Fedcap showcases innovative integrated approach to Get Britain Working

Not-for-profit organisation Fedcap marked Employability Day 2026 by showcasing how it is creating opportunities for individuals and families facing barriers to work by integrating education, employability, health solutions and social enterprise.

Customers joined local employers and MPs at 19 Fedcap locations across the UK to mark the Employment Related Services Association’s (ERSA) annual Employability Day, which was themed “We Get Britain Working”. They benefited from additional coaching sessions, workshops, skills bootcamps and interviews with employers, with some customers receiving job offers on the day.

Susan Paterson, Executive Director for Fedcap Employment, said: “Employability Day is a chance to celebrate the people who have taken steps toward a better future and the teams, employers and partners who help make that possible. Over the past eight years, Fedcap has supported almost 55,000 people into work across the UK, and we are incredibly proud of that achievement.

“But we know employability is about much more than finding a job. It is about understanding the barriers holding people back and putting the right support around them, whether that is skills training, mental health support, employer engagement, or tailored help for young people who are at risk of being left behind. Our focus is on helping people move into sustainable employment and building stronger futures for themselves and their families.”

Fedcap leadership, including President and CEO, Christine McMahon, were joined by Tan Dhesi MP at its Slough office, where they discussed how people across the UK are benefiting from Fedcap’s integrated approach to employability, education and health. They also met a customer who secured a job opportunity on the day.

Tan Dhesi MP said: “It’s been wonderful to see a customer get his job facilitated through the wonderful employment advisers here at Fedcap.

“It’s very, very important work that’s being done here to make sure that our young people and others are able to get to work, to feel good about themselves, to make not just money for themselves, but also to have their mental and physical health and wellbeing aspects looked after.

“That’s why it’s really, really important that we continue to get people into work to help them.”

Fedcap has focused on innovation in areas where traditional employment support alone is not enough. That includes work to better support young people who are not in education, employment or training (NEET), expanding access to mental health services through its Clubhouse model, and connecting people to new opportunities in fast-growing sectors through targeted training and employer partnerships.

Fedcap demonstrated these innovations at events at its ELITE social enterprises in Wales and at its Apex Training Centre, in Basingstoke, Hampshire. The centre celebrated its one-year anniversary with some of the 90 graduates from its solar panel installation course who had previously been looking for work as part of the Department for Work and Pensions’ Restart Scheme.

Luke Murphy MP celebrated Employability Day by returning to the centre, one year after he officially opened it. He met recent graduates who had previously been looking for employment on the Restart Scheme and are now working full-time as solar panel installers.

Luke Murphy MP said: “It was a real privilege to visit Fedcap’s Employability Day and see first-hand the fantastic work being done to equip local people with the skills they need for the jobs of tomorrow.

“It was especially inspiring to meet trainees alongside graduates who have already gone on to secure good, future-focused jobs. Their success demonstrates the real impact these programmes are having, not only for individuals and their families, but for our local economy as well.”

In Wales, Gerald Jones MP visited Fedcap’s ELITE Paper Solutions in Merthyr Tydfil. During a tour of the premises, he met disabled workers employed by the social enterprise who securely collect and shred documents on behalf of NHS organisations, Cardiff City Council and Public Health Wales.

Fedcap also hosted visits by Sean Woodcock MP in Banbury, Oliver Ryan MP in Burnley, Adnan Hussain MP in Blackburn, and Sir Mark Hendrick in Preston.

Christine McMahon, Fedcap President and CEO, said: “Fedcap’s mission is to create pathways to economic wellbeing for people facing barriers to work, and that means addressing the root causes that can keep people disconnected from opportunity. For some, that may be a mental health challenge. For others, it may be disability, disrupted education, a lack of confidence, or simply not having access to the right training at the right time.

“That is why our model is intentionally integrated. We bring together employability, education, health and workforce training so we can meet people where they are and help them move toward long-term stability. Whether we are supporting a young person at risk of becoming economically inactive, helping someone rebuild after a period of poor mental health, or training people for jobs in growing industries, our goal is the same: to break down barriers to sustainable employment and open the door to economic mobility.”

As part of the Employability Day events, ERSA also announced Fedcap as the headline sponsor of the ERSA Awards 2026. The awards provide an opportunity for those working across employment support and skills to showcase innovative practice, demonstrate impact and gain sector-wide recognition for their achievements.