Why you should take over your local jobcentre

When we talk about 'Get Britain Working', it’s easy to think of policy headlines and national targets. But at Weston College, we believe the real story is local, personal, and transformative, especially for adults seeking a fresh start.

Our partnership with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has developed over several years and as part of our regular partnership working groups with senior DWP leads we have been asking the question: how can we break down barriers for job seekers who might find traditional job fairs daunting or irrelevant?

The answer we came up together with was to flip the script by taking the college directly to the Jobcentre, making support accessible, welcoming and genuinely engaging.

The 'Jobcentre Takeover Day' was born from those honest working group conversations with DWP colleagues about the real challenges facing local adults, whether that’s digital skills, confidence, or mental health. Instead of expecting people to come to us, we brought our tutors, courses and hands-on experiences to them.

The event was carefully planned to be inclusive and supportive. We promoted it early, ensured accessibility (including a quiet hour for those with additional needs), and created a relaxed, interactive environment. From free haircuts and manicures to virtual reality HGV driving experiences, the day was about more than just information, it was about building confidence, ambition and sparking curiosity.

The impact was immediate and measurable:

• 250 customers attended
• 92 referrals to pre-employment provision
• 63 enrolments and 47 course completions
• 23 referrals to part-time adult courses

Behind every number is a story. Take Leslie, who attended the event: she completed a digital skills course, and landed a new job as an asset optimisation manager. Leslie credits the course and the support from our team for making that leap possible.

Not everyone is ready to jump straight into work. That’s why we offer programmes like 'Making It Work for You', designed for adults facing barriers such as low confidence or health challenges. These courses focus on building the skills and the self-belief needed to take the next step, whether that’s further training or employment. One learner shared: 'Before the course, I had feelings of no hope… Now, I feel that I am worth something and I can still train or do an apprenticeship to get back in employment.'

So, if you’re looking to make a difference in your community, here are our six steps to success when running a jobcentre takeover:

1. Build strong relationships with your local jobcentre/DWP
Allow them to utilise your sites for strategic meetings, invite them into curriculum planning and use their expertise to support your programme development.

2. Identify the needs of your community
What vacancies exist in the area? What skills does your area need? What is the labour market index telling you about future opportunities?

3. Plan a high-impact, inclusive event
Have a wide range of curriculum offers, have things that attract people like haircuts, nails, food.

4. Involve staff, students, and local employers
It works best when a wide variety of people and ideas are involved; often staff in curriculum areas have wonderful ideas of how they can engage.

5. Measure and celebrate your impact
Take the information needed, analyse what happened and share it with all stakeholders.

6. Have follow-up courses ready to maintain momentum
There is a benefit to having courses ready to go to maximise learner motivation; there is no point having the construction team talk about opportunities if the courses start in eight months time.

Partnerships like ours are at the heart of the 'Get Britain Working' agenda and showcases the amazing work that the FE sector does when working with adult learners. By meeting people where they are, offering practical support, and building confidence, further education can transform lives and communities.

We are looking for colleges to take part in the first ever national JCP takeover day during Colleges Week 2026, those who are interested can you please refer your college at the link here: National JCP Takeover Day – Fill in form. Together, we can make a real difference to learners who just need the opportunity.

Gary Durant is the Deputy Principal, Curriculum and Policy at Weston College.