The rising costs of recruitment due to the increase of National Insurance contributions and the cost-of-living crisis affecting salaries are shaping the way recruitment is done across the nation. The Department for Work and Pensions and Jobcentre Plus continue to offer support to Essex employers through our free, personalised, and effective services. We understand how important employee retention is, and that is why we offer the following services to employers…
Through Jobcentre Plus, we can support businesses in the following ways…
- Advertise your vacancy on an internal Job Searching Engine that reaches every Jobcentre in Essex
- Organise Work Experience & Work Trials
- Organise Pre Employment Training with a local training provider
- Amend Job Descriptions
- Sift CVs
- Provide office space for Group Sessions and interviews
- Job & Wellbeing Fairs
We also offer financial support to job-seekers to ensure they are able to stay in work through a grant called “Flexible Support Fund”. This grant was created to remove any financial barriers for Jobcentre customers looking to obtain employment.
The Flexible Support Fund can cover the following…
- Interview Clothing
- Travel Costs for Interviews
- 3 Months of travel costs once a position is obtained
- Suitable clothing and footwear
- Working parents can receive 1 month of upfront childcare costs and afterwards, Universal Credit will continue to reimburse up to 85% of their childcare costs
**All Flexible Support Fund payments are subject to eligibility and customers must provide evidence to be considered for these payments.
Could you offer unpaid Work Experience to a Jobcentre customer? If a business does not have any live vacancies but are interested in supporting members of the community, Work Experience through Jobcentre Plus may be an option! Work experience is mainly for candidates who have little to no work-related skills who are looking to gain valuable experience within a company. With help from a local Employer Advisor, we can ensure that the right candidates are matched with apposite employers. Work Experience will usually last between 2 – 8 weeks, however, this can be extended by 4 weeks if the employer has found a suitable vacancy or apprenticeship for the candidate.
For more information on getting involved with Work Experience please go to Work experience: employer guide - GOV.UK.
If you’d like any further information, please contact our Employment & Partnership Coordinator.