South Yorkshire has become the first region to launch a major new government-backed programme aimed at tackling economic inactivity and helping people get back to work.
The scheme is part of a wider £125 million investment across nine areas in the UK, designed to support communities with high levels of unemployment and health-related work barriers.
Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall visited Barnsley to kick off the first of these “inactivity trailblazer” programmes. Backed by £18 million in funding, South Yorkshire’s initiative will support over 7,800 people in its first year, aiming to help up to 3,000 of them find or stay in work.
The programme will create a new local service working closely with employers to hire and retain people with health conditions. A new triage system will help residents quickly access health, employment, and skills support. NHS-backed efforts will also aim to stop people from leaving work due to illness, particularly those with conditions like heart disease or diabetes.
South Yorkshire already has a strong track record of providing tailored support:
-Gerald, a former coal miner, is improving his digital and first aid skills through volunteering.
- Ruby, who has a learning and physical disability, found work thanks to a customized role at Barnsley Norse.
- John gained qualifications, volunteer experience, and now works at Age UK and Barnsley Museums.
Work and Pensions Secretary, Liz Kendall MP said:
"For too long, whole areas of the UK have been written off and deprived of investment. We are turning the tide on this – as we believe in the potential of every single person across our country and that they deserve to benefit from the security and dignity that good work affords.
This is why we’re investing £125 million into nine local areas to get Britain back to health and back to work – with our new approach making it quicker and easier for people to access the support they need to stay in work if they have a health condition or return to work.
South Yorkshire is the first to kick off their innovative plans – backed by £18 million – and we will be launching more areas in the coming weeks as we put more money in people’s pockets, boost living standards and Get Britain Working under our Plan for Change".
South Yorkshire Mayor, Oliver Coppard said:
"We know that South Yorkshire’s industrial past has left a legacy of poor health and low skills that holds people back right across our communities; holding people back from accessing good work, making the most of their potential or living their fullest lives.
That’s why we developed the pioneering Pathways to Work approach here in Barnsley, and why we’re now working with the Government to roll that programme out across the whole of South Yorkshire. From today people will receive tailored support, bringing together the health system, the skills and employment system, to truly help people back into decent work.
I’m really pleased that South Yorkshire is now leading with the first inactivity trailblazer and NHS growth accelerator to launch in the UK, because it means we can help people more quickly and more effectively, and in a more tailored way. That’s not just the right thing to do for those people locked out of finding good work, it’s the right thing for our economy too, helping us to create the bigger and better economy we need and deserve here in our region".
Minister for Public Health and Prevention, Ashley Dalton MP added:
"Poor health is holding back too many people across the country, keeping them languishing on waiting lists when they could be getting back to their jobs and lives. Innovative services like these are critical to tackling economic inactivity.
This support will get people working again, which is vital because we know being in work leads to better overall heath and helps grow the economy.
Though the Plan for Change we will make people healthier, reduce pressure on the NHS, all while helping them into fulfilling and rewarding careers".
The trailblazer initiative aims to cut South Yorkshire’s inactivity rate from 25.5% to below 20% by 2029 — potentially helping 40,000 people. The effort builds on the “Pathways to Work” model developed in Barnsley, based on input from residents facing real barriers to employment.
This initiative is part of broader government efforts to increase the national employment rate to 80%. It includes a record £1 billion investment to help disabled people and those with long-term health issues get into work, as well as Jobcentre reforms to better meet local needs.
In the coming weeks, similar trailblazer schemes will roll out in Greater Manchester, West Yorkshire, the North East, York and North Yorkshire, Wales, and three areas of London. Additionally, eight youth-focused trailblazers will launch with £45 million in funding to support 18–21-year-olds into jobs, education, or training.
To support transparency and effectiveness, the government has published outcome metrics and local guidance as part of the Get Britain Working strategy.
Photo by John Fielding, Wikimedia commons.