Work and Thrive Central

What Work and Thrive Central does

Work and Thrive Newcastle (legally a Newcastle City Council partnership, sometimes referenced as Work and Thrive Central) is a publicly funded employment support initiative operating in Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom. It was established as a collaboration of local partners to provide Newcastle residents with a single point of access to employment, training, health, and enterprise services. The partnership operates across six core service areas: Job Support (CV writing, application assistance, interview preparation), Employer Support (recruitment, Living Wage accreditation, SHINE programme), Health Support (Connect to Work IPS/LSE, WorkWell), Basic Skills (ESOL, Get Online Newcastle digital skills), Self Employment (BIPC, HOW2, FIRST, PNE Enterprise, The Millin Charity, King's Trust Enterprise), and Training (apprenticeships, Skills Bootcamps, adult learning via Newcastle City Learning).

The entity is not a technology platform. Its core technology is described as "Not applicable — public sector employment support service rather than technology platform," and service delivery relies on human specialist advisers operating through multiple channels: in-person at Newcastle City Library (33 New Bridge Street West), community venue outreach, telephone, video call, and online platforms. A community-led go-to-market motion is supplemented by a North East Jobs Board Facebook group with over 9,000 members.

The business model is grant-funded public sector delivery. Newcastle City Council acts as the lead authority, with co-funding and strategic alignment from the North East Combined Authority. All services are provided free of charge to Newcastle residents and employers. There is no commercial pricing, no revenue model beyond public grant funding, no parent commercial company, and the entity is classified as a government/state entity. Headcount is 7 employees. Contact is via [email protected].

Name

Work and Thrive Central

Legal name

Work & Thrive Newcastle (Newcastle City Council Partnership)

Website

https://workandthrivenewcastle.org.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Work and Thrive Newcastle is a publicly funded partnership led by Newcastle City Council that delivers free employment, training, health, and enterprise support services to Newcastle residents and employers through a network of specialist delivery partners and multi-channel service access.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Employment Services

NAICS

Employment Services (5613), Vocational Rehabilitation Services (624310), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Employment & Job Readiness Support Services (BPAGAEAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Career Coaching, Mentoring & Placement Support Services (EDAAAKAO), Workforce & Job-Seeker Services (Community-Based) (EDAAAFAM), Supported Employment & Job Coaching (EDAKANAE), Incumbent Worker Training & Upskilling (EDAAAOAE)

Keywords

• Employment support services
• Workforce development
• Job search assistance
• Skills training
• Public employment partnership

Headquarters

HQ city

Newcastle upon Tyne

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Public Sector Funding: Funded by Newcastle City Council and North East Combined Authority. The partnership brings together specialist partners and receives government support to deliver employment and training services at no cost to residents or employers.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Work & Thrive Newcastle is a publicly funded, one-stop-shop employment support partnership led by Newcastle City Council. It delivers integrated services across six core areas: Job Support (CV writing, applications, interview prep), Employer Support (recruitment, workforce development, SHINE and Living Wage programmes), Health Support (Connect to Work IPS/LSE and WorkWell in-work support), Basic Skills (ESOL and digital skills), Self Employment (business start-up support through BIPC and partner programmes), and Training (apprenticeships, Skills Bootcamps, adult learning).

Product overview

Work and Thrive Newcastle is a collaborative employment support service operated by Newcastle City Council as a partnership of local organisations. It operates as a unified service portfolio organised around six core service areas: Job Support (CV writing, applications, interviews), Employer Support (recruitment, workforce training, SHINE, Living Wage), Health Support (Connect to Work, WorkWell), Basic Skills (ESOL, digital skills), Self Employment (BIPC, start-up programmes), and Training (apprenticeships, Skills Bootcamps). These services are delivered through specialist delivery groups and partner organisations, with the Business and Intellectual Property Centre, Connect to Work, WorkWell, ESOL, Get Online Newcastle, North East Jobs Board, and Construction Talent Pool functioning as named sub-services and initiatives. The ecosystem is coordinated through a Strategy group and task-and-finish groups, providing Newcastle residents with integrated pathways from basic skills through to employment and career progression.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• North East Jobs Board reaches over 9,000 local jobseekers, training providers and employers

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Business & Intellectual Property Centre (BIPC) North EastcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExpert guidance for those considering setting up their own business or becoming self-employed. BIPC provides support ranging from initial idea development to business plan execution, located within City Library.
• Reviving the Heart of the West End (RHWE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDelivers the HOW2 programme for those with possible business ideas who need guidance getting started, including workshops, one-to-one business advice, and Universal Credit benefit impact guidance.
• FIRSTcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAccredited learning agency based in the North East delivering inclusive business education and enterprise skills. Offers accredited Level 1 and Level 2 courses plus pre-recorded workshops for learners at every stage.
• PNE EnterprisecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides one-to-one advice and mentoring for individuals and groups looking to start up their own business, plus training for those exploring entrepreneurship. Free service available to any Tyne and Wear resident.
• The Millin CharitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides enterprise-based support specifically for women becoming self-employed or setting up their own business through specialist programmes including accredited training, workshops, one-to-one advice, trading opportunities, and confidence building.
• King's Trust EnterprisecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports young people aged 18-30 with business ideas or those wanting to explore entrepreneurship through training, mentoring, funding, and resources. Free programme available at a centre near the participant.
• Newcastle City Learning (NCL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNewcastle City Council's adult and community learning provider offering skills development for work, apprenticeships, study programmes for young people, and employer workforce training support.
• Get Online NewcastlesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupports Newcastle residents over 18 to improve digital skills through courses at Newcastle City Library, tailored to develop employability skills and provide stepping stones into further employment support.
• Newcastle City CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead council authority providing strategic direction, governance, and funding for the Work & Thrive Newcastle partnership initiative.
• North East Combined AuthoritycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional combined authority providing strategic alignment and funding support for employment and skills initiatives across the North East region.
• NHS - North East North Cumbria Integrated Care BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare partnership delivering Connect to Work programme bringing together health services and employment support for people facing health barriers to workforce participation.
• SHINE (North East Combined Authority)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional initiative encouraging employers to sign up for SHINE programme promoting health and wellbeing in the workplace.
• Living Wage FoundationsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting employers to become accredited Living Wage employers, ensuring fair pay for employees.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Newcastle Futures: Newcastle-based employment and skills delivery body referenced on Work & Thrive's appointment booking URL; delivers overlapping employment and training programmes for Newcastle residents under the same city partnership umbrella.
• Maximus UK: International employment services contractor operating UK government programmes such as the Work and Health Programme and Restart; directly comparable service portfolio (job support, employer engagement, health-adjusted employment) to Work & Thrive.
• Shaw Trust: UK charity delivering employment support, disability employment (IPS), and wellbeing programmes; comparable to Work & Thrive's health-adjusted employment support and skills pillars.
• Reed in Partnership: UK private-sector employment services contractor delivering Restart, Work and Health Programme, and similar government-commissioned employment support on behalf of DWP; comparable in mission and funding model to Work & Thrive.
• A4e (now part of Capita): UK provider of employment, skills, and wellbeing programmes on behalf of government; prior to Capita acquisition delivered Restart-adjacent services overlapping with Work & Thrive's job, health, and training pillars.
• Pluss: UK social enterprise delivering employment support, apprenticeships, and disability employment services; comparable niche operator to Work & Thrive with overlap on employer engagement and skills.

Broad incumbents

• National Careers Service: UK government-funded careers advice and skills information service offering CV, interview, and careers guidance similar to Work & Thrive's Job Support pillar, but at national scope.
• Serco (Employment Services): Global services company that has delivered UK government employment and skills programmes (e.g., Work Programme), comparable to Work & Thrive in mission but operating as a much larger commercial contractor.
• Jobcentre Plus (DWP): UK government-run employment service providing job matching, work coaches, and benefits-linked employment support; operates at national scale with overlapping service lines to Work & Thrive Newcastle's job support pillar.

Regional players

• Bristol Works: Local authority-backed employment partnership in Bristol providing an integrated model (job, training, health, employer support) similar in design to Work & Thrive Newcastle but operating in a different city.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/372025313236335
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/workandthrivecentral

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Work and Thrive Central