A NEW Jobcentre has opened in the centre of Hereford to give jobseekers more support and new opportunities.

As part of the Plan for Jobs, the new temporary Jobcentre in Hereford Maylord Shopping Centre has officially opened its doors.

The Jobcentre has a team of 36 work coaches, some of whom recently joined DWP as part of the successful recruitment drive to hire 13,500 new work coaches across the country.

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

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Minister for Employment Mims Davies MP 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 Hereford.

“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.”

Hereford Maylord 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.

Heather Blackley is one of those new recruits based at Hereford’s new Jobcentre.

Heather said: “After being made redundant from my previous retail travel job due to Covid, it was my own work coach who suggested I apply to the DWP. I did exactly that and was delighted to be offered a position. I can honestly say that I look forward to coming to work, everyone has made me feel so welcome.

“Every day is unique, meeting different people that may be new to Universal Credit or seeing familiar faces to continue the support and opportunities we offer.

“I love my job!”

Mike Dzioba is the customer service man overseeing the new site, bringing with him 30 years of DWP experience.

Mike said: “We look forward to supporting the people of Hereford and the surrounding area in this fantastic, new and centrally located Jobcentre. My team are committed to providing an excellent service and to helping those people locally who need our support."