AN open day offering jobs and benefit advice in Worcester has proved a real success.

Residents in the Brickfields and Warndon areas were able to find out about the latest initiatives on offer from JobCentre Plus at the Fairfield Centre in Fairfield Close, Warndon yesterday.

It also benefited residents in the neighbouring Holy Trinity ward, which covers Ronkswood and Tolladine and has the highest number of jobless workers in the city at 153.

This means more than 6 per cent of the working age population is out of work in the ward- three times higher than the national average.

JobCentre Plus district manager Joan Skerry said it was important to bring information direct to communities.

Details on the special New Deal packages, help for lone parents, people with disabilities and advice for the over 50s were all on offer.

"We already offer a range of specialist service, including the New Deals, at our Sansome Street office, but this open day allowed people to find out about those services in their community," she said.

"It also meant we could take our database of 400,000 UK jobs direct to the local residents."

Representatives from Hereford & Worcester Connexions, who provide advice to 13 to 19-year-olds, Worcester College of Technology and the Hereford & Worcester Information Advice & Guidance Partnership were on hand.