Extra staff to support jobseekers

ABOUT 30 staff are being recruited to help Halton jobseekers to find work.

Halton People Into Jobs (HPIJ) is expanding its team across Runcorn and Widnes to deliver multi-million-pound programmes including Restart, Work and Health, JETS and the Liverpool City Region Ways to Work scheme, funded by the European Social Fund and Department for Work and Pensions.

The following HPIJ roles are available to apply for: advisors, self-employment advisor, employment liaison officers, team leaders, and information and data support officers.

A Halton Borough Council spokeswoman said HPIJ provides a face-to-face, comprehensive and universal employment support service to unemployed Halton residents.

Unemployment has been on the rise around the country since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic including in Halton, where the number of residents claiming out-of-work benefits nearly doubled from 3,180 in February 2020 to 6,030 three months later, before falling back to 4,530 in August this year as the economy opened up again, according to Office for National Statistics data.

For more information or a quick call to discuss contact Lynsey Carr on 0151 511 7547 or at lynsey. carr@halton.gov.uk , or Mellanie Holden on 0151 511 6233, mellanie. holden@halton.gov.uk.

The closing date for applications is October

17.

Cllr Paul Nolan (enterprise and employment) said: “It’s great to see that Halton Borough Council is engaged in delivering these key services to jobseekers. The posts advertised will play an important part in the delivery of these crucial opportunities to those who are seeking a way into employment.”

Restart supports residents who have been out of work for more than 12 months to find and retain work.

Work and Health helps jobseekers with a health condition and who are considering employment in the next 12 months.

JETS can support benefits recipients who are unemployed for at least 13 weeks.

Ways to Work is available to residents with the right to live and work in the UK.