Jobcentre Plus

A Walsall man has clinched a job at the new ASDA superstore opening in the town thanks to help from Jobcentre Plus.

Mark Wilson, 24, was one of 200 local unemployed people to take part in a unique Jobcentre Plus pre-recruitment course run in partnership with Walsall College of Arts and Technology and Walsall Regeneration Partnership. The course was designed exclusively for people interested in ASDA vacancies to find out more about the company and the types of jobs available. Jobseekers also received advice on applying for vacancies.

Pat Cook, Mark’s New Deal personal adviser at Bridle Court Jobcentre in Walsall, also put him through his paces during two mock interviews, before he went for the real thing.

Mark said: “This job has really changed my life and given me hope. I desperately wanted to go back to work and couldn’t have done it without Pat’s help. I was at a complete loss when applying for jobs, but Pat spent time with me and helped me every step of the way; she advised me how to fill in the ASDA application form, practised my interview techniques and sorted out my in work benefits.”

Pat had previously arranged for Mark to undertake a fork lift driving licence course when he first joined New Deal for Young People and he is now putting his skills to good use in his new job. Mark started work with ADSA last month in the superstore’s warehouse and is progressing very well.

Jobcentre Plus offers a range of in-work support for customers. “We aim to help people overcome their own personal barriers to finding work,” explained Pat. “You can expect a lot more than just practical help. Talking to your adviser can be a great way of exploring different options, finding out about local training opportunities and also financial assistance available when returning to work. Starting something new can be scary – but it’s so rewarding – and New Deal advisers can help you every step of the way. When I first met Mark he really lacked confidence and needed a friendly, helping hand to aid him find a job. He did all the hard work and has come up trumps - he is truly an inspiration to others and I wish him every success in his new job.”

Notes to editors:

New Deal for Young People is a mandatory programme of help designed to address the problems of long-term unemployment in 18-24 year olds. The aim of New Deal for Young People is to improve young people’s chances of finding and keeping a job.

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, including the ability to place jobs online; and
• Ability to search for jobs both online and over the phone through Jobpoints in Jobcentre Plus offices, the Jobseeker Direct phone line and through the website;
• Swift, secure and professional access to benefits for those entitled to them.

Customers can access Jobcentre Plus services through around 1,000 locations across Great Britain, including over 800 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 275,000 employers to place 17,000 people into work every week. Over 400,000 vacancies are listed each week on its website and more than 4m job search requests are received, making it the number one UK recruitment website.

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