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Text message plan for job seekers Text message plan for job seekers
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The government has outlined plans to modernise job centres to help more people find work in the recession.The government has outlined plans to modernise job centres to help more people find work in the recession.
The plans involve making better use of technology such as text messaging and e-mail to communicate with job seekers.The plans involve making better use of technology such as text messaging and e-mail to communicate with job seekers.
The plans follow criticism that job centres have not responded well to the rising number of people who have lost their jobs during the downturn.The plans follow criticism that job centres have not responded well to the rising number of people who have lost their jobs during the downturn.
The latest figures show that 2.46 million people in the UK are unemployed - a jobless rate of 7.8%.The latest figures show that 2.46 million people in the UK are unemployed - a jobless rate of 7.8%.
CASE STUDY David Hall, Draghtsman
Mr Hall was made redundant when the engineering firm he worked for went out of business during the recession. He went to a job centre to help him find work.
"They weren't very clued up about what my role was. When I explained that I was a draughtsman who does technical drawing using a computer, they said, 'what exactly is that? What the hell is a grassman?'
"They tried to find me a position in retail and sales and working in shops, which is not really me." Ask the expert: Employment and redundancy
The proposals include helping people get online to create their own personalised web page that would link to jobs best suited to them.The proposals include helping people get online to create their own personalised web page that would link to jobs best suited to them.
The job centre service will also be extended, including to those people facing redundancy.The job centre service will also be extended, including to those people facing redundancy.
"We've got a service that works pretty well for the people it was designed to help," Employment Minister Jim Knight told the BBC."We've got a service that works pretty well for the people it was designed to help," Employment Minister Jim Knight told the BBC.
"But with almost a doubling in the number of people coming through the door, we've got a much bigger range of people coming in, with different sorts of skills.""But with almost a doubling in the number of people coming through the door, we've got a much bigger range of people coming in, with different sorts of skills."
Mr Knight said the service was getting more than half of people into work within three months, but that it needed to be "more personalised and more universal".Mr Knight said the service was getting more than half of people into work within three months, but that it needed to be "more personalised and more universal".
The plans will be formally outlined in a government White Paper later this month.The plans will be formally outlined in a government White Paper later this month.