The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has today launched its free site linking employers and jobseekers.
Universal Jobmatch has been designed to help match the employment needs of both, allowing jobseekers to post their CVs online and employers to sort them by their skills needs.
Employers can post new jobs and ask matched jobseekers to apply, while jobseekers can save a profile, get alerts when matching jobs are posted and apply for them. The profiles can include details such as distance the jobseeker can travel, and support needs like childcare, and can be accessed by their Jobcentre Plus adviser and used as evidence for their benefit claim.
Data protection issues have been considered, and jobseekers have to provide permission for their CVs to be viewed and for their advisers to recommend jobs and access their information on the system.
Universal Jobmatch replaces the current vacancy management services, Employer Direct and Employer Direct Online for companies, and it replaces the Jobcentre Plus jobs and skills search facility for jobseekers.
The DWP have produced a guide to using the system and a Q & A sheet, and they can be found here.
Jobseekers can access UJ by visiting: www.gov.uk/jobs-jobsearch
Employers can access UJ by visiting: www.gov.uk/advertise-job