Way to Work is a new partnership between government and employers to get 500,000 jobseekers into work by the end of June 2022.
There are 1.3 million vacancies to fill across the country, so there are lots of opportunities for you, many of which need no prior experience.
When you claim Universal Credit, one of our Work Coaches will offer you tailored support to improve your chances of finding work. The government focus is to help you find work quickly to help prevent you being out of work for a prolonged period. This is because the longer you are out of work the harder it can be to secure another job.
In the first few weeks of your Universal Credit claim you will see your Work Coach weekly. They will get to know you, your experience and skills and understand what advice and support you might need so they can help to move you into work.
Jobcentre staff are working closely with local employers to help them fill their vacancies.
You may think you don’t have the right skills or qualifications to apply for some jobs. But for many roles you may not need a qualification or specific training to apply.
Your Work Coach will:
- Agree with you at your Claimant Commitment meeting what you are able to do in terms of looking for and finding a job and our expectations on you to deliver on that agreement.
- Discuss the local labour market, talk to you about employers in your area that are recruiting and what kind of people and skills those employers are looking for
- Job match you to current vacancies
- Talk to you about transferrable skills, address any gaps in your skills and refer you to training if needed
- Discuss local employers who offer work experience, or Sector Based Work Academy Programme (SWAPs), this is a good way to try a new sector or industry you haven’t considered before
- Advise you about other websites where you can search for work
Other advice and support you can expect includes:
- Help with getting your CV or cover letter up to date.
- Advice on using professional email accounts and voicemails when applying for jobs
- Advice on checking your social media accounts – employers may check these out if they offer you an interview
- Help with interview techniques, competency-based interviews, top tips and even mock interview practice where necessary
- Jobcentres have a customer area with computers you can use to apply for jobs
There’s additional support to help you move into work:
- Your Work Coach will talk to you about ‘Better off calculations’ to help you understand the financial element of taking a job and how this might affect your Universal Credit
- If you have a health condition, your Work Coach will discuss any reasonable adjustments you may need to help you move into work
- Group sessions may be on offer in your local area to discuss some of the above support
Please ask your Work Coach for any other local support available in your area, as we have many local organisations that work closely with Jobcentre Plus customers to help you overcome any barriers and move you into work as quickly as we can.
