Connect to Work funding has landed across the North. West Yorkshire will receive up to £48.2m to support 13,350 residents, Liverpool City Region up to £43.1m for 12,000, Tees Valley up to £17.6m for 5,000, Cheshire & Warrington up to £16.2m for 4,150, and Hull & East Riding up to £11.7m for 3,400. Announced on 5 March 2026, the £300m expansion takes total programme investment to more than £950m across England and Wales. (gov.uk)

Employment Minister Dame Diana Johnson - the Hull North MP - framed the push plainly: “Connect to Work changes that – giving people real, tailored support to move into good jobs and out of poverty.” Johnson’s local roots matter here: this is a national scheme with clear Northern stakes. (gov.uk)

Wales has now joined the programme, with funding confirmed for Mid Wales (up to £3.9m for 1,000 people), North Wales (up to £13.3m for 3,550) and South West Wales (up to £14.4m for 3,850). Funding for South East Wales is expected to follow, completing coverage across the nation. (gov.uk)

What sets this scheme apart is the on‑your‑terms approach. Advisers can meet people in cafés, parks or community hubs and offer sustained in‑work support for both employee and employer - from job matching to agreeing reasonable adjustments - with services designed locally. (gov.uk)

The expansion plugs into the wider Get Britain Working agenda - including the Youth Guarantee and a national rollout of WorkWell health‑and‑work support - aiming to link skills, health and jobs in one place. (gov.uk)

For Tees Valley, local officials expect the programme to run until 2030 and help more than 5,000 residents into work, backed by Department for Work and Pensions funding - a useful pipeline for employers who struggle to hire. (teesvalley-ca.gov.uk)

In West Yorkshire, Combined Authority papers have flagged Connect to Work as a pillar of the region’s work‑and‑health plan. With a £48.2m ceiling now set, delivery through councils, NHS partners and voluntary groups will determine how quickly residents see support on the ground. (westyorks-ca.gov.uk)

For businesses, the offer is straightforward: tailored recruitment and in‑work support designed to improve retention. From fabrication shops in Hull to care providers on Merseyside, the scheme aims to cut churn and keep people in good, secure jobs. (gov.uk)

People can self‑refer or be referred by GPs, local authorities and voluntary partners. Expect most services to be advertised locally by combined authorities and councils as programmes go live. (gov.uk)

Ministers say early delivery in England shows this targeted, one‑to‑one model can move people closer to work and keep them there. The real test now is pace: clear referral routes, enough advisers, and employer take‑up across our towns and cities this spring. (gov.uk)

The numbers are ‘up to’ allocations and local designs will differ - what Bradford needs won’t be identical to Birkenhead. But the direction is clear: put support in everyday places, stick with people and employers, and track whether jobs last. That’s the yardstick readers here will judge by. (gov.uk)