Support for 1,200 with jobs at risk

West Yorkshire Lifelong Learning Network (WYLLN) secured 1m to help employers and individuals affected by the recession. The money was provided by the Higher Education Funding Council for England.

The target for the project was to provide help to 1,000 people who were out of work or whose position was thought to be at risk.

WYLLN assistant director Joanne Beaumont said: "The project has actually helped 1,251 people who range from senior managers, middle managers, experienced employees, unemployed recent graduates and the self-employed.

"What these people all had in common was that they were suffering from, or at risk of, the impact of the economic downturn in West Yorkshire.

"By working closely with partner universities and colleges, the money was successfully used to provide additional support to that offered by Jobcentre Plus and Nextstep, including career management packages and learning, training and qualification opportunities."

The partners involved were the universities of Bradford, Huddersfield, Leeds, Leeds Metropolitan, and Bradford College, Calderdale College, Joseph Priestley College, Leeds City College, Leeds College of Building, Leeds Trinity University College and Wakefield College. Sue Holland, WYLLN's project manager said that everyone who benefited was either unemployed, under notice of redundancy, at risk of redundancy or employed in a high risk sector.