Stuart Anderson MP is hoping that a Minister will soon visit South Shropshire to boost employment support. Employment Minister Alison McGovern recently announced mobile employment support vans will visit local communities to ensure "no one misses out on the job support they deserve."
The mobile Jobcentres are staffed by experienced Work Coaches, who offer expert support with job searching, training opportunities, and can provide information to those with health conditions or disabilities and accessing childcare costs.
The service is open and accessible to all members of the public. The vans have been piloted in Bolton and in parts of Wales such as Wrexham, with a van due to launch in Scotland later in February.
Stuart has said that he is "particularly interested" in the new mobile jobcentre service visiting South Shropshire. As one of the largest inland counties in England, Stuart has said that Shropshire faces unique challenges in the delivery of services like employment support. This is due to several factors such as rural sparsity, distance, and connectivity issues.
Youth unemployment has increased in South Shropshire since the General Election. In January 2025, there were 1,315 claimants in South Shropshire. This represents 2.5% of the population aged 16-64. It includes 220 claimants aged 16-64, which is up by 40 claimants since the General Election.
Stuart launched his campaign to tackle youth unemployment in October 2024. He called on the Minister to reverse the "worrying trend." Stuart then wrote to the Minister in November, when it emerged that rural areas were mentioned only once in the Government's Employment Support White Paper.
In his letter, Stuart said:
"I am disappointed that the document only refers to rural areas once, where the extra support envisaged is delivered via a mayoral combined authority. As recently reported by the Institute for Government (IfG), almost 30 million people, or half the population, live outside these areas. Moreover, almost half of the funding - £125 million - will be spent in just eight areas. Meanwhile, only £15 million will be available to areas that have not been named as 'trailblazers.'"
In her response, Employment Minister Alison McGovern said:
"I absolutely agree that everyone should be able to access the skills and training they need to secure good work and to get on in work. This is the focus of our intention to reform Jobcentre Plus and create a new jobs and careers service – a key part of the Get Britain Working White Paper."
The Minister added:
"I would like to meet with you to hear more about your constituency and to connect with the local DWP teams that serve your area."
Stuart Anderson MP said:
"I have been clear that I want to see a clear focus on rural communities in the government's employment support plan. So, I am heartened that that the Minister shares my determination to ensure residents in rural areas like South Shropshire can access high-quality employment support that will enable them to secure and progress in highly rewarding careers. I am encouraged that the Minister plans to use mobile vans to ensure "no one misses out on the job support they deserve." This would be especially important in South Shropshire, where youth unemployment has sadly increased since the General Election. I hope to welcome the Minister to South Shropshire shortly so we can reverse this worrying trend for the better."
