News Reader.info

Jobseekers face a shake-up in how jobcentres operate, as the Government rolls out the most dramatic overhaul in decades. Claimants are now set for a new form or personal interviews and

tailored job coaching as part of a bold new regime launching this week. The first of the so-called ‘Jobs and Careers Service Pathfinders’ has been launched in Wakefield, West Yorkshire.

Claimants will now face more tailored appointments, a new ‘Coaching Academy’ to improve support, and job events aimed at sectors crying out for local workers. The Department for Work and

Pensions (DWP) insists the reforms are about “unlocking opportunity” and ditching a “tick-box” system that has failed to get to grips with the needs of both jobseekers and employers.

Employment Minister Alison McGovern said: “Our one-size-fits-all, tick box approach to jobs support is outdated and does not serve those looking to better their lives through work. We are

building a proper public employment service in partnership with local leaders that truly meets community challenges and unlocks opportunity. “The launch of the Pathfinder in Wakefield is the

first step in this transformation as we continue to Get Britain Working, boost living standards and put more money in people’s pockets, under our Plan for Change.” The pilot scheme in

Wakefield will be a test-bed for wider reforms, as ministers seek to end the centralised Whitehall grip on employment support in favour of locally-designed solutions. It will include job

fairs and training events focused on industries showing growth, including manufacturing, tech and the creative sector. The first event took place yesterday and spotlighted the booming

creative economy, with support from employers such as Production Park - a set-building firm involved in major Netflix shows like Bank of Dave. The DWP hopes this will help turn around

worrying statistics, including its own 2024 survey showing that only 9% of employers currently hire via jobcentres. Wakefield will also be the first area to pilot the new ‘Coaching Academy’,

aimed at boosting the quality of support claimants receive. Staff will receive specialist training, with the aim of providing more meaningful one-to-one support and getting people into

secure, long-term jobs. Tracy Brabin, Mayor of West Yorkshire, welcomed the changes and said they align with local ambitions. She said: “People stand a better chance of landing a good job

when they are treated with dignity and respect at a trusted local jobcentre. “These reforms will empower us to build on our West Yorkshire model of joining up employment support with health

and employer-led services, to provide personalised support that gets people into work and puts more money in people’s pockets. “Working with the government, we’re investing almost £40

million to help guarantee a healthy working life to everyone in our region, and as the test-bed for the new national Jobs and Careers Service, Wakefield will lead the way on transforming our

welfare system to get Britain working.” The government says Wakefield is just the start. Further Pathfinders are due to launch this year, including schemes focused on young people and those

facing health challenges that keep them out of work. Ministers insist it’s all part of a broader “Get Britain Working” agenda - tied in with the rise in the National Living Wage, the

long-awaited Employment Rights Bill, and a Youth Guarantee that promises every young person will be either “learning or earning”. Additional investment for the region includes £18 million

for an “inactivity trailblazer” and a new NHS Accelerator scheme, intended to prevent people from falling out of work altogether due to poor health. The reforms come amid growing concerns

about long-term economic inactivity, with ministers under pressure to reverse rising numbers of working-age people on out-of-work benefits since the pandemic. Whitehall says the goal is to

ensure 80% employment across the UK, and insists that the reforms - including improved partnerships with devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland - will help deliver that

target.