV writing, interview skills, job searches and well-being support.

Working Well was first launched in 2014 by GMCA and has since developed into a range of schemes tailored to suit individual needs. In addition to WHP JETS, further schemes also include the Specialist Employment Service for those with learning disabilities, autism and mental illness; Early Help, for those at risk of unemployment or newly unemployed due to ill-health; and the EnterprisingYou scheme to support the self-employed in the Greater Manchester.

Caroline, 59, of Rochdale, signed up for support with WHP JETS after she was made redundant from her legal secretary role last year as a result of the pandemic. After receiving advice and attending a workshop, Caroline was offered a new legal secretary position at a company in Salford. She said of the support she received:

The whole process of looking for a new role was soul destroying when you spend hours completing application forms and never even receive a response. I had relevant experience for many of these jobs so I came to the conclusion that my age was viewed negatively. Even my friends thought that I should be looking for ways to retire.

“I cannot praise JETS support enough. My Ingeus coach, Danielle Emanuel, was not only a tower of strength and enthusiastic, but inspirational too. It was reassuring to hear that being unemployed isn’t your fault and not to take it personally. It is a very competitive jobs market at the moment.

“Now I am working again as a legal secretary with a company based in Salford. My advice to other jobseekers is if you’re not initially successful, never give up hope. There are people who can help you be successful.”

Greater Manchester leaders are set to agree to extend WHP JETS for another 12 months to offer people further support, as the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme comes to an end on 30 September which is expected to put more jobs at risk. An additional investment of £6,737,400 has been secured from the Department for Work & Pensions (DWP) to help extend the programme.

Cllr Andrew Western, GMCA lead for Digital, Works, Skills and Clean Air, said:

In Greater Manchester we do not turn our back on people in times of need. JETS was set up in response to the coronavirus pandemic and has helped thousands of people find employment through support with CV writing, job searches and interview skills.

“Working Well has been a huge success in Greater Manchester and the figures speak for themselves – more than 20,000 people have been supported since March last year. Caroline’s experiences shows how Working Well programmes have had a real impact on people’s lives.”