Mayor of St Helens Cllr Sue Murphy and Metro Mayor Steve Rotheram were among those today at the opening of a brand new centre in St Helens to help jobseekers and businesses with employment issues.

Located in the former Hays Travel unit in Church Square Shopping Centre, the Ways to Work centre will see experienced St Helens Borough Council staff who are part of the Liverpool City Regions flagship Ways to Work programme, collaborate with Career Connect and Jobcentre Plus to offer a one-stop shop service to support local people through mentoring, coaching, advice and guidance, and job searching.

Since launching in 2016, the St Helens Ways to Work team, who prior to Covid-19 were based in St Helens Town Hall, has helped more than 1,200 people into employment, training, and education – 230 of those coming in the past year during the coronavirus pandemic.

Joining the Mayor and Metro Mayor were Council Leader David Baines, Town Centre Labour councillors Carole Ann Gill, Anne McCormack and Michelle Sweeney, and Councillor Kate Groucutt, St Helens Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Education, Skills and Business.

Cllr Kate Groucutt said: “We recognise the challenges some residents face when it comes to looking for work or training programmes – that’s why it’s important services are accessible to those in need of our support – and the Ways to Work centre will do just that.

“With an experienced and highly skilled team in place who can cater to the needs of many in such a modern and friendly environment, I would encourage anyone looking for employment or training opportunities to call in and take the first step to an exciting and successful future.”

The Ways to Work centre is available Monday to Friday from 9:00am to 5:00pm.

For more information on the programme, visit www.sthelens.gov.uk/business/ways-to-work/, email waystowork@sthelens.gov.uk or call 01744 676131.