Anyone who regularly reads my column (for which I thank you!) will know that helping people who could work, and want to work, back into employment is one of my priorities.

Of the 75,000 working-age people living in East Hampshire, 16,200 are economically inactive. That’s almost one in four adults not working.

So why are so many people in our towns and villages not currently in work? The figures show that while some are studying and some are caring for family, a large proportion are out of work due to long-term sickness.

What is particularly worrying is the number of young adults who are economically inactive. The evidence is clear; being out of work at a young age has a “scarring” effect, making it even harder to enter employment later.

The increased costs of employment from the National Insurance hike and concerns about the Employment Rights Bill are making the jobs market especially difficult. Nationally, unemployment is up to 5 percent and youth unemployment is a particularly growing problem. But the number of economically inactive people is larger still.

With all eyes on the Budget today (Wednesday, November 26), the question is: what will the Government do to tackle the growing challenge of helping people on long-term sick leave return to work? Employment support and welfare reform are obvious levers. Maybe we're about to hear more on that from ministers, but for now I want to focus on what’s already being planned to help on our doorstep.

‘Connect to Work’ is a supported employment programme funded for five years by central government. It is designed to help disabled people, those with health conditions, and people facing complex barriers get into work, and stay in work. I recently met the Hampshire County Council team leading the project to hear about the roll-out across East Hampshire and the considerable (though not insurmountable) challenge ahead.

What makes this programme unique is the intensive, personalised support offered for up to 12 months (and up to four months for those already in work). This support ranges from job matching to hands-on assistance for employers, ensuring they can provide practical in-work adjustments for the employee’s specific needs. Job coaching, training and mentoring are available throughout, helping individuals settle into and succeed in their new roles.

There are major benefits for employers too: access to a wider pool of potential employees, particularly valuable given how challenging recruitment can be in East Hampshire, plus support through the recruitment process and help embedding new staff into their teams. Importantly, evidence shows little to no difference in sick leave taken by employees on supported employment programmes compared with others. This programme is available to local businesses of any size, however small. Employers can have a single named individual, to deal with at Connect to Work, for the duration.

I firmly believe there is a job out there for almost everyone, and that we should do all we can to support those who want to work. The evidence is overwhelming: having a job, a routine and a sense of purpose is good for people, including those experiencing isolation or social anxiety.

To generate growth, we need to be more productive. To be more productive, we need more people working. And to get more people working, we must help more people move off long-term sickness and back into employment. The government has a significant role to play in supporting people away from dependency on the state, but local schemes like Connect to Work will play their part too.

If you are an employer based in East Hampshire and are interested in signing up to Connect to Work Hampshire, please contact Rob Nash at [email protected]