Employment minister praises Eastbourne JobCentre during visit

Caroline Ansell and Mims Davies went to see the new site in Grove Road which is the 194th JobCentre Plus in the country and comes on the back of record job vacancies across the UK.

The duo also met with Kacey Gray, who has been working with Mrs Ansell as part of the Kickstart programme – the government’s £2 billion programme to give paid work opportunities to those between the ages of 16–24 on Universal Credit.

Mrs Ansell said, “I was really pleased the minister accepted my invitation to visit our JobCentre Plus and see first-hand the wonderful work taking place there to get people into work and training.

“In challenging times one of the big positives is the range of funded training opportunities and the number of job openings here in Eastbourne and across the country. Employers are keen to recruit in many areas and this is good news.

“Thank you to the centre’s dedicated staff for the warm welcome and for all their help in making sure people find work.

“It was also good to introduce Kacey to the minister. I felt it was important I supported Kickstart and I am delighted I now have a young person helping me and gaining experience of work.”

Ms Davies said, “We know how much it benefits people to get into work – not just financially but also for their wellbeing – which is why we’re boosting our local DWP Jobcentre support in communities across the UK.

“I was delighted to meet work coaches in Eastbourne today alongside local MP Caroline Ansell to showcase our ‘Way to Work’ campaign building on the success of the Kickstart scheme. They are daily delivering a high quality and tailored service, making a positive difference to the lives of so many individuals.

“Our work coaches truly go above and beyond to help jobseekers no matter their circumstances and work to unlock any employment barriers, guiding them towards new work and upskilling opportunities to have brighter futures.”

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