A new temporary job centre has opened in St Albans city centre giving jobseekers more access to support and new opportunities to find work.

The new facilities are above the current Jobcentre Plus in Bricket Road and include additional resources to support younger claimants and the self-employed.

It has fully trained work coaches, some of whom joined the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) as part of the recruitment drive to hire 13,500 new work coaches across the country.

Each new coach will help local people looking for work in St Albans and Hertfordshire with one-on-one tailored support to find their next role.

St Albans work coach Demi Caswell said: "I personally love being a work coach because each work day I have the opportunity to communicate with a wide range of individuals with different personalities who may require my support and coaching.

"I get to share my knowledge and to help these individuals overcome the barriers they are currently facing.

"It can be challenging at times and no two days are the same but the opportunity to play a part in my customers’ growth and development as well as helping them move closer towards their goals and financial freedom is a very rewarding feeling for me."

Customer service leader Concetta Kyriacou added: "We are thrilled to have the new St Albans site go live, increasing our capacity to serve customers in Hertfordshire area.

"Our work coaches are primed and ready to work closely with our Universal Credit customers, supporting them to move closer or into work in the local area.

"Our new site will allow us to maximise the services the Jobcentre offers, with our work coaches delivering a service tailored to each customer’s needs, in line with the Government’s Plan for Jobs."