Jobsteps has achieved consistent year on year growth since the organisation was launched in January 2007. In our first year we achieved 18 jobs and worked with 61 customers compared to last year (2010-11) were we achieved 475 jobs from 1,975 starts. At the end of September 2011 we have achieved a total of 1,251 jobs from 5,249 starts. We have also delivered over 18,000 personal development outcomes and achieved over 11,000 IAG interventions to customers prior to joining our programmes.

During this period we have changed from a small local specialist service for people with Autism to region wide player working with all disadvantaged groups. This change was necessary because Jobsteps wanted to fully engage in the Welfare to Work Market to capitilise on the emerging funding opportunities. To stay as small specialist service would have it made it difficult achieve this.

The strategy has worked as Jobsteps have achieved significant growth in a 4 year period moving from Sheffield based organisation to developing new services covering Yorkshire & Humber, Derbyshire and the North West. Jobsteps have worked within a multi agency funding framework across several programmes and in partnership with Key Employment Providers and contract holders.

This growth was marked by the achievement of our 1000th job in October 2010 which was an important milestone for Jobsteps. This underpins our highly demonstrable track record which at the height of our employment activity last year we achieved 41% progression into employment on all contracts (70%+ on some individual contracts) and over 80% sustained employment.

In June 2011 the newly elected Coalition Government launched the new Welfare to Work Employment Programme the Work Programme. It also meant the termination of all existing employment programmes. This has had a significant impact on the sector and as a result many organisations have seen a dramatic downturn in their fortunes.

Jobsteps have fared better then many Third Sector Organisations, we have managed to retain our services in South Yorkshire, West Yorkshire and reduced services in East Yorkshire. We regrettably lost all our services in the North West; this was despite being one of the best performing Providers on the Serco Network on FND. As a result of the losses we have had to restructure the organisation to meets the needs of the new contracts and unfortunately this has resulted in reduced staffing levels.

Andrew Mills, Jobsteps CEO