More than 70% of jobseekers who applied for jobs with the Home Office in Liverpool were offered roles on the spot. Tony McDonough reports
More than 70% of people who applied for roles with the Home Office in Liverpool city centre secured jobs on the day of their interviews.
In the last few weeks Brook Street Agency worked with the DWP to recruit people for six-month contracts with the Government department. More than 70% of those who attended interviews were immediately offered jobs, although actual numbers weren’t revealed.
And, according to Gary Bell, Merseyside senior Kickstart district account manager for the DWP, two of the candidates impressed the employer so much that they were offered contracts to be executive officers.
“DWP Employer Advisers support the employer by promoting the opportunities and setting up interviews for residents across Liverpool city region,” said Gary. “Work Coaches worked with the applicants to ensure they had a good CV and were fully prepared for their job interviews.”
Latest data also shows a rise in the number of people claiming Universal Credit from February to March. As of March 10 there were 168,892 people in Liverpool, Wirral, Knowsley, Sefton, St Helens and Halton, in receipt of Universal Credit – a rise of 1.1% from 167,087 on February 10.
Liverpool saw the biggest percentage rises in UC claimants, up 1.4% to 59,930. St Helens was next, up 1.2%, up to 18,463 and 25,917. Next was Sefton and Wirral, both up 0.9% to 25,867 and 30,206 respectively. Halton and Knowsley saw a slightly smaller 0.8% to 14,440 and 18,986 respectively.
Jobcentres across Merseyside are continuing to hold local jobs fairs, in addition to its weekly employer interview events held at Liverpool Duke Street Jobcentre every Thursday.
Halton Jobcentres at Widnes & Runcorn recently held an event which saw 11 people being offered a job on the day and a further 46 guaranteed interviews arranged as a result of attending the jobs fair.
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At Crosby Jobcentre seven people were offered jobs on the spot at the event with a further 19 offered guaranteed interviews. Further jobs fairs are due to take place across the Merseyside region over the next few weeks.
These include a hospitality jobs fair being held in Liverpool city centre on Wednesday, May 4, and jobs fairs at Southport Jobcentre (April 20), Upton Jobcentre (April 25), Bootle Jobcentre (April 27), Birkenhead Jobcentre (April 27) and St Helens Jobcentre on May 4.
The DWP team in Liverpool city region is running a number of Sector-Based Work Academy programmes to recruit for homeworking customer service roles at Capita, port operative vacancies in Liverpool, and construction vacancies in St Helens. There are also a range of jobs at NHS trusts – www.jobs.nhs.uk – and at the B&M warehouse in Speke.
DWP in Liverpool has taken on two Afghan refugees to work in Toxteth Job under the Kickstart programme. They have started placements as a social media assistant and administrative assistant.
Gary added: “The team supported the two successful applicants by supporting them into an ESOL (English for Speakers of Other Languages) programme with a local training provider to help remove any language barriers, before conducting interview preparation.”