Glasgow Works, the organisation formed to tackle worklessness issues in the city, has announced that up to £3m of funding will be awarded to help people in the west of Glasgow off benefits and on their way to a job.

It is hoped that by 2010 the money will help to engage with the 2,957 people in the west who are furthest from work - including the long term unemployed and those on incapacity benefit. It is hoped that 591 of those engaged with will be in work by March 2010.

A total of £16m will be distributed throughout Glasgow to deliver co-ordinated employability activity, led by each area’s Local Regeneration Agency (LRA) working in consortia with other organisations such as the Ethnic Minority Enterprise Centre (EMEC), Working Links, Wise Group and Momentum. Additional activity will be provided by other local and city-wide organisations.

Through its programmes and contracts management, Glasgow Works will be closely involved in supporting all of the new initiative’s five area programmes, ensuring that services across the city are co-ordinated and that best practice is identified and mainstreamed as appropriate.

Glasgow Works will also ensure a match with job opportunities in the city through its soon-to-be-launched Employer Engagement programme.

Calum Graham, Chief Executive of Glasgow West Regeneration Agency said, “This funding award is vital for the West area and will support those who are out of work by providing a range of activities in the community, giving people skills and learning which will be invaluable when they are ready to go into employment.”