Our New Futures programme, funded by the Covid-19 Support Fund, supported career changers through place-based pilots in Edinburgh, Belfast, Tees Valley and Wales. This evaluation builds the evidence base for what works in supporting individuals to successfully change career.
The pilots were tailored to local labour market needs and included targeted engagement with potential career changers, careers guidance, access to skills training, plans to build the capacity of voluntary and community sector organisations and support to ensure job outcomes.
The evaluation drew on data collected during pilot delivery. This included analysis of management information (MI) supplied by pilots, and qualitative data based on participant focus groups, local area observations and in-depth interviews with pilot staff, partners, employers, programme staff and participants. Pre- and post-intervention surveys of participants were also conducted but only limited cross-sectional analysis of survey data has been possible, due to low response rates.
A total of 639 participants registered to participate in the pilots. This included 36 participants in Belfast, 250 in Edinburgh, 278 in Tees Valley and 75 in Wales. In total, 280 participants progressed into a new job – representing 44% of registered participants. Belfast had the highest rate of employment outcomes (26 out of 36), followed by Wales (52 out of 75), Tees Valley (41%) and Edinburgh (35%); although participants in Belfast and Wales were broadly closer to the labour market prior to commencement.