A new Jobcentre has officially opened its doors in Ayr today.
The base – at the heart of Ayr Central shopping mall – will operate in addition to the long-standing unit in John Street.
Newly-recruited "work coaches" have been drafted in to offer temporary employment support.
It comes as part of the UK Government’s drive to get 500,000 people currently out of work into jobs by the end of June as part of the ‘Way to Work’ campaign.
The new centre in Ayr has 52 coaches – each helping to find jobs for people in the town.
Mims Davies MP, minister for employment, said: “We know this has been a challenging time for many people and that’s why we’re boosting our DWP Jobcentre support in every community of the UK, including here in South Ayrshire.
“Every customer benefits from having a dedicated work coach. They know the local jobs market and work with local businesses to match jobseekers to the latest opportunities."
Ayr Central Jobcentre Plus is one of the new temporary sites announced by the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) earlier this year, building on the existing 639 Jobcentres across the UK.
Alison Sinclair-MacSween is one of those new recruits based at Ayr Central.
She said: “Being a work coach is challenging but extremely rewarding at the same time.
"I am able to have a positive impact on someone's life, actually making a genuine difference to them and this means the world to me.
"Having a new site at Ayr Central will provide consistency for my caseload and allow me to continue to deliver the high level of customer service expected by the general public."
Sheila Lynn is the customer service leader overseeing the new site, bringing with her 40 years of DWP experience.
She added: “Work coaches on site will be able to work with our customers as part of DWPs Way to Work offer, supporting those who can work into employment.
“This is an extremely exciting time for colleagues and customers in Ayr.”
Don't miss the latest Ayrshire headlines – sign up to our free daily newsletter here
