MORE than 4,000 jobseekers in the South West have been supported to upskill, retrain and gain work experience through the Government’s Sector-based Work Academy Programme (SWAP), new figures reveal.

Across England and Scotland, the total number of jobseekers supported by the Department for Work and Pensions scheme since April has exceeded the Government’s target of supporting 40,000 as part of the Plan for Jobs – and work coaches are continuing to refer people to the scheme every day.

The support sees jobseekers enrol on a six-week training programme in their chosen sector, during which they have the chance to learn new skills, gain hands-on work experience and build their contacts in a new line of work. There is also a guaranteed job interview at the end of the course for an actual vacancy.

Employers from a range of sectors have already provided placements and offered vacancies through the scheme.