Torbay’s MP Kevin Foster has welcomed news the former Argos Store in Torquay’s Union St will be turned into a temporary job centre to support residents needing to find work or looking for support in changing careers.
The move was confirmed in a letter to him from Employment Minister Mims Davies, with a lease for the prominent former shop having been signed on 19th March 2021. As a result of the pandemic, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has seen increases in demand for its services, prompting the move to open at this new location.
The DWP has already responded to this unprecedented demand by employing more Work Coaches. An additional 13,500 Work Coaches are being recruited nationally to help support and deliver the full range of Jobcentre services needed for those impacted by Covid19. The recruitment already undertaken of Work Coaches, plus the need to accommodate new and existing staff safely, means there is a requirement for DWP to expand its estates capacity on a temporary basis, including in our bay where the new centre will sit alongside the existing DWP offices at nearby Regal House.
Commenting, Kevin Foster MP said: “As we look forward to re-opening our resort to visitors, we must support those who have been affected by the economic impact of Covid-19 to get back into work or even change careers. This facility will help enhance these efforts and ensure those businesses looking to recruit can be quickly put in touch with those needing to find work.”
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