Louise Haigh MP has praised the biggest reforms to employment support for a generation, as Sheffield Heeley is set to benefit from £10 million of funding.

This trailblazer programme, that will be led by the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA), will focus on improving the support available to people who are economically inactive due to ill health, helping them return to work.

The new plan promises fundamental reform to help people get good jobs and put more money in people’s pockets.

Jobcentres across the UK will be overhauled and in England will be brought together with the National Careers Service, supported by a £55 million investment, to help people get into work, stay in work, build skills and progress in their career.

A radically improved digital offer will be trialled to bring Jobcentres into the 21st century. Staff at Jobcentres will have more flexibility to offer a more personalised service to jobseekers – moving away from the ‘tick box’ culture. And new coaching academies will be set up to upskill, so they can focus on coaching and employment support.

Every 18-21-year-old in England will have access to an apprenticeship, quality training and education opportunities or help to find a job under a new ‘Youth Guarantee’. This will include new partnerships with some of Britain’s most iconic cultural and sporting organisations, including the Premier League, Channel 4 and the Royal Shakespeare Company, who will offer work or learning opportunities to inspire and upskill the next generation.

An advisory panel will also be set up to put young people at the heart of decision making. There will also be a disability panel set up to ensure the voices of disabled people are at the core of reforms.

Poor workforce health imposes large costs on employers, so a new ‘Keep Britain Working’ review will soon be launched. The review will consider how employers can recruit and retain employees with a health condition or disability, promote healthy workplaces, and support people to stay in or return to work from periods of sickness absence.

Louise Haigh MP for Sheffield Heeley said:

“These reforms will be life-changing for so many in Sheffield Heeley. Too many people in our community have faced barriers to work for far too long, and this investment is a chance to turn that around.

“With £10 million in trailblazer funding and vital support for Sheffield Teaching Hospitals, we can tackle the root causes of economic inactivity.

“This is about giving every young person the opportunity to dream big and achieve their potential, supporting people to rebuild their lives, and ensuring no one is left behind.”