A new 10-year workforce strategy for 2025–2035 has been released to strengthen the East Midlands labour market and improve employers’ access to skilled workers. Covering Derby, Derbyshire, Nottingham, and Nottinghamshire, the plan outlines measures to raise employment levels, strengthen training pathways, and reduce barriers to employment.
The framework focuses on three priorities: widening access to training and employment programmes, improving coordination across skills, health, and employment services, and addressing challenges such as transport gaps, housing pressures, and health issues that restrict participation. It aligns with previous regional growth work designed to ensure economic gains reach more communities.
Mayor Claire said: “The Get East Midlands Working Plan is our commitment to the people of the region that if they step up, we will work across public services to support them in whatever way they need. It’s why we are working so closely with our partners in health, skills, employment support, and in the benefits system: life can be complicated, but support shouldn’t have to be.
“This is about real people, not just statistics. It’s about a mum who wants to return to work but needs childcare, a young person looking for their first chance, or someone recovering from illness who wants to feel confident again. These people deserve public services that are in their corner, and this plan shows what that will look like in practice.”
The plan sets targets to raise the regional employment rate to 80% by 2035, bring an estimated 60,000 more people into work, support the creation of 100,000 jobs, improve productivity, and enable more residents to move into stable, higher-quality roles. It has been shaped through local workshops, organisational input and data analysis, and is designed as a flexible document that can evolve as employer needs and economic conditions shift.
