West Worcestershire MP Harriett Baldwin has offered to help source work experience opportunities to help long-term unemployed people to get ready for the return to work. Harriett made the offer during a visit to Pertemps, in Worcester, to talk about the 'Help To Work' Community Work Placement programme which helps find vacancies for unemployed people who have already spent two years on the Work Programme. Pertemps is paid by the Department for Work and Pensions to help long-term unemployed people to get off benefits and back into permanent work and is paid on results depending on how long each person stays in their job. In April this year, the Government introduced the new scheme - Help to Work - which requires people who have been out of work for more than undertake specialist coaching, attend a Job Centre Plus daily or carry out a six month community work placement. Harriett has written to Employment Minister Esther McVey to allow the local Jobcentre Plus staff to extend the scheme retrospectively to last July to allow them to help more long-term unemployed people. Harriett was briefed that locally it is difficult to find these opportunities and she agreed to help by talking to local voluntary organisations. Harriett commented: “It was useful to talk to Pertemps and the local Job Centre Plus to get an understanding of how Help to Work is panning out in my constituency. “I was told of the challenges finding places where the long-term unemployed can get work experience. The work is supposed to be of benefit to the community and I have agreed to spread the word amongst local organisations to try and find more opportunities. If there are any charities or not-for-profit organizations which can offer work experience, they should contact me. “With record levels of employment, the long term economic plan is clearly working for many people, but we do need to give all the help we can to those who have been out of work for a long time. “I am grateful to companies like Pertemps which deliver an important tailored service helping to get as many people as work out of benefits and into work.”