This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . It will not be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/business/8390290.stm
The article has changed 4 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Personal web page for job seekers | |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| 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 the internet to communicate with job seekers. | The plans involve making better use of technology such as text messaging and the internet to communicate with job seekers. |
| The changes follow criticism that job centres have not responded well to the rising number of people who have lost their jobs during the downturn. | The changes follow criticism that job centres have not responded well to the rising number of people who have lost their jobs during the downturn. |
| Latest figures show that 2.46 million people in the UK are unemployed. | Latest figures show that 2.46 million people in the UK are unemployed. |
| Broadband access | Broadband access |
| CASE STUDY David Hall, computer aided design draughtsman | |
| 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. | 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 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 | "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 perform most of their day-to-day job searching using their own personalised web page. | The proposals include helping people get online to perform most of their day-to-day job searching using their own personalised web page. |
| The page would allow job seekers to find jobs specifically suited to them, and allow them to track benefit claims. | The page would allow job seekers to find jobs specifically suited to them, and allow them to track benefit claims. |
| The plans also outlined a "technologies budget" to help some people get connected to broadband at home. | The plans also outlined a "technologies budget" to help some people get connected to broadband at home. |
| Job centre advisers will also be able to send out text messages about new jobs, and reminders about interviews and appointments. | Job centre advisers will also be able to send out text messages about new jobs, and reminders about interviews and appointments. |
| Personalised service | Personalised service |
| The proposals also outline individual budgets that people can allocate towards various training and development options. | The proposals also outline individual budgets that people can allocate towards various training and development options. |
| "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. |