FORMER benefits agency director, Val Curran, has been appointed as the director of the new JobCentre Plus North-East.
Jobcentre Plus was set up by the Department of Work and Pensions as a merger of the former Employment Service and Benefits Agency, aimed, it says, at offering a "modern, effective service to all users - individuals and employers alike."
Ms Curran will command a budget of more than £140m, and will be responsible for more than 4,000 staff in the region.
Ms Curran was director of Tyne Tees Benefits Agency from 1999, and has played a key role in the changes.
She said the new organisation is one of the biggest departmental changes in the civil service for many years.
"Jobcentre Plus will offer an even better service to employers to ensure that the right people with the right skills and abilities are available to fill their vacancies."
The new system will become operational in April.
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