Work It Out UK Pilots 2026
Work It Out National Pilot Programme
Building Communities Where Everyone Succeeds
Across the UK, communities are facing significant challenges. Youth unemployment remains high in many areas. Economic inactivity continues to rise. Many people feel disconnected from opportunity, community and meaningful participation. At the same time, artificial intelligence, automation and changing patterns of work are transforming the labour market at a pace few could have predicted.
Whilst skills and qualifications remain important, many people are struggling not simply because they lack skills, but because they lack confidence, encouragement, supportive relationships, practical opportunities and clear pathways forward. Work It Out provides a practical, cost-effective and community-based response to these challenges.
What Is Work It Out?
Work It Out is a practical community development framework that helps people build confidence, create opportunities, develop careers, generate income, strengthen relationships and support one another in achieving their goals. Whilst employment remains an important outcome, Work It Out goes beyond traditional job search support by helping people build sustainable futures in a rapidly changing world.
The programme combines career development, peer support, community engagement, opportunity creation and practical action into a simple but powerful framework that can be adapted to meet local needs and priorities.
Why Is Work It Different?
Most employability programmes focus on helping people find jobs. Work It Out focuses on helping people build futures. Rather than concentrating solely on CVs, applications and interviews, Work It Out helps individuals identify their strengths, build supportive networks, create practical workpieces, develop confidence, explore opportunities and contribute positively to their communities.
Most importantly, Work It Out creates ongoing communities of support. Participants continue helping one another long after the initial programme has finished, creating sustainable local networks that continue generating opportunities, encouragement and practical support.
Who Can Benefit?
The framework can support a wide range of individuals including young people who are unemployed, economically inactive adults, people returning to work, career changers, those considering self-employment, individuals experiencing social isolation and people who simply need support to identify their next steps.
Because the model is flexible, each local area can tailor delivery to reflect local priorities and target groups.
The Work It Out Approach
Everything begins with a large introductory workshop attended by local residents who wish to explore new opportunities and possibilities for their future. The first workshop in each area is facilitated by Des McCabe alongside the two local facilitators. Participants then move into small six-week development groups where they identify goals, recognise strengths, develop confidence, create practical workpieces and support one another's progress.
Following the initial programme, participants continue meeting within their cohort communities where they share opportunities, develop projects, solve problems together and support new members entering the process.
This ongoing community element is one of the key factors that differentiates Work It Out from more traditional interventions.
What Are Workpieces?
Workpieces are practical activities that help people move forward. A workpiece might involve employment, self-employment, volunteering, community projects, online businesses, mentoring activities, creative ventures, social enterprises or collaborative initiatives. The emphasis is on practical action, contribution and progress rather than simply discussing ideas.
Why Two Facilitators?
The two-facilitator model sits at the heart of the Work It Out philosophy. We believe people achieve more when they work together than when they work alone. Two facilitators create shared learning, mutual support, continuity of delivery and greater local capacity. They model the collaborative behaviours we encourage throughout the programme and help create stronger, more sustainable local communities.
Who Can Become Facilitators?
We are looking for people with energy, positivity and a genuine desire to help others succeed. Facilitators may come from local authorities, colleges, training providers, voluntary organisations, businesses, housing associations or community groups. Training experience is helpful but not essential. What matters most is the ability to encourage people, work collaboratively and believe in the potential of others.
Comprehensive Support Included
Every licensed area receives comprehensive support throughout the twelve-month period. This includes facilitator training, monthly national development sessions, coaching and mentoring, programme resources, implementation support, promotional materials, monitoring tools and participation in the wider national Work It Out network. Facilitators become part of a growing UK-wide community of colleagues who continuously share ideas, learning and best practice.
Preparing People for an AI Future
Work It Out recognises that artificial intelligence and automation are changing the nature of work across almost every sector. Rather than viewing AI as a threat, participants are encouraged to use AI positively to explore opportunities, develop ideas, create projects, build businesses, strengthen employability and generate new forms of income. The process helps people prepare for the future rather than simply react to it.
Expected Outcomes
Work it Out tracks a range of practical outcomes including employment, self-employment, training participation, confidence, wellbeing, community involvement, social connectedness, income generation activity and personal development. Alongside these measurable outcomes, Work It Out helps create stronger local communities where people continue supporting one another long after the formal programme has ended.
Scale and Impact
A typical pilot area can directly engage upwards of 500 people during the initial twelve-month period whilst simultaneously creating a sustainable local community infrastructure that continues to grow beyond the pilot itself. As communities mature, participants often become volunteer champions, mentors and future facilitators, helping the model expand organically year after year.
Creating Long-Term Sustainability
Work It Out is designed to grow through community ownership rather than dependence on ongoing funding.
Participants become mentors. Mentors become facilitators. New members are introduced through existing networks. Local partnerships develop naturally. Opportunities are shared. New projects emerge. Over time, the community becomes an asset in its own right.
Investment
The annual partnership investment is £20,000. This includes two licensed facilitator places, initial training, twelve months of development support, monthly national learning sessions, coaching and mentoring, programme resources, promotional materials, monitoring tools and participation in the national Work It Out ecosystem. The objective is not simply to deliver another programme. The objective is to create a lasting community asset that continues generating value for years to come.
Our Vision
Our vision is to create a nationwide network of Work It Out communities where people support one another, create opportunities together and ensure that nobody faces life's challenges alone. In a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence, economic uncertainty and rapid change, we believe that strong communities, supportive relationships, kindness and collective action will become more important than ever. Work It Out provides a practical framework for making that vision a reality.
Work It Out - Building Communities Where Everyone Succeeds and Nobody Gets Left Behind.
Building Communities Where Everyone Succeeds
Across the UK, communities are facing significant challenges. Youth unemployment remains high in many areas. Economic inactivity continues to rise. Many people feel disconnected from opportunity, community and meaningful participation. At the same time, artificial intelligence, automation and changing patterns of work are transforming the labour market at a pace few could have predicted.
Whilst skills and qualifications remain important, many people are struggling not simply because they lack skills, but because they lack confidence, encouragement, supportive relationships, practical opportunities and clear pathways forward. Work It Out provides a practical, cost-effective and community-based response to these challenges.
What Is Work It Out?
Work It Out is a practical community development framework that helps people build confidence, create opportunities, develop careers, generate income, strengthen relationships and support one another in achieving their goals. Whilst employment remains an important outcome, Work It Out goes beyond traditional job search support by helping people build sustainable futures in a rapidly changing world.
The programme combines career development, peer support, community engagement, opportunity creation and practical action into a simple but powerful framework that can be adapted to meet local needs and priorities.
Why Is Work It Different?
Most employability programmes focus on helping people find jobs. Work It Out focuses on helping people build futures. Rather than concentrating solely on CVs, applications and interviews, Work It Out helps individuals identify their strengths, build supportive networks, create practical workpieces, develop confidence, explore opportunities and contribute positively to their communities.
Most importantly, Work It Out creates ongoing communities of support. Participants continue helping one another long after the initial programme has finished, creating sustainable local networks that continue generating opportunities, encouragement and practical support.
Who Can Benefit?
The framework can support a wide range of individuals including young people who are unemployed, economically inactive adults, people returning to work, career changers, those considering self-employment, individuals experiencing social isolation and people who simply need support to identify their next steps.
Because the model is flexible, each local area can tailor delivery to reflect local priorities and target groups.
The Work It Out Approach
Everything begins with a large introductory workshop attended by local residents who wish to explore new opportunities and possibilities for their future. The first workshop in each area is facilitated by Des McCabe alongside the two local facilitators. Participants then move into small six-week development groups where they identify goals, recognise strengths, develop confidence, create practical workpieces and support one another's progress.
Following the initial programme, participants continue meeting within their cohort communities where they share opportunities, develop projects, solve problems together and support new members entering the process.
This ongoing community element is one of the key factors that differentiates Work It Out from more traditional interventions.
What Are Workpieces?
Workpieces are practical activities that help people move forward. A workpiece might involve employment, self-employment, volunteering, community projects, online businesses, mentoring activities, creative ventures, social enterprises or collaborative initiatives. The emphasis is on practical action, contribution and progress rather than simply discussing ideas.
Why Two Facilitators?
The two-facilitator model sits at the heart of the Work It Out philosophy. We believe people achieve more when they work together than when they work alone. Two facilitators create shared learning, mutual support, continuity of delivery and greater local capacity. They model the collaborative behaviours we encourage throughout the programme and help create stronger, more sustainable local communities.
Who Can Become Facilitators?
We are looking for people with energy, positivity and a genuine desire to help others succeed. Facilitators may come from local authorities, colleges, training providers, voluntary organisations, businesses, housing associations or community groups. Training experience is helpful but not essential. What matters most is the ability to encourage people, work collaboratively and believe in the potential of others.
Comprehensive Support Included
Every licensed area receives comprehensive support throughout the twelve-month period. This includes facilitator training, monthly national development sessions, coaching and mentoring, programme resources, implementation support, promotional materials, monitoring tools and participation in the wider national Work It Out network. Facilitators become part of a growing UK-wide community of colleagues who continuously share ideas, learning and best practice.
Preparing People for an AI Future
Work It Out recognises that artificial intelligence and automation are changing the nature of work across almost every sector. Rather than viewing AI as a threat, participants are encouraged to use AI positively to explore opportunities, develop ideas, create projects, build businesses, strengthen employability and generate new forms of income. The process helps people prepare for the future rather than simply react to it.
Expected Outcomes
Work it Out tracks a range of practical outcomes including employment, self-employment, training participation, confidence, wellbeing, community involvement, social connectedness, income generation activity and personal development. Alongside these measurable outcomes, Work It Out helps create stronger local communities where people continue supporting one another long after the formal programme has ended.
Scale and Impact
A typical pilot area can directly engage upwards of 500 people during the initial twelve-month period whilst simultaneously creating a sustainable local community infrastructure that continues to grow beyond the pilot itself. As communities mature, participants often become volunteer champions, mentors and future facilitators, helping the model expand organically year after year.
Creating Long-Term Sustainability
Work It Out is designed to grow through community ownership rather than dependence on ongoing funding.
Participants become mentors. Mentors become facilitators. New members are introduced through existing networks. Local partnerships develop naturally. Opportunities are shared. New projects emerge. Over time, the community becomes an asset in its own right.
Investment
The annual partnership investment is £20,000. This includes two licensed facilitator places, initial training, twelve months of development support, monthly national learning sessions, coaching and mentoring, programme resources, promotional materials, monitoring tools and participation in the national Work It Out ecosystem. The objective is not simply to deliver another programme. The objective is to create a lasting community asset that continues generating value for years to come.
Our Vision
Our vision is to create a nationwide network of Work It Out communities where people support one another, create opportunities together and ensure that nobody faces life's challenges alone. In a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence, economic uncertainty and rapid change, we believe that strong communities, supportive relationships, kindness and collective action will become more important than ever. Work It Out provides a practical framework for making that vision a reality.
Work It Out - Building Communities Where Everyone Succeeds and Nobody Gets Left Behind.
Work it Out! is part of Diversiton and is non-profit making.
Copyright © Diversiton 2003-2026 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
Copyright © Diversiton 2003-2026 ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.
