People who have been homeless and social housing tenants are being helped on the journey back into work in a new initiative launched in Newcastle this week.

Housing and Employment Compact between the Newcastle City Council, Newcastle Futures and local housing providers such as Your Homes Newcastle, Byker Bridge Housing Association and the Cyrenians will support residents to improve their job prospects.

They will be put in contact with specialist advisers in Newcastle Futures - the employment services established by the Newcastle Partnership, Newcastle City Council and Jobcentre Plus - and other agencies.

Housing staff will also help their residents to get involved in activities like volunteering, group work and education and training, with the aim of building their job skills. Finding work is a critical part of helping people to being able to afford and sustain tenancies for the long term.

City tenants have already been helped on the path to a number of new careers, including sports development or coaching programmes and horticulture, catering and construction training schemes.

Councillor John Shipley, leader of Newcastle City Council, said: “The current state of the economy is making it very difficult for people to re-enter the jobs market, or even to get their first foot on the ladder, but councils and their partners are doing everything they can to help.

“These agreements are a new way of making sure people who can’t find work get the help they need to move along the pathway towards employment, wherever they live in the City and whichever organisation they are supported by.”