Question to the Department for Work and Pensions:

To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the potential impact of job centres on economic growth in (a) Newcastle-under-Lyme constituency and (b) Staffordshire.

Jobcentre colleagues understand the labour market needs of their local areas. Across Newcastle-under-Lyme and Staffordshire, our Jobcentre teams engage with employers and providers to host job fairs, Sector-Based Work Academy Programmes, recruitment events and group information sessions to support customers to improve their ability to enter and retain employment. Higher participation in the labour market, and more people in work are key to supporting the Government’s mission to kickstart economic growth.

As announced in the recent Get Britain Working White Paper, we are reforming Jobcentre Plus and creating a new service that will enable everyone to access support to find good, meaningful work, and support to help them progress in work, including through an enhanced focus on skills and careers advice. This new service will transform our ability to support people into work, help those on low pay to increase their earnings, and create a more flexible workforce for a fast changing, higher skilled jobs market. This transformation is expected to contribute to economic growth by addressing local skills gaps and providing tailored support to meet the needs of local labour markets.

Since September 2024 we have delivered 42 Sector Work Academy Programmes (SWAPs) in Staffordshire with the majority of them supporting the Construction, Education & Teaching, Transport and Adult Social Care. Thes SWAPs have supported several employers with their recruitment activity.