'Innovative' Sheffield jobs scheme helps 30 people to find work
The JobsPlus programme is running pilot schemes in 10 areas of England, including one based in Wybourn
A jobs scheme based on social housing has so far helped 30 Sheffield people to find work.
The JobsPlus programme is running pilot schemes in 10 areas of England, including one based in Wybourn, Sheffield, which is led by by the social housing landlord Great Places.
So far, 151 people have engaged with JobsPlus in Wybourn with 30 in jobs by the end of November 2025.
The Sheffield project is called Wybourn Works and is being run by Great Places Housing Group’s employability team. They held a Wy-fest event at Wybourn Primary School last September to celebrate the early success of the scheme.
A series of courses have been run by the Great Places Training and Skills Academy, as well as partner organisations Chesterfield College and Northern College, Barnsley.
Certificates were given to volunteers and participants in the programme by Great Places chief executive Alison Dean.
Mrs Dean said at the time: “Great Places is proud to be hosting one of the 10 national pilots for JobsPlus it was a fantastic way to celebrate Wybourn Works.
“It’s been great to see the effect it’s had on bringing the Wybourn community together, and just how many residents have already benefitted from the employability and wellbeing support.”
Employability coach Joanne Miller added: “During our time working with the community of Wybourn, we have worked closely with a number of residents and built up a great working relationship with them.
“Some of our participants are now a crucial part of the project with many starting to volunteer their time with us.
“As a thank you, we wanted to bring the community together and celebrate the achievements of our participants who have gained employment or completed courses and also thank our wonderful volunteers. Without their engagement and support, we wouldn’t have the success we have seen to date.”
The scheme is also being run in Maltby, Rotherham, where it is led by South Yorkshire Housing Association.
JobsPlus is open to all working-age residents in a specific neighbourhood. The pilot allows social housing providers running it to target support to the needs and opportunities of the local area, based in community hubs.
Local volunteers champion the programme and JobsPlus participants are also offered a financial incentive for finding and staying in work. The pilot sites offer employment support to all working-age residents, with no additional eligibility criteria.
JobsPlus is based on a US model and is being delivered in partnership with social landlords. The scheme says that social housing residents are nearly twice as likely to be out of work as people living in other types of housing.
Since July 2024, more than 270 JobsPlus participants have moved into work in England. The pilots have shown early signs of success in reaching groups who are typically less likely to use existing employment services, including parents and carers, people with long-term health conditions and young people and people from a black ethnic minority background.
The scheme is being led by the Learning and Work Institute (L&W) with funding from the Department for Work and Pensions and the Youth Futures Foundation.
JobsPlus is currently expected to run until March 2026.
Learning and Work Institute chief excutive Stephen Evans said: “This is a proud moment for JobsPlus as our hyper-local approach to employment support engages over 1,000 people across England.
“Social housing residents often face complex barriers to work; closing inequalities in access to employment support to help more parents and carers, young people and people with long-term health conditions will be essential for the government to achieve its ambition of an 80 per cent employment rate, as Learning and Work Institute has argued since 2022.
“This model is showing real promise to transform neighbourhoods and we look forward to watching it progress.”