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In Work Progression

Greater Manchester In Work Progression Service

The Greater Manchester In Work Progression Service supports residents who are in work but on a low-income household to progress into more skilled and/or better paid work or increase their hours. The service provides personalised, one-to-one holistic advice and support to help participants overcome practical barriers to progression into better quality or better paid roles, either with the same or a different employer/sector. The £4 million programme is part-funded through the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.

How Does It Work?

Individualised support for in-work residents within a low-income household to progress into better-paid and/or more skilled jobs or increase their working hours.

Each Local Authority in Greater Manchester delivers its own service with dedicated advisers who provide individualised support to help residents :

  • Overcome practical and skills barriers to progression
  • Increase  confidence to help  meet their  potential
  • Access specialist information on developing skills for different employment sectors
  • Connect with local job opportunities
  • Receive referrals to skills and training provision

Participation in the service is voluntary. People can self-refer or be referred by their employer or by trusted community networks.

Who Can Access the Service?

The service can be accessed by anyone who:

  • Is over the age of 18
  • Lives or works in Greater Manchester
  • Has the right to live and work in the UK
  • Is in one or more of the following categories:
    • In low paid work
    • Claiming an In Work benefit (Tax Credits, Universal Credit)
    • In low skilled work
    • On a zero-hours contract or in insecure work

How to Access the Service

In Work Progression is delivered locally by Greater Manchester's ten Local Authorities. For more information about the service in your area and to arrange an appointment with an Advisor, please use the contacts below:

Further Information on In Work Progression

What is the In Work Progression Service?

The service will support 3,000 people across Greater Manchester over the next two years, with delivery running until January 2027.

Each of Greater Manchester’s ten councils delivers the service locally, offering personalised, one-to-one support to help people move into better jobs.

Support includes:

  • Tailored one-to-one support with a dedicated adviser
  • Help to overcome practical or personal barriers to progress
  • Assessment of support needs and relevant action planning
  • Skills assessment and referral routes into skills and training provision
  • Information about local jobs, growth sectors and opportunities
  • Links to other support services such as housing, health, money and careers advice
  • Flexible delivery options – face-to-face, online or phone

Built on Success

This programme builds on a successful pilot in Tameside called Tameside In Work (external website), which ran from January 2022 to January 2024 with funding from the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP).

The In Work Progression service is part of Greater Manchester’s Working Well programme, which has been helping local people since the city region gained devolved powers.

Why This Work Matters

Too many people in Greater Manchester are stuck in low-paid jobs, even though they’re already working.

  • In 2023, around 157,000 people (13.3% of local employees) were in low-paid work

  • Around 200,000 residents were receiving in-work benefits

The In Work Progression service is here to change that. It supports the aims of the Greater Manchester Strategy – helping to make our city-region fairer, greener, more prosperous, and full of opportunity, no matter where you live or work.