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 your business in the following ways…

• Advertise your vacancy on an internal Job Searching Engine that reaches every Jobcentre in Essex
• Amend Job Descriptions
• Sift CVs – saving you time and resource!
• Provide office space for Group Sessions and interviews
• Job & Wellbeing Fairs
• Pre Employment Training
• Organise Work Experience & Work Trials with your business

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

If you’d like any further information, please contact our Employment & Partnership Coordinator - natalie.silvera-valdivia@dwp.gov.uk.