BARNSLEY Council leader Sir Steve Houghton has praised the government’s announcement to hand out £240m to local services to get back people into work - stating that Barnsley is already ‘ahead of the curve’.

The funding was announced by the government earlier this week and it’s hoped that it will drive down inactivity and get more people back into work.

It comes after the council released a groundbreaking report to get the borough’s residents back into employment.

Sir Steve, who had helped collate the report, said: “Local knowledge, partnerships and systems reform will be at the heart of enabling all people to benefit from happy, healthy, productive lives.

“In Barnsley, we’re ahead of the curve, cracking on with solutions to help our people, communities and local economies to grow.

“We recognised the opportunity to develop better Pathways to Work and focused on driving innovation locally, so that we can support everyone who wants to work, into good work.

“Our ambition is stronger than ever.

“We’re keen to demonstrate that our trailblazing approaches in South Yorkshire play a leading role in building national solutions to workforce and productivity growth.”

South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard also praised the new funding.

He added: “In South Yorkshire, work, health and skills barriers have prevented people here making the most of their talents for far too long.

“That’s why we have led the way in addressing these barriers through the pioneering Pathways to Work Commission.

“The commission’s report sets out recommendations that could unlock the talent and potential of our communities and I was pleased to welcome the Work and Pensions Secretary to Barnsley for the report’s launch in July.

“I warmly welcome today’s announcement from the Prime Minister and Chancellor, which will help support people back into work and drive down economic inactivity.

“Building better pathways into work is an essential part of my Plan for Good Growth.

“I’m determined to transform South Yorkshire into a thriving economy that will enable all our people to stay near and go far.”