Work and Skills Funding Opportunities

Pathways to Work is South Yorkshire's approach to bringing about system-wide change to support people to overcome barriers to entering, re-entering or remaining in the workplace.

Pathways to Work has a focus integrating the delivery of health, employment and skills services to provide complete, person-centred support.

This will align funding across the Economic Inactivity Trailblazer, Health Growth Accelerator, UK Shared Prosperity Fund (People and Skills), existing funded delivery and localised support offers, such as the Advance Employment Hub - to form a single, cohesive work and skills support system.

Locally in Doncaster we’re commissioning services, working with local partners and recruiting to key roles that help us to test, learn and innovate at a local level; embedding our relational approach to working with employers and communities to support residents to thrive in life and work.

This is your opportunity to get involved and make a real difference in Doncaster.

Adult, Family and Community Learning exits to provide local, accessible learning that improves wellbeing, skills and knowledge of adults, their families and communities. 

Purpose of the Adult Skills Fund

This funding gives you the chance to provide local, accessible learning that improves the health, wellbeing, skills and knowledge of individuals, families and communities.

Anything you offer should:

• Engage and build learner confidence
• Act as preparation for further learning 
• Act as preparation for employment
• Improve essential skills including English, ESOL, maths and digital
• Equip parents/carers to support children's learning 
• Improve health and wellbeing 
• Develop stronger communities

What we're looking for from you

• Innovative ideas 
• Activities that engage and support learners with low level skills
• Collaborative working
• Programmes of delivery
• Integrating tailored learning and accredited learning
• Clear progression demonstrated

 

Needs more detail....

This is an integrated regional programme of bespoke pre-employment and in-work support activity designed to specifically break down barriers to labour market participation and ensure sustainable employment with scope for career progression.

All partners should provide localised, targeted and/or specialist support, to include the engagement of target participants, delivery of interventions and progression support.

There are two main strands of support under SESY; Pre-Employment and In Work.

Overview of SESY ‘Pre-Employment’

Pre-Employment offers preparation for employment activity which engages target participants and provides holistic employability support designed to address personal and circumstantial barriers. This may include 1:1 keyworker support, Information, Advice and Guidance (IAG), group activities and specialist interventions.

Target participants:

• Socially excluded unemployed adults whose needs cannot be, or are not being met through mainstream provision (e.g. DWP’s Restart, Work & Health Programme)
• Economically inactive young people, including those not in education, employment or training (NEET) and those at risk of becoming NEET
• Economically inactive adults

Examples of support for young people, aged 16-18:

• Individual assessments undertaken in non-threatening environments,
• Activity to support people who are not in education, employment, or training (NEET), or at risk of becoming NEET, to remain engaged in mainstream education,
• Services provided in community hubs where young people can access holistic support and a range of services e.g. through youth clubs,
• Independent careers education, information, advice, and guidance (CEIAG),
• Confidence-building,
• Work experience opportunities and employer encounters,
• Wraparound provision to address additional external barriers,
• Funded training for those not able to access Alternative Provision or Study Programmes.

Examples of support for adults aged 18+:

• Individual assessments undertaken in non-threatening environments,
• Tailored support for individuals, groups, and communities with specific barriers (e.g. qualification recognition/ESOL for non-UK nationals),
• Flexible support packages based on individual assessment and co-designed with participants to address personal barriers,
• Confidence-building,
• Barrier-busting wraparound support e.g. debt/benefits advice, therapy, interview support, childcare, transport, ESOL (referrals for support),
• Volunteering placements,
• Funded training for those who are ineligible for Adult Education Budget (AEB) funded provision,
• Progression into employment,

Post-programme support.

Overview of SESY ‘In Work’

For individuals who are in employment, SESY will offer bespoke support designed to help participants sustain employment, thrive in their chosen career or transition into new employment. Provision will extend support to participants who have joined SESY while out-of-work and received support to find work but also offer an entry-point for existing employees who have an employability, career change, job retention and/or skills development need.

Provision will be targeted at employed and self-employed individuals who have an in-work support need which cannot, or will not, be effectively met without SESY intervention.

Target participants:

• Employed or self-employed individuals who live in South Yorkshire who either are at risk of redundancy and/or wish to reskill or upskill

Activity will include:

• Diagnostics and participant assessments to understand an employed, or self-employed participant’s starting point
• Assessment of circumstances, ambitions and aspirations to develop a bespoke action plan containing clear personal and career goals
• Independently delivered CEIAG
• Personal development support be provided by the delivery teams through coaching, mentoring, 1:1s, group work, workshops and masterclasses

• In-work employability support to help participants overcome barriers to sustained employment and progression
• Early intervention to support participants at risk of redundancy or facing significant changes to their job role / functions as a consequence of automation, business change, or health and wellbeing factors
• Interventions enabling participants to gain experience, skills and career readiness, all delivered in an inspirational, appropriate and accessible way undertaken in non-threatening environments.
• Signposting to funded training and/or access to training – on a needs-assessed basis – not currently available through external provision, including units towards, standalone qualifications, productivity, and employability.
• Post-training support to embed learning, utilise newly gained skills and knowledge, with a view to enable ongoing development and continued progression, in the context of the individual’s career and life goals

 

This is new grant funding available to support Doncaster organisations to deliver events and activities as part of the Remake Learning Days Festival. Activities should be aimed at those aged 16+ with a particular focus on those not currently in employment.

Pathways to Work-funded Remake Learning Days grants are available for Voluntary Community Faith and Social Enterprise (VCFS) groups, organisations and businesses, as part of the festival taking place from Thursday 22-Saturday 31 May across Doncaster.

What is the Remake Learning Days Festival?

Back for 2025, the Remake Learning Days Festival is a concept that was brought to the UK for the first time in 2023 from America, and will be offering a series of family-friendly, free and low cost events taking place over ten days, including May Half-Term, to offer fun and engaging learning opportunities right across Doncaster.

Over 200 events are currently planned for the festival, now in its third year, and we welcome new expressions of interest with this funding opportunity, with a specific focus on those aged 16+ and not currently in employment.

What activities can I apply for a grant to run?

The activities you run must be engaging, inclusive, accessible, spark curiosity and passion and promote the development of both technical, practical, life and socio-emotional skills.

The activities should provide a platform for building confidence and to create opportunities for people to consider their future career, volunteering and learning options.

*Due to the focus of Pathways, any funded activity must have a focus on providing opportunities for people aged 16+, with a particular focus on engaging with people not in employment. However, this does not mean that activity needs to exclusively target this cohort. In order to evidence that target cohorts are benefitting from the funded activity, grantees are required to ensure participants complete an engagement form prior to delivery. For more details, email remake.learning@doncaster.gov.uk