Stockport Express Column - January 2009
Stockport Express Column - January 2009
By Ann Coffey MP
From Monday to Thursday each week, my job as an MP is based in Parliament.
I look forward to Fridays, visiting people in Stockport and holdingmeetings with local organisations. I am always keen to catch up withwhat is happening and to see what impact government policies are havinglocally.
I recently went to talk to the manager at the Jobcentre Plus inStockport because I am concerned to make sure that people who becomeunemployed during the present economic difficulties get the bestpossible help.
The first thing that struck me was how the new Jobcentre Plus officehas been transformed. It is so much more welcoming than the oldbenefits agency office, which I visited years ago and found bleak andforeboding. Now it unrecognisable. It has banks of computers,individually staffed, so that each person gets assigned a helper oftheir own.
It is terrible when anyone loses their job, however you would besurprised how much help is now available to help people find new work.
The sectors in Stockport most badly affected by the down turn arebuilding, construction and warehousing. But there are still 1,350 jobvacancies in Stockport, including in retail, the care sector,administration and the NHS and local government.
The Labour government has now given a lot of extra money to localJobcentre Plus teams so that they can help people switch into thesevacancies.
From Day One of unemployment, the Stockport Jobcentre Plus team willprovide support and help with interview training, CV help, Work Trialsand pre-recruitment training. There will also be help with rent andmortgages from 13 weeks.
There is a local "Rapid Response Team" for workers facing redundancy.This team went to speak to the 50 Stockport Woolworth’s employees whowere facing unemployment. The team took 29 Job Seekers Allowance claimson the site and the other 21 appear to have found jobs. This sort ofprompt action gives people confidence that they are being supportedthrough a difficult period and that there are still jobs out there forthem.
The government is also providing cash for the jobless to re-train andlearn new skills and grants for employers who recruit and trainunemployed people.
The vast majority of people in Stockport will not lose their jobs inthe downturn but it will be a major blow for those individuals who do.However, I feel confident after my visit to meet the staff at ourJobcentre Plus that they are doing all they can to support and helpnewly unemployed people.
