Dame Nia Griffith MP has welcomed a massive investment into employment support in South West Wales that will enable more people in her Llanelli constituency have access to good local jobs.
Almost 3850 sick or disabled people across South West Wales will receive extra employment support, thanks to £14.4m in funding from the UK Labour Government’s Connect to Work programme.
The scheme will deliver localised, tailored support to people who are sick, disabled or face complex barriers to work. It provides intensive, personalised help including individual coaching from employment specialists, job matching services, and ongoing support for both participants and employers to ensure sustainable employment outcomes. Support can include embedding work advisers in GP surgeries, putting on workshops to improve people’s confidence, or helping people with affordable childcare.
Dame Nia Griffith, Member of Parliament for Llanelli said:
“I’m delighted that more people in Llanelli will get help to get into work due to this multi-million pound investment that will provide them with tailored support to tackle the issues they are facing.
“The funding will help people secure local jobs that work for them which is vital because when more people can be empowered to succeed in the world of work, our local communities and our economy thrive too.”
Connect to Work is voluntary. To access support, sick and disabled people and those facing complex barriers to work can self-refer or they can be referred through various routes including healthcare professionals, local authorities, and voluntary sector partners. The scheme is designed and delivered locally. Areas like Llanelli will be able to shape the support around what works best for our community and target funding where it’s needed most.
South West Wales is one of 16 more areas across England and Wales to have had their funding confirmed as part of this £300 million expansion — bringing life-changing, tailored employment support to over 75,000 more people facing complex barriers to work. The funding brings total programme investment to over £950 million across England and Wales.