Better Connect Makes the Finals at ERSA’s 2025 Employability Awards
Last month, we received some incredible news – Better Connect was shortlisted as a finalist for the ERSA 2025 Partnership and Collaboration Award.
This brilliant category recognises organisations across the UK that are delivering genuinely exemplary support to jobseekers. To make the cut alongside some real employability giants was no small feat, and we couldn’t be prouder of our team, our partners, and the regional impact we’re making together.
Our nomination centred on our partnership-first approach across our flagship YNYCA funded employability programmes, Rise2Thrive and Trailblazer. Together, these two programmes have enabled us to deliver person-centred employability support to over 1,000 individuals since May, in collaboration with more than 30 diverse delivery partners.
The key to each of our partnership programmes is the strong, collaborative networks behind them, and it was fantastic to see that approach and our partners, acknowledged on ERSA’s national stage!
What Are the ERSA Awards?
For anyone unfamiliar, the Employment Related Services Association (ERSA) is the national membership body for organisations helping people into work or closer to the labour market.
Each year, ERSA hosts its Employability Awards in Westminster (now in their thirteenth year), celebrating the very best in employment support from all over the UK.
The awards bring together charities, CICs, local authorities, specialist providers, and national delivery partners, all working towards one shared goal: transforming lives through championing employability and skills support.
A Sparkly Evening in Westminster
The award ceremony took place on Tuesday, and it was a truly inspiring evening. We attended alongside fellow nominees, including our friends at Autism Plus, the Better Health Generation, Triage and 4Front Partners, as well as representatives from over 400 other organisations – a real celebration of everything our sector stands for.
While we didn’t win the award this time, we’re delighted to have come away finalists – celebrating alongside friends, and plenty of friendly new faces.
A big congratulations to fellow partner Autism Plus, who won an award for their fantastic Youth Hub work in Sheffield. An amazing achievement and thoroughly well deserved.
Looking ahead, we can’t wait for 2026’s conference! See you there?
Post by Laura Sandiford
Impact Manager
A keen storyteller & collaborator, Laura works as the Impact Manager together with our Head of Impact, Hannah, where she measures and highlights the impact of Better Connect across the business, programmes and partnerships.
She does so by working with a range of partners, participants and externals to gather information and stories, which she then translates into a range of engaging content across Better Connect’s channels. Ensuring the ‘Better Connect’ story is woven throughout all communications is a large part of Laura’s role, as is demonstrating the ripple effect across our programmes, partnerships, and sector-advocacy.
Laura’s favourite part of the role is connecting with the faces behind the case studies and giving voice to their experiences.
Learn more about Laura