Job Centre Christmas and New Year message: Build new skills through seasonal work

Julie Pritchard of the DWP Partnership Team for Northamptonshire said:

“Now is a great time for jobseekers to give their career aspirations a new focus. One way is to apply for one of the hundreds of seasonal jobs being advertised locally for Christmas and New Year. This can turn into a stepping stone to get back into the work routine, while developing new skills and sharpening existing ones. With the support of their work coach jobseekers can get the help they need to take full advantage of opportunities available now.

“Unlocking the skills and abilities of people can improve employment prospects and jobseeking parents on Universal Credit, can now get extra financial help through increased childcare payments.

“Locally we are working hard with employers to fill their vacancies, and hosting recruitment events including a successful Rushden lakes Job Fair that was held on 17th October 2024 in partnership with the Crown Estate, Employers in attendance included FlipOut, Next, Beaverbrook’s, Popeyes, Wildwood, Bodyshop, Card Factory, Decathlon, Paradise Island and OCS (Security/cleaning vacancies).

There was 420 Jobseekers attended the event, there was 50+ vacancies available on the day resulting in 2nd interviews, trial shifts and Job offers being made on the day.

Our Disability Employer Advisors were also present offering advice and support to customers and employers, the last hour of the event was ring fenced as a quieter hour for those with additional needs.

Over the years the DWP has established an extremely productive relationship with the Crown Estate at Rushden lakes an example of this close relationship is “Toby’s Story” – Toby is a remarkable young man with sight impairment, with just 5% vision in one eye.

Toby's Story

Donna French, the Centre Manager at Rushden Lakes, recently delivered an inspiring talk at a Health and Disability Confident Workshop, hosted by the DWP. The event aimed to empower local jobseekers with health conditions, providing valuable insights and motivation for their future career journeys.

One attendee who stood out was Toby, a remarkable young man with a sight impairment—having just 4% vision in one eye. Toby, accompanied by his mother, found the event not only informative but incredibly motivating, particularly drawn to Donna's encouraging message.

Reflecting on her encounter with Toby, Donna shared,

“When I met Toby, I was deeply inspired by his determination to move into the workforce despite his challenges. His question about using an iPad instead of a laptop in the workplace was spot on—it's the kind of forward-thinking that employers sometimes overlook. It sparked an idea, and I immediately offered Toby a morning of work experience at Rushden Lakes. I wanted to give him a real-world opportunity to see how his iPad could be used in a work setting and how simple adaptations could make all the difference."

Toby, equally thrilled by the experience, added,

“The workshop was incredibly motivating, and the work experience was invaluable. The team’s positive energy was amazing, and it gave me a real sense of how working in an office could be accessible for someone like me. It really highlighted the possibilities of adapting technology to suit my needs.”

Work and Pensions Secretary, Liz Kendall MP said:

“2.8 million people – a near record number are locked out of work due to poor health. This is bad for people, bad for businesses and it’s holding our economy back.

“That’s why our Get Britain Working plan will bring forward the biggest reforms to employment support in a generation, backed by an additional £240m of investment.

“And while it’s encouraging to see real pay growth this month, more needs to be done to improve living standards too. So, from April next year over three million of the lowest paid workers will benefit from our increase to the National Living Wage, delivering a £1,400 a year pay rise for a full-time worker.”

Background:

Budget

We will publish more details on our Get Britain Working Plan in the coming weeks.

More information on DWP Budget measures is available here: Budget marks first step in plan to drive up opportunity and drive down poverty - WWW.GOV.UK

Wages

From 1 April 2025, the NLW will increase by 6.7% to £12.21 per hour for eligible workers aged 21 and over. This represents an increase of £1,400 to the annual earnings of a full-time worker on the NLW and is expected to benefit over 3 million low-paid workers.From 1 April 2025, the 18-20 NMW will increase by a record amount in both cash and percentage terms, increasing by 16.3% to £10.00 per hour, beginning to close the gap with the NLW. This represents an increase of over £2,500 to the annual earnings of a full-time worker on the 18-20 NMW and is the first step in the government’s plan to remove the discriminatory age bands and create a single adult wage rate for eligible workers.

Regional key message for East Midlands:

East Midlands

· 2.408 million people in employment – unchanged on the quarter and up 30,000 on the year.

· The employment rate is 75.3% - down 0.4%pts on the quarter and up 1.0%pts on the year.

· 117,000 people are unemployed – down 14,000 on the quarter and down 2,000 on the year.

· The unemployment rate is 4.6%, down 0.5%pts on the quarter and down 0.1%pts on the year.

· 270,000 people are in non-working households.

Increase in the claimant count:

A DWP Spokesperson:

“As more people move to Universal Credit from legacy benefits, we can expect a rise in the number of claimants.

“We are committed to reviewing Universal Credit so people receive the support they need, while our plan to get Britain working will help more people into work and spread opportunity and prosperity to everyone – wherever they live.”