News

Greater Manchester gets HIP

24 Jul 2024

An innovative programme being trialled across Greater Manchester is bringing together local community partners to improve life and employability skills for the region’s long-term unemployed jobseekers. The Health, Independence and Progression (HIP) initiative offers a week-long series of life, skills, health, and work experiences designed to boost confidence and kickstart new interests for people struggling to find work.  

Having successfully run in Rochdale, Wigan, and Manchester the fast-track course will be replicated in coming months with local partners in Tameside, Bury, Stockport, Oldham, Bolton, Salford, Trafford and Wythenshawe.  

Delivered by the InWorkGM partnership with backing from the Community Investment Fund, the pilot scheme will help more than 100 disadvantaged people. Lead partner Ingeus masterminded the approach, wanting to empower jobseekers with skills and experiences beyond employability advice. Ingeus keyworkers assess the suitability of participants, who are given health pointers, learn cookery and DIY skills, visit local recruiting employers, and develop teamwork and communication skills. 

One of those taking part, Mohammed, has a hearing impairment that has hampered his efforts to find work but found his week of HIP activities “a great opportunity to explore different career possibilities”. 

He singled out the days spent at logistics learning company Mantra, where he got the chance to drive a truck; Rochdale football club where a session on the importance of maintaining physical health included a tour of the ground; and the Foodie Kitchen, where he learned how to make a white sauce and other dishes. 

He has now gained work as a production operative at a food processing company – his first job in almost a year – and says: “It’s a fantastic place, a great team to work with and I’m loving it.” 

Integral to the programme’s formation are local charities, support organisations, learning establishments, and employers. Ingeus curates the week’s programme in each area, provides transport for the participants, and develops a resulting action plan to continue the attendees’ progress into additional training or work. They are also provided with takeaways relevant to each day, such as simple DIY tools and cooking utensils.  

Among those involved in the scheme is The Foodie Kitchen in Rochdale, a community interest company set up by Seema Ansari to combine her twin passions of food and education. Her business offers cooking classes focused on healthy eating habits for disadvantaged communities, but the HIP programme is the first time she has run a course aimed specifically at unemployed people. 

“We talked about batch cooking and how to make it more efficient,” says Seema. “We looked at the cost of ingredients and embedded some English, Maths and employability skills within that. For me, seeing people inspired by food and to share the joy of cooking is rewarding… I think it will have a real impact on them.” 

Outcomes from the initial pilots are promising, with all attendees completing the courses and more than half subsequently progressing into accredited training or work.  

Amanda Huntbach, Work and Skills Engagement Lead at Rochdale Borough Council supported the early pilot scheme and says: “The change of scenery, the support, the life lessons and the skills that residents developed via this programme will stay with them on their employment journey.  

“This also benefitted local partner organisations, reinvesting in the community and using their services, but it is equally important to create awareness of the support that they provide so that residents can use them again in the future. Fantastic to see the feedback from this programme and to see them come away from traditional office-based employment support.”