Portsmouth City Council is committed to helping residents and people in surrounding areas find work, stay in work, and build their skills for the future.
Our Employment, Learning and Skills (ELS) service offers a range of work programmes and support services for individuals looking to grow personally and professionally, and for employers who want to recruit locally and inclusively.
We are champions of the Disability Confident employer scheme – GOV.UK. Our service is also accredited to the matrix Standard – the international quality benchmark for organisations delivering information, advice, and guidance.
How we support individuals
We deliver government-funded programmes to support people facing barriers to employment, including unemployed and those with disabilities. You can join directly by contacting us, or be referred by Jobcentre Plus. Support is offered remotely and in person.
How we support employers
We have access to a large talent pool across our unemployment programmes. We can offer a free and fast recruitment service to match jobseekers to your vacancies.
We also work with employers to recruit a diverse workforce to support individuals with disabilities entering the job market.
Skills and labour market strategy
The Skills and Labour Market Strategy 2026-2030 sets out Portsmouth’s ambition to create a collaborative, place-based, and future-focused skills ecosystem that ensures every resident can access meaningful employment, lifelong learning, and progression opportunities.
Read the Skills and Labour Market Strategy – Year 1 action plan 2026.
Contact us
For more information about our employment services, email skills.matching@portsmouthcc.gov.uk.