People and Skills funding
People and Skills funding allocation: £1,582,599
Home to over 425,000 residents, West Northants is a place where every individual is invited to live their best life. This funding is a vital part of our strategy to enable all our residents to start, stay and succeed in local, sustainable employment.
The ambitions for this allocation include:
- supporting a diverse workforce to succeed in local employment
- addressing unemployment and economic inactivity to enable residents to progress on their career journeys
- upskilling the existing workforce to continue to succeed
- supporting the skills ecosystem in the area, maximising the benefits of the education providers in the area
As set out in the UK Shared Prosperity Fund prospectus, the People and Skills investment priority seeks to address these challenges by investing in projects with the following objectives:
- reducing levels of economic activity, supporting residents and boosting the skills with cohesive, locally tailored support
- supporting local areas to fund gaps in local skills provision, supporting people progress into work through both qualification and non-qualification based routes
People and Skills projects has been utilised to support activities that sit under one of 3 areas:
Skills for communities
The Skills for communities scheme provides grants for location-based initiatives aligned with Local Area Partnership priorities e.g. youth clubs, local voluntary and community groups, not-for profit organisations and social enterprises, with a focus on supporting the most deprived areas of West Northamptonshire.
The scheme enables grant recipients to expand, improve, or launch new projects that promote learning and development at the community level, with the goal of bringing people closer to the labour market.
The funding has been awarded to a mix of voluntary and community sector (VCSE) organisations and specialist organisations to deliver specific pieces of work.
Northampton Hope Centre
The program consists of four weekly sessions that focus on wellbeing, life skills, confidence building, and personal development to help participants navigate everyday challenges.
Visit the Hope Centre website.
Doddridge Centre Limited
A Community Skills and Development Worker, alongside an Apprentice, will provide mentoring and coaching to individuals aiming to return to work.
Visit The Doddridge Centre website.
Good Loaf
An artisan bakery and community café empowers vulnerable local women by offering meaningful work experience and one-to-one coaching to build confidence, develop skills, and break cycles of poverty, unemployment, and offending.
Innovation CIC
Project Innovate supports adults with learning difficulties—especially young adults—toward meaningful employment.
Visit the Innovations website.
Learning & Skills Academy
This inclusive learning project delivers essential community services and vocational training to support those furthest from the labour market, helping them build skills, confidence, and pathways to employment, education, or volunteering.
Visit Learning and Skills Academy website.
Lewis Foundation
The Lewis Foundation Outlet seeks grant funding to hire two part-time Team Leaders, enhancing the quality and consistency of its work placement and volunteer programs while improving skill development and employment outcomes for participants.
Visit The Lewis Foundation Outlet website.
Born to Shine
Born to Shine supports young people with additional mental and health needs by providing tailored employability training, career planning, and practical resources to help them secure jobs, volunteer roles, or further opportunities.
Visit the Born to Shine website.
Restore Northampton
Restore Northampton provides an enhanced wellbeing service that supports adults from crisis to independence by building confidence, developing employability skills, and guiding them toward personal growth and workplace readiness.
Visit the Restore Northampton website.
Salvation Army
The Salvation Army’s Employment Support Programme provides tailored guidance and practical support to help economically inactive and socially excluded individuals improve wellbeing, build confidence, and move toward meaningful employment.
Visit the Salvation Army website.
Right Resolution
Right Resolution CIC provides intensive, youth-centred mentoring for care leavers aged 16 to 25, focusing on education, employment, and training to support NEET young people facing significant challenges.
Visit the Right Resolution CIC website.
United African Association
The United African Association Skills Programme expands its IT service to offer advanced digital training and employability support for unemployed African community members, helping them build confidence, skills, and long-term career prospects.
Visit the United African Association website.
Unity in Diversity CIC
Unity in Diversity CIC supports the mental health of BMER and refugee fathers by promoting early access to services, reducing stigma, and fostering culturally sensitive understanding through education and outreach.
Visit the Unity in Diversity website.
Volunteer it Yourself
Volunteer It Yourself engages NEET and unemployed young people aged 16+ in hands-on vocational training by refurbishing local community facilities, helping them gain practical construction skills and improve their employability.
Visit the Volunteer It Yourself website.
Workbridge (St Andrew's Healthcare)
The Pathways to Success: Skills and Wellbeing Programme offers a 9-week course for adults referred by GPs, combining employability training and therapeutic activities to boost job readiness, mental health, and long-term wellbeing.
Skills for work
Skills for work is led by the Adult Learning team to deliver activities to prioritise helping individuals improve their skills, supporting access to work and removing barriers to employment.
Support Northamptonshire
Support Northamptonshire empowers employed individuals to thrive in a digital workplace by providing tailored digital skills training that enhances confidence, capability, and career progression.
Visit the Support Northamptonshire website.
Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce
The Northamptonshire Chamber of Commerce leads on initiatives that support businesses in adopting inclusive recruitment practices, with a strong emphasis on promoting equality and diversity in the workplace.
Skills for growth
Skills for growth projects target employers and employees aiming to enhance skill levels and promote career development. These initiatives benefit individuals while supporting business growth.
Awarded projects will focus on developing skills essential for sustainable employment and productivity. Key areas include:
- digital workplace skills
- English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL)
- workplace literacy
- and inclusive recruitment practices
The funding has been awarded to the following organisations:
Innovation through collaboration, Support Northamptonshire provides training for people in employment in need of support to increase their digital literacy through the delivery of relevant digital skills training.
The project targets people in work, who lack basic literacy skills to improve their skills and, in doing so, improve their employability. This includes people where English is not their first language as well as anyone else who, for whatever reason, with literacy skills below Level 1 (GCSE Grade D to G).
A learning project for all, this project helps businesses to implement inclusive approaches to recruitment with a focus on equality and diversity. The fund will be used to support SMEs needing help to improve access to the available labour market.
Funding aimed at promoting Science, Technology, Engineering & Maths (STEM) in local schools and to support new entrants to the sector. For more information see:
Last updated 20 August 2025