One of the 3 strategic goals of Better Connect is to Inspire Change. This involves promoting social inclusion as an essential part of creating vibrant, productive and prosperous communities.
We aim to inspire change in 3 ways:
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Connect to Work
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Rise2Thrive & Trailblazer
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Trailblazer Community Grants
2026 has been a significant year for the employability sector, bringing a wave of ambitious opportunities and major programmes designed to reshape how people are supported into sustainable employment. From Connect to Work and the Jobs Guarantee, to the emerging landscape of Future Employment Support, the scale and ambition of what lies ahead is
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Opportunities
A New Government Programme Has Landed: Jobs Guarantee More than one million young people aged 16–24 are currently not in education, employment or training (NEET) in the UK. To help tackle this challenge, the UK Government has launched Jobs Guarantee: a new programme designed to help young people aged 18–24 who are furthest from
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Internal
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Research & Reports
We’re delighted to share that our CEO, Natasha Babar-Evans, has recently been awarded Fellowship of The Institute of Employability Professionals (IEP). An international membership body for employability professionals, the IEP is a not-for-profit organisation dedicated to raising standards and championing excellence across the employability sector. The Fellowship programme celebrates individuals who have made a
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Connect to Work
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Opportunities
Connect to Work is launching across West Yorkshire Across the UK, there are 1.9 million people who would like to work but are not currently participating in the labour market – often due to disability, long-term health conditions, or other complex barriers to employment. As part of the Government’s ‘Get Britain Working’ strategy, Connect
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Rise2Thrive & Trailblazer
Rise2Thrive Trailblazer is a programme designed to improve people’s health, confidence, skills, circumstances and ultimately their employability, moving them closer towards a position where they are thriving in their life and in work. The programme is delivered through a partnership of 35 hyper-local voluntary and community sector organisations, all with different specialisms, based across the
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Rise2Thrive & Trailblazer
[Pictured – Keyworker Chris] For most of his adult life, Sean thought the problem was him. A former Aeronautical Engineer, he’d spent years of his working life in and out of high-pressure office environments, caught in a near-constant cycle of burnout, stress and ill health. Yo-yoing between GP appointments, medical investigations and repeated rounds
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Rise2Thrive & Trailblazer
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
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Opportunities
Connect to Work is launching across York and North Yorkshire! One of the Government’s five missions to kickstart economic growth with good jobs and improved productivity, Connect to Work is the latest Government initiative under their ‘Get Britain Working’ Strategy designed to tackle ‘hidden unemployment’ across the region. Officially launched for tender last week
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Research & Reports
Rise2Thrive
Rise2Thrive & Trailblazer
At the end of March, the first year of Rise2Thrive officially came to a close. But now, a couple of months into the programme’s second year of funding, we’re still reflecting on the initial learnings and legacy of that seminal first year. With the release of our two latest Rise2Thrive evaluation reports, today we’re
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Rise2Thrive & Trailblazer
Join Us For Local Linking Events This July This July, we’re bringing together different stakeholders, partners, and organisations who make a real impact on the lives of local people across York and North Yorkshire. Throughout the month, we’ll be hosting a series of local linking events across our current delivery districts. These events are
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Rise2Thrive & Trailblazer
We’re Excited to Announce the Launch of Rise2Thrive and Trailblazer! On the 13th of May, we officially launched Rise2Thrive and Trailblazer — our two newest partnership programmes designed to unlock potential and expand opportunities for adults across York and North Yorkshire. Joined by our partnership of locally rooted community organisations, the Mayor of York
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multiply
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Rise2Thrive
SHINE
It’s been a busy year for programmes at Better Connect. Last March, we kicked off the last year of Multiply delivery (year 3 of 3) with a bang, commissioning two cases studies with Inspired Youth, and in May, excitedly welcomed Rise2Thrive and SHINE to our programme offer. Over the past 12 months, we’ve