Around 23,000 people currently out of work in Hampshire would like to work, according to a new report.

As part of the government plans to ‘Get Britain Working’, Hampshire County Council is developing a plan aimed at boosting employment, cutting economic inactivity, and tackling barriers that keep people out of work in the county.

The wider ‘Get Britain Working’ initiative is designed to help local areas link up work, health, and skills support.

At a recent meeting of the county’s health and wellbeing board, Karen Taylor, District Operations Manager for Dorset and Strategic Partnership and Provision Leader at the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP), outlined the help already available to jobseekers

Mrs Taylor said: “We can help with travel expenses for people to get to job interviews, we can help with clothing for interviews, we can pay for any amount of training, and we can also help with the cover of childcare cost, to stops that barrier for people.”

She added that for people with disabilities who are eligible under their criteria, “we can pay for taxis for them to go backwards and forward to work”.

“There is a plenty of plethorous things that we got available to be able to help. It is really good to be here and see that’s not widely known as I hoped it was.”

The ‘Get Hampshire Working Plan’ is the county council’s response that identifies existing support services and calls for a coordinated approach between the DWP, the NHS, education providers, local authorities, and community organisations.

Key aims include creating more job opportunities, reducing inactivity, improving job quality, and removing barriers such as transport or childcare costs.

The plan will also build on existing schemes like Connect to Work, which aims to support 4,800 people through job referrals and links with Public Health and NHS programmes.

The plan is built in partnership with DWP, NHS Integrated Care Boards, education and skills providers, local authorities, and community organisations.