Milton Keynes City Council is pioneering a substantial new initiative aimed at transforming employment prospects for residents who face significant challenges due to disability, health conditions or complex needs.
Recognising the systemic hurdles that many individuals encounter in the job market, the city council is joining forces with regional partners to introduce a government- funded scheme known as Connect to Work.
This collaborative effort is poised to unlock rewarding career opportunities for more than 1,500 local individuals over the next five years, injecting vital support into the community.
At the core of the Connect to Work programme is its commitment to deeply personalised, one-to-one support. Enrolled residents can benefit from up to 12 months of dedicated assistance focused entirely on helping them secure and sustain employment. A specialist team will meticulously work to match participants with suitable
employers, moving far beyond generic job applications. This process considers each person’s unique skills, strengths and specific challenges, ensuring that the resulting role is a genuine, long-term fit for both the employee and the business.
Furthermore, the scheme offers residents access to essential training courses and a range of local services specifically designed to boost their confidence and enhance overall employability.
The council formally decided in September to work in conjunction with other regional authorities. Collectively, the councils will receive approximately £5m in grant funding from the government to deliver this impactful work.
Driving development
Milton Keynes City Council has also approved four new major employment sites in the first quarter of 2025.
The 37,750 square metres of employment space approved in the first three months of 2025 is roughly the size of five football pitches, paving the way for more than a thousand new jobs as the city continues to lead the way in delivering sustainable and well-planned growth.
The city council is not only approving growth, but it also ensures that projects get built, making sure planning permission applications turn into real homes and work- places for residents and businesses, enabling it to collect funding from developers for each property to put towards important facilities.
The current roadworks taking place on the H and V roads around Eaglestone are vital works that are allowing power to be added, thereby helping works begin on the new Women’s and Children’s Hospital.
For more information, visit their website.
