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DWP Jobcentre Support for Employers

The Department for Work and Pensions Job Centre Plus runs offers localised support to businesses across England. With a network of local Employer Advisers who can help you to find the right people for your vacancies and help you retain your existing team members.

There are Jobcentres across Cheshire and Warrington and you will work with a named Employer Adviser to access the employer support services on offer, some of these services are listed below.

Recruitment Support

There are a range of services available to help you recruit new additions to your team, working with an employer adviser who can:

  • Support you in writing job descriptions and planning your future recruitment campaigns
  • Helping you speed up your recruitment process by matching the right candidate to your vacancies, sifting applications and interviewing candidates for you and allowing you to use Jobcentre Plus offices to carry out interviews
  • Help to promote your vacancies: in local job centres and by attending local recruitment events
  • Help you connect with other businesses in your area

Sector Based Work Academy Programme

Job Centre Plus can run Sector Based Work Academy Programmes (SWAP) which help prepare those receiving unemployment benefits to apply for jobs in specific sector. A SWAP is a partnership between your business, Jobcentre Plus and a training provider. Responsibility for delivering this programme is shared between these partners. You will be supported by a single point of contact from the Jobcentre who will help you find potential candidates.

You can work with other businesses in your sector to offer SWAP opportunities and fill multiple job vacancies.

The SWAP has 3 components/stages offered to individual participants:

  • A period of employability and sector specific training
  • Some work experience 
  • A guaranteed job interview for all those who complete the course.

For an employer the benefits of using the SWAP model are numerous: you will know the candidates have committed to a period of training prior to their job interview, reducing the risks within the overall process of recruiting new employees, the placements are designed to help meet your immediate and future recruitment needs- helping you to recruit a workforce with the right skills to sustain and grow your business and there is no direct cost for you as an employer for running a SWAP.

Work Trials

With the help of your local JobCentre you can choose to run a work trial for a jobseeker on benefits, enabling your company and the participant to see if the job is a good fit. Participants taking part in a work trial receive a daily allowance and travel expenses from Jobcentre Plus and you as the employer does not pay a wage during the trial period.

You need to agree the length of the work trial with the jobseeker before it starts, with most work trials lasting around 5 days, with the option for longer if the job role being offered is for longer than 6 months or more.

Supporting People Into Work

The JobCentre can offer a range of support for individuals looking to enter employment, which may be able to help your business as you look to increase your team. Some examples of the support offered for jobseekers on Universal Credit include:

  • Upfront help with childcare for people starting work or increasing their hours
  • A discretionary Flexible Support Fund which is used to remove barriers to work (e.g. transport costs, appropriate clothing etc.)
  • Work and Health Programme

Support to Retain Employees

Jobcentres can help you to retain existing team members, by offering them and you, as the employer the means to support them staying in employment. This includes:

  • Universal Credit to support employment income (depends on wage, hours worked etc.)
  • Help with retention for candidates with a health condition
  • Access to Work and Access To Work Mental Health Support Service

For further details on the Access To Work and Disability Confident Schemes visit this page.

The easiest way to find out more about and access all of the support listed above is to contact the Employer Services Line on 0800 169 0178 or at this link