How DWP Work Coaches are Helping Jobseekers Find Work

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has relaunched a new campaign showcasing how Work Coaches are helping jobseekers back into work through a government website.

The impact of the pandemic on employment and jobs has made it very difficult for jobseekers to know where or how they can get support to look for new employment, especially for those from Black Asian Minority Ethnic (BAME) backgrounds.

Over 58% of BAME workers have had their employment affected since the start of the pandemic, compared to 47% of white workers.

Within this group, people from the Bangladeshi community are most affected with 80% reporting a change in their employment circumstances, compared to 58% of Pakistani workers and 55% of the UK’s Indian population.

Furthermore, women across all ethnicities have been disproportionately affected compared to men. Overall, 52% of women have seen their employment affected as a result of the pandemic compared to 45% of men. This includes 70% of Asian women, who have reported a loss in income or change to their employment situation.

Therefore, the aims of this campaign are to help jobseekers increase the usage of the JobHelp website, raise awareness and increase uptake of the Work Coach support, government skills, employment and support programmes and training courses available to those eligible.

The DWP aims to help those affected by changes in their job circumstances through ‘jobs army’ of Work Coaches, reinforcing it by an additional 13,500 recruits taken on since the COVID-19 pandemic hit.

The Work Coaches are tackling unemployment in the UK with the support of the dedicated JobHelp website.

The JobHelp website opens up the expertise of DWP Work Coaches to jobseekers who are unable to claim Universal Credit (UC) while offering UC customers an online resource to refer back to throughout their job search.

Jobseekers from the British South Asian community are highly encouraged to use the services of the DWP Work Coaches.

They can provide individual support and help find suitable positions, provide access to training for new or alternative careers and review job searching activities.

Work Coach Fozia says:

“We get to know you as an individual and provide tailored support to help you find a job that matches your skills and interests.”

Akerz, a Work Coach says:

“Use the JobHelp website to discover lots of opportunities to gain new skills, earn while you learn or retrain to secure a permanent new role”

Work Coach Miska says:

“If you need help writing a CV, making applications and succeeding at an interview, we’re here to help you all the way.”

Abdul explains how a Work Coach can help with English language worries:

“If English is not your first language, don’t worry, we can enrol you on a training course that is right for you.”

The impact of the pandemic has affected job hunters in different ways and the role of the Work Coaches aims to address the challenges faced by jobseekers.

Among those impacted was 21-year-old Tamanna Begum from Birmingham, who lost her job in March 2020. After being unemployed for almost a year, Tamanna had begun to feel disheartened:

“It can be the worst feeling in the world. You spend so much time on your application, and think it’s going well – but then you don’t hear anything back.”

However, things started to change when Tamanna met Raj, a DWP Youth Employability Coach, who was tasked with helping Tamanna find work. With over 30 years of experience, Raj is an experienced Work Coach and knew exactly what to do. Raj says:

“My job is extremely rewarding. I love being able to make a positive change by helping people move forward in their lives.”

Raj helped Tamanna by first identifying the strengths and weaknesses of her CV. She used the JobHelp website to find the latest tips and guidance and worked with Tamanna to make necessary improvements.

Packed with tips on everything from how to craft a perfect CV to perfecting video interviewing skills, the JobHelp website is a good place for jobseekers to start their job search, particularly as the economy starts to pick up.

Speaking about the importance of the JobsHelp website, Mims Davies MP, Minister for Employment says:

“As restrictions ease, organisations across the country will increasingly be looking for new people to join them.

“If you’re applying for work, the JobHelp website can help you find these vacancies and support you with every stage of your application.

“We know this has been a challenging time, but we are serious about supporting Britain’s workforce as we build back better.”

For more information about JobHelp, visit https://gov.uk/jobhelp.