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The Active Inclusion Fund provided grants for projects in Wales that helped disadvantaged people to get back into employment.
Unemployment is on the rise in Wales, but projects funded by WCVA’s Active Inclusion Fund are fighting back.
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Active Inclusion funding
The Active Inclusion Fund was managed by WCVA, supported by funding from European Structural and Investment Funds.
It aimed to reduce economic inactivity in Wales and improve the employability of disadvantaged people.
Jobs are the ultimate goal, but not the whole story
The Active Inclusion Fund provided grants for projects in Wales that helped disadvantaged people to get back into employment. Barriers to employment vary, and the grants were also relevant for those who specialised in supporting traditionally marginalised groups such as people with a learning difficulty or those from a Black, Asian and Ethnic Minority community.
Getting unemployed people set up with meaningful jobs was the end goal, but projects also provided key steps on the employment journey, such as:
- Volunteering roles that provided beneficial experience
- Skills training that helped people’s employment prospects
Where we operated
The fund was split into four themes based on location and age group:
- ‘West Wales and the Valleys’ (working with unemployed and economically inactive people who were over 25)
- ‘East Wales’ (working with unemployed and economically inactive people who were over 25)
- ‘West Wales and the Valleys’ (working with people aged between 16 and 24 who were not in employment, education or training)
- ‘East Wales’ (working with people aged between 16 and 24 who were not in employment, education or training)
How we operated
The funding was split into two categories:
Include was for projects that focused on first step interventions – engaging with people furthest from the labour market. Projects worked with people to overcome barriers to employment, in whatever way worked best.
Achieve was for projects that offered paid, supported employment to those experiencing barriers to employment. Again, the way this was achieved was entirely up to the individual projects.
The Include and Achieve aspects could also be incorporated into a combined Include/Achieve project – consisting of a first step intervention followed by a paid role.
Get in touch
‘WCVA is there to help you, the Active Inclusion team have been amazing’
To find out more get in touch with the Active Inclusion team:
0300 111 0124
Further information
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