New Dewsbury Jobcentre opens to help North Kirklees residents find work

A new temporary jobcentre in Dewsbury has officially opened its doors to the public, giving jobseekers more access to support and new opportunities to find work.
The new temporary Jobcentre in the Princess of Wales shopping centre in Dewsbury officially opened its doors to the public on WednesdayThe new temporary Jobcentre in the Princess of Wales shopping centre in Dewsbury officially opened its doors to the public on Wednesday
The new temporary Jobcentre in the Princess of Wales shopping centre in Dewsbury officially opened its doors to the public on Wednesday

The new jobcentre, in the Princess of Wales shopping centre, will support customers in North Kirklees – Dewsbury, Batley, the Spen Valley and the surrounding areas.

As part of the Plan for Jobs, the new site has a team of more than 30 work coaches, some of whom recently joined the DWP (Department for Work and Pensions) as part of the successful recruitment drive to hire 13,500 new work coaches across the country.

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Each new work coach will help local people looking for work in North Kirklees with one-on-one tailored support to find their next role.

Mims Davies MP, Minister for Employment, said: “We know this has been a challenging time for many people and that’s why we’re boosting our DWP Jobcentre support in every community of the UK, including here in Dewsbury.

“Every customer benefits from having a dedicated work coach. They know the local jobs market and work with local businesses to match jobseekers to the latest opportunities.

“It’s brilliant to see our Plan for Jobs in action, from Kickstart to sector-based work academy programmes, our work coaches are there to help people thrive and progress in work.”

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Dewsbury Princess of Wales Jobcentre Plus is one of the new temporary sites announced by the Department for Work and Pensions earlier this year, building on the existing 639 Jobcentres across the UK.

The DWP has also undertaken its fastest ever recruitment exercise, recruiting 13,500 work coaches nationally. The additional space will accommodate new work coaches recruited in the area to help more people transform their lives through tailored employment support.

Abdurrahman Kadia, one of the new recruits based at the new jobcentre, said: “Since taking up my new work coach role in Dewsbury Jobcentre in February, it’s been extremely rewarding and insightful to be a part of the jobcentre’s pandemic response - supporting the 16-24 customers, by offering help and support to enable them to move closer to the labour market and into work.

"I am excited to continue this journey at the new jobcentre. I am impressed by how Covid-safe the facilities are and I genuinely believe this will make our customers feel safe and at ease - and in return, we can support them.”

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Lisa Lloyd, customer service leader overseeing the site who has 34 years of DWP experience, said: “The opening of Dewsbury Princess of Wales Jobcentre is a brilliant and exciting opportunity to really help support our customers as we continue to support our local jobs market to recover.

“We have a great team of people in various roles who are passionate and committed to helping our customers move into new opportunities.

"We also have some fantastic Kickstart opportunities in the Kirklees area too. We will be working alongside employers to increase those opportunities on offer to our 16-24 customers and really help to make a difference to their future.”