The first of 500 Home Office workers are set to move into a city centre office building within weeks. StokeonTrentLive has previously reported that the Home Office was in the process of securing space at Two Smithfield in Hanley to use as a new Potteries base, and a recruitment drive for a range of jobs was launched last year.
Stoke-on-Trent City Council, which owns Two Smithfield, has now announced that the Home Office has signed a lease for more than 38,000 sq ft of office space, with the first workers due to move into the building in March. The council says 100 vacancies have already been filled, with the recruitment campaign continuing.
Former Home Secretary Priti Patel announced plans to bring hundreds of government jobs to Stoke-on-Trent through the creation of a immigration casework 'innovation centre'. The move is part of a government drive to relocate thousands of civil servant jobs out of London.
READ: First of 500 new Home Office jobs in Stoke-on-Trent up for grabs
It has previously been reported that the Home Office would be using Two Smithfield as a temporary base, ahead of a move to a more permanent home in the city. Two floors at Two Smithfield have been vacant since utilities firm Water Plus moved out of the building in 2021.
The full complement of 500 Home Office workers in Stoke-on-Trent is expected to be reached by the end of 2025. City council leader Abi Brown welcomed the Home Office's decision to move to Two Smithfield.
She said: "We are absolutely delighted to be welcoming the Home Office to Stoke-on-Trent in a move which will bring hundreds of new jobs to the city and make the Home Office a major employer in Stoke-on-Trent. The addition of the Home Office will help to cement Smithfield as a key city centre gateway and attract more footfall to Hanley and the surrounding areas.
"Two Smithfield is a key location in the city centre and forms part of the wider Smithfield development which already supports thousands of jobs. I would urge job-seekers, school leavers and university graduates to explore the local opportunities which are being created by the Home Office."
The Home Office is currently recruiting 160 customer services administrative officers, to be based in Stoke-on-Trent. The permanent roles within asylum operations have a salary of £22,400.
Anyone interested in the roles should apply before 11.55pm on February 16. For more information click here.
The council says there will be further Home Office job opportunities in areas such as customer services, digital and operational teams, including apprenticeships.
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