Jobcentre Plus

Telford Jobcentre Plus held a breakfast event just before Easter for employment agencies to highlight big changes taking place in the labour market. In particular, the event aimed to alert agencies to the benefits of recruiting from a diverse workforce.

Jobcentre Plus advisers explained their services whilst Philip Delalove, regional chair of the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REF), said: “We have worked closely with Jobcentre Plus to produce a Diversity Pledge which our members can sign up to. This shows commitment to considering diversity in all aspects of recruitment and employment.”

By 2010 only 20 per cent of the labour market will be made up of white, non-disabled men under the age of 45. At the event, Jobcentre Plus specialist advisers spoke about how they are trying to get ahead of the game by helping customers, such as lone parents and people with disabilities, who may wish to return to work but need dedicated support.

Mike Dzioba, Jobcentre Plus employer engagement manager, said: “Although employment agencies may once have been in competition with Jobcentre Plus, we now work with them as partners. In fact, in some areas the majority of all vacancies received by Jobcentre Plus are from employment agencies.”

At the breakfast event representatives from the employment agencies found out more about the services Jobcentre Plus provides. Maddy O’Donnell-Jappy from Encore Personnel Services, said: “Using Jobcentre Plus has significantly cut down our advertising costs and we now fill a substantial number of our vacancies through using this service.”

Employers who would like further information about Jobcentre Plus services should contact Mike Dzioba, employer engagement manager by phone, 07855 319945, or by email Michael.dzioba@jobcentreplus.gsi.gov.uk. For more information about the REC’s Diversity Pledge, visit www.rec.uk.com.

Notes to editors:

1. Jobcentre Plus, part of the Department for Work and Pensions, brings together employment and benefit services for people of working age and is a key element in the Government's objectives to help people based on ‘Work for those who can, support for those who cannot’. It provides a professional and modern service to meet the diverse needs of employers and those seeking work, including:

• Personal advisers to provide practical support and advice to help those in need find and keep work, including training provision and benefits guidance
  
• A dedicated service to support employers in filling their vacancies quickly and successfully
  
• Ability to place and search for jobs both online and over the phone (via Jobpoints and through Jobseeker Direct and Employer Direct)
  
• Swift, secure and professional access to benefits for those entitled to them.

2. Customers can access Jobcentre Plus services through around 1,000 locations across the UK, including around 750 newly refurbished Jobcentre Plus offices. Touch-screen terminals and Customer Access Phones are also available in a further 120 sites such as libraries and local authority premises. Jobcentre Plus works with over 400,000 employers to place 20,000 people into work every week. Over 300,000 vacancies are listed each week on its website and more than 3m job search requests are received, making it the number one UK recruitment website.

3. For further information on the services that Jobcentre Plus provides employers and people of working age visit the Jobcentre Plus website.

Media enquiries: 0121 626 2991
Simon Ballinger, DWP Regional Press Office
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Website: www.dwp.gov.uk