Stuart Anderson MP has been delighted to host the Minister for Work and Pensions, Baroness Deborah Stedman-Scott OBE DL, in a virtual visit to Wolverhampton. The visit took place on Friday, the 26th of March 2021. Stuart presented the Minister to leaders and trainees from the Wolverhampton Jobcentre Plus service who have been helping local people during the outbreak of COVID-19. Together, the representatives have over 160 years worth of public service and experience between them.
During the meeting, the Minister was given an overview of how the work undertaken by the jobcentre plus service has helped local people in Wolverhampton. The service is the public-facing unit of the Department for Work and Pensions. It administers the State Pension and a range of working age, disability, and ill health benefits to around 20 million claimants and customers in the UK. In Wolverhampton, the jobcentre plus service has been connecting people to employment and training opportunities and ensuring that those experiencing financial hardship have been able to benefit from the support that is available from Government.
The Minister was also given an insight into the transformational impact that one of the Government’s flagship programmes which supports young people not in work, education, or training move closer to gaining meaningful employment by providing quality work experience and learning opportunities has had on three young people from the City. Three young people who had undertaken placements hosted by local leaders from the Department for Work and Pensions via the ‘Movement to Work’ programme informed the Minister about how it has equipped them with a sense of direction and helped them to land jobs within the service where they can now help others to pursue life-changing employment and training opportunities.
As the local Member of Parliament, Stuart has been working with the jobcentre plus service for more than a year. He praised the passion, professionalism, and dedication which had been demonstrated by the jobcentre plus service in assisting constituents. In particular, Stuart commended their commitment to unlocking the potential of young people by enrolling them on their own programmes and equipping them with the skills, knowledge, and confidence to continue on to the next stage of their life. In Wolverhampton, the service has set up a youth hub to support young people into work and plans are now well underway to open a temporary service in the Wulfrun Centre to ensure that local people can even more easily access their services.
Stuart Anderson MP said: “The Wolverhampton jobcentre plus service has gone above and beyond in helping local people during these challenging times. It was an honour to host the Minister for Work and Pensions Baroness Deborah Stedman-Scott for this virtual meeting. She got to see first-hand the transformational impact that the team at the local job centre plus service has had in supporting individuals and families right through the outbreak of COVID-19. I look forward to keep working with them as we continue to level up opportunities and unlock our city’s amazing potential.”