Employers: System Engagement, Inclusion & Redesign

Building on learning from Year 1 of the Economic Inactivity Trailblazer and Connect to Work programmes, alongside wider disability and neuroinclusion insight, the North East Combined Authority is considering the commissioning of a single project to provide support for employers across the region. The proposed project would seek to deliver a cohesive pathway of support for employers, covering inclusive recruitment practices and progressing through to the effective embedding of inclusion and diversity within the existing North East workforce. A core principle of the proposed approach is the meaningful involvement of individuals with lived experience, to help ensure that any project design is informed by real world insight and supports practical, deliverable change. Subject to approval and further development, the project is expected to deliver direct benefits for North East CA SHINE members and to align with the Authority's wider strategic objectives, including the "home of real opportunity". Learning and outputs may also inform related initiatives such as Connect to Work, the North East Vanguard, and any future employer focused activity.