UK DWP expands Jobcentre support with HS2 recruitment hub and disability conversations

A new one‑stop recruitment hub opened in Acton, West London within a Jobcentre Plus office, offering locals a drop‑in service to access apprenticeships and jobs on the HS2 railway project and other major infrastructure schemes. The launch was attended by HS2 chief executive Mark Wild, who said: “We’re building one of the UK’s biggest and best‑connected railway stations…”, and DWP’s director for Jobcentres in London Michael Morley. To date more than 2,000 apprenticeships have been secured on HS2 and over 5,000 unemployed people have received support.

The Department for Work and Pensions is also rolling out its Support Conversations programme to a total of 33 Jobcentres across Great Britain, including five sites in Scotland. Up to 40,000 sick, disabled and health‑condition claimants will be offered hour‑long, one‑to‑one sessions covering employment, health, debt, housing and other barriers, delivered by healthcare professionals and disability employment advisers. Employment minister Dame Diana Johnson said the expansion aims to “help more disabled people … move into employment”. The scheme is part of the £3.5 billion Pathways to Work package, which already sees 1,000 advisers having assisted more than 65,000 claimants.