ONE of the first faces to greet you in the Jobcentre on Bolton's Great Moor Street is that of Lorraine Holden.

Her welcoming smile is the first thing many job seekers see as they walk into the building.

People go to her for advice on vacancies, training courses, anything in fact that may lead to employment.

The mum-of-two has recently returned to work after a five-year-career break and admits to feeling like the new girl on her first day back.

"I started working here in 1981 when it was known as the unemployment benefits office, before the amalgamation with the job centre.

"When I came back to work last September I have to admit I was shocked at the big changes.

''All the dividing screens throughout the office were gone, leaving it open-plan. The counters had also disappeared and modern desks were in their place.

"The whole area was more informal and less stuffy, really nice. Mind you, with the new computers and systems, I felt like the new girl."

She laughs: "It took a while to get used to."

Lorraine deals with people who call into the Jobcentre on a fortnightly basis to declare they are still available for work.

"They are already registered unemployed and come into the jobcentre once a fortnight," she explains.

"I ask them how they're getting on in their search for a job, have a chat about any action previously agreed and if there are any vacancies they may be interested in.

" Once I know a little bit about them, their qualifications and what kind of work they're looking for, I bring all the relevant vacancies up on screen and we go through them together."

Lorraine follows this system with every person she sees, even those who are calling in to sign the declaration form.

"These people must come in to register every fortnight to prove they are still available for work.

"If they fail to do so their benefits may be at risk."

Lorraine, 35, admits that sometimes she has to deal with 'difficult' clients. "If someone's benefit is wrong," she says, "or perhaps it hasn't arrived, they tend to get somewhat irate.

"But things don't get too bad, a raised voice or a slammed door is about the worst I've encountered."

In contrast, she says one of the most rewarding aspects of her job is when she places someone in employment.

"It"s so satisfying to know I've helped someone from the very beginning, you know, from being unemployed to having a job."

She adds: "People who come into the Jobcentre want to get a job, they really want to work. We do all we can to get them there."

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