Jobcentre Plus: is it working for business?

…somewhere” because that would be a complete waste of their skills. We tend not to use “one size fits all” anymore, because we know “Size B” doesn’t fit everyone. Now we try to focus the package of help we’ve got to the individual.’

‘This process can really help to identify lots of other jobs out there you can very easily use your skills in’

One such tool is a Skills Assessment – a pilot scheme that has recently been launched in Peterborough. If an individual was unable to find the same type of work they were used to doing, undergoing a Skills Assessment could help them to identify what they’re ‘transferable skills’ were, as Peter explains: ‘As an individual, I wouldn’t have the faintest idea what transferable skills I’ve got, and bearing in mind some people might have been doing the same job for 30 years or more. So this process can really help to identify lots of other jobs out there you can very easily use your skills in. We do this with everybody, but it’s particularly good for those with a work history, or anybody who is highly skilled.’

At the end of the day, Peter acknowledges that most highly skilled people are still more likely to help themselves by using their own networks, or specialist recruitment sites. But he was keen to emphasise that the Jobcentre is there if people need it. ‘Sometimes people just want somebody’s support. Particularly your more highly charged individuals, they might just want somebody to bounce ideas off, or get reassurance that what they’re doing is the right thing. And our advisors are superb at doing that. And because these people tend to be very motivated, with a little bit of support from us they usually get themselves back into work fairly quickly.’

‘As long as you’ve paid your national contributions for the last two tax years, you will get a contributions-based allowance, irrespective of how much money you’ve got in the bank’

‘There’s also the knock on effect – that if people don’t come and sign on and claim their Jobseekers Allowance (JSA) – they may well end up with a gap in their national insurance account which could affect future benefits. One of the myths that still exists is that if you’ve got savings of “X” amount – you can’t claim JSA. This is particularly rich amongst those who have been made redundant and got a big package and haven’t claimed because they’ve thought, “Oh well, I’ve got £25,000 in the bank I can’t claim.” That isn’t actually the case. As long as you’ve paid your national contributions for the last two tax years, you will get a contributions-based allowance, irrespective of how much money you’ve got in the bank.’ The current figures for contributions-based Jobseekers Allowance is 56.80 a week for ages 16-24, or £71.70 for over 25s.

Aside from helping the unemployed, Peter was also keen to point out that there are a number of schemes that can directly benefit businesses. ‘We have a fabulous team of Employment…