A new breed of clientele means Jobcentres must work hard at changing their image and approach. Even so, some job-seekers are considering a move abroad.
Marianne Taylor and Jonathan Liew
For generations, they have been perceived as the preserve of blue-collar manual workers. Thanks to news footage of long dole queues in the 1980 and films like The Full Monty,Britain's Jobcentres have traditionally had a working-class image, built upon the decline of industries such as coal and steel.
However, as the nature of the current recession becomes ever clearer, this image is likely to change.
The latest statistics show that white-collar workers are losing their jobs at a faster rate than any other type of worker, with high-earning professionals such as architects, quantity surveyors, construction managers and lawyers among those worst hit.
Thousands of people who never imagined setting foot in a Jobcentre have had to do so in the past few months and many more will follow suit as the recession continues to bite. The perceptions of the past, then, will have to change. But will the Jobcentres themselves be able to cope with the changing nature of the clientele and the added pressures this will place on the service?
Scottish Secretary Jim Murphy is confident that they will.
The MP for East Renfrewshire was in Glasgow yesterday to unveil an initiative aimed specifically at helping professionals back to work.
The scheme, which begins on March 2, will be run from the city's flagship Jobcentre Plus in the financial district of Glasgow, where staff will offer "tailored" packages of assistance to white-collar workers referred from across the city.
As well as fortnightly one-to-one sessions with specially trained advisers, help with CVs and advice on skills and training, the jobseekers will also be encouraged to take part in group sessions with others in their peer group.
Mr Murphy described the scheme, which will be delivered in partnership with agencies such as Careers Scotland and Scottish Enterprise, as a "new deal" for the white-collar unemployed. He also announced 300 new posts at Jobcentres across Scotland, with plans for 1100 more in the future, while a previous plan to close some Jobcentres is to be halted.
Mr Murphy insists the scheme's aim is make sure the short-term jobless do not turn into the long-term unemployed.
"We need to get the message across that Jobcentres are here for everyone," he told The Herald. "Executives and professional people who come to us will get every bit of help to find a new job or retrain for a new career. What we've got to do is operate in the economy that exists. There are fewer vacancies but there are vacancies.
"We're actively going out to employers and explaining the new service. In the past these employers would go to employment agencies, but we're saying come to us, too.
"If this strategy is successful, it will almost certainly be rolled out across the country. If it doesn't work, we'll look at other ideas. We'll do whatever it takes."
Mr Murphy admits that, in the past, Jobcentres have not always been the most welcoming - or indeed useful - places for those genuinely seeking work but insists they have changed for the better.
"Times have now changed, the economy has turned and Jobcentres have had to change with these times," he said. "In days gone by, they were places where staff sat behind a big screen. These days they couldn't be more different.
"Previous governments walked away from their responsibilities and Jobcentre staff were encouraged to put people on to incapacity benefit. We are simply not interested in that approach."
Despite Mr Murphy's upbeat tone, it's clear that the staff charged with delivering this "new deal" for professional workers will be doing so in the most challenging of circumstances. In Glasgow, there are 5000 more people seeking jobs now than this time last year, while vacancy numbers are currently 28% down on 12 months ago.
There are still jobs available but evidence suggests they are in sectors such as security, social care and call centres, which perhaps won't whet the appetite of redundant professionals. So far, no specific targets have been set for the success of the programme.
However, David Collie, Jobcentre Plus's district manager in Glasgow, believes it can offer practical help.
"We are very conscious that many people will be coming out of employment for the first time, or certainly the first time in many years," he said.
"We can offer them help with CVs and the application process, which is often competency-based these days.
"We're also trying to engage with the specialist employment agencies, especially in those fields in which we wouldn't previously have been seeing customers.
"We have an agreement with 100 employers in Glasgow where they let us know of any vacancies they have and we try to find people for their specifications.
"In some cases, people will not be able to go straight back into a similar job, so for them it will be a case of retraining. The reality of the job market is that the earlier and more open people are to retraining the better it is for them. We need to act as a conduit."
Since last year, when the scale of job losses facing the country became clear, critics have been voicing concerns about how the government is tackling the rise in unemployment.
Some have accused ministers of a lack of clarity, while others have questioned whether current services will be fit for purpose in the new economic climate.
Stephen Boyd, assistant secretary of the Scottish Trades Union Congress, believes clarity is vital.
"This new programme does appear to be an appropriate intervention scheme that recognises the fact that white-collar workers are being hit extremely hard," he said.
"However, whatever is on offer has to be very clearly articulated to people.
"Those who have lost their jobs, or are about to lose them in the near future, must be clearly signposted into the system, and we are not reassured that this is taking place as a matter of course.
"The priority is to make sure the public sector is working together to clearly articulate what help is available."
Mr Boyd also urged the government to do more than simply shepherd people into jobs. "The government must remain proactive in creating jobs, too," he said. "At present we are not seeing the meat on the bones of the rhetoric.
"A recent Bank of England survey suggested that a high proportion of people in the private sector are worried about losing their jobs. The government must address these fears."
On offer
According to Jobcentre Plus, it has 2400 vacancies in Glasgow, some suitable for professional workers. Here are a selection:
- Chartered surveyor
Description: Provide single surveys, home reports and energy performance certificates in and around Central Scotland
Employer: Survey Scotland
Hours: Monday-Saturday, 40 hours/week
Pay: £30,000
Extras: Company car and bonus
- IT service level manager
Description Proactively engage, influence and co-ordinate contributors to customers, third parties and support teams
Employer NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde
Hours: 37.5 hours/week
Pay £24,103-£32,653
- Broker account executive
Description: Substantial insurance experience required with knowledge of underwriting, preferable in external field sales
Employer: Employment agency
Hours: Monday-Friday 37.5 hours/week
Pay: £32,000-£38,000
Extras: Company car and bonus
- Claims controller
Description: Handling insurance claims and all other relevant tasks as requested
Employer: Employment agency
Hours: Monday-Friday, 37.5 hours/week Pay £30,000-£35,000
- Pension team manager
Description: Support delivery of a timely, accurate and compliant administration service Employer: Employment agency
Hours: 40 hours/week
Pay: £35,000-£40,000
- Bid manager
Description: Applicants must have project management experience in a civil engineering background
Employer: Employment agency
Hours: Monday-Friday, 8.30am-5pm Pay £45,000 to £55,000
- Marketing director
Description: Create and drive marketing strategy forward, lead the team and manage budget in order to drive revenue
Employer: Employment agency
Hours Monday-Friday, 40 hours/week Pay: £70,000
