Fylde coast sees rise in jobless

In Blackpool North and Cleveleys there were 1,460 people claiming the likes of Universal Credit, up 0.1 per cent on the same month last year.

In Blackpool South there were 2,105, up 0.3 per cent, Fylde had 640, up 0.1 per cent, Lancaster and Fleetwood had 980, up 0.2 per cent, and Wyre and Preston North had 400, up 0.1 per cent.

Nationally there were 16,000 fewer people out of work but there was a 2,000 increase in the claimant count.

Karl Worsley from Blackpool Job Centre said while things were quiet in the run up to Christmas now, things were already being prepared for the New Year.

He said: “The Pleasure Beach is going to be doing the first recruitment for the 2017 season in January.

“They get going early and will be looking forward to getting involved in that.”

He said the Jobcentre will be running a couple of sector based work academies with the Pleasure Beach. These will involve help with the interview process and the skills needed.

Everyone who completes the course will be guaranteed an interview.

Unemployed people are being sought for a skills course run by Lancashire Fire and Rescue with the The Princess Trust and Blackpool and The Fylde College is also going to be running an eight-week course in the New Year on employment skills with a focus on the care industry.

He said: “The good thing about that course is that due to the way the college is funded the cost of a Disclosure and Barring Checks will be paid for the people on the course.”

Prestige Nursing and Care will also be running recruitment events across the county’s Job Centres and anyone interested should contact their local Jobcentre.