Connect to Work for Residents
Get in touch
Get in touch to find out more about our business support offering.
Get in touch
Get in touch to find out more about our business support offering.
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Who’s it for?
Adults who want support to begin or continue their journey into employment. Eligible participants must be over 18 (or 16 in exceptional cases), living in Essex, Southend‑on‑Sea or Thurrock, have the right to work in the UK, not be excluded from public funds and not already be part of a Department for Work and Pensions employment programme.
What is it?
A free employment support service funded by the Department for Work and Pensions, designed to help people facing barriers to work. The programme offers personalised one‑to‑one support from a dedicated key worker, access to training, help with CVs, applications and interviews, and additional support around health and wellbeing to ensure participants feel prepared and confident as they move toward employment.
What’s required?
There is no cost to join the programme. You simply need to meet the eligibility criteria and express interest in joining. Once enrolled, you will work with an assigned key worker to build a plan based on your individual goals, needs and circumstances.
How does it work?
After applying, each participant is matched with a dedicated key worker who provides ongoing one‑to‑one support tailored to their situation. Together, they explore training opportunities, identify suitable job roles, complete job applications and prepare for interviews. Alongside this, the programme delivers wellbeing support and practical help to ensure individuals not only find work but feel ready to sustain it.
Next steps...
To start your journey, get in touch to learn more or visit the Essex Opportunities website.
Stories of progress
Don't just take our word for it, hear from the local individuals who are scaling faster and thinking bigger.
“It’s been fun, it’s been a good learning curve. Everyone is really nice here, the teachers are really good — Debbie is brilliant, she’s helped me out loads. I really like tiling. I would really like to work for the local council afterwards and repair houses, and I would like to be a multi trader.”
Skills Bootcamps
“The staff have been great honestly, and fun to work with. They’ve been really good at guiding, especially Dave or Lee. I really, really enjoyed the joinery part of carpentry too. That was really fun.”
Skills Bootcamps
“The whole course has been fascinating. Blender is an amazing piece of software with so many applications, from filmmaking to interior design. I now have a much better understanding of how to present myself and how to communicate what I do.”
Skills Bootcamps
“If I think back to 10 weeks ago and what I am capable of now — it’s astounding. Being able to use Blender will be incredibly useful going forward, and the course has been a welcome nudge to restart my business.”
Skills Bootcamps