International Organization for Migration (IOM)

The EU immigration portal131 serves as a first point of entry for reliable, practical and
up-to-date information on immigration issues and provides useful basic information
and links to external websites (including government agencies, employment
agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), diaspora organizations, training
institutions, and so forth). EURES provides information, advice and recruitment/
placement (job-matching) services for the benefit of workers and employers and
potential migrants. As well as being a job mobility portal it is supported by a network
of EURES advisers. 132 While these Internet tools provide support for prospective
migrants, there is a lack of information on how many individuals have made use of
the website information and associated links to inform decisions about whether or
not to migrate to the United Kingdom.
What is clear is that Internet tools are increasingly important in facilitating access
to information on job opportunities. In the United Kingdom provision of services
is increasingly ‘digital by default’. Hence, possession of the necessary digital and
strategic skills to navigate the Internet is increasingly important. Without such skills
access to a wide range of opportunities will become ever more limited. Again, there
is a lack of information on how potential migrants use the Internet for finding out
about opportunities, and on how it is used alongside other sources.
An example of the increasing power of Internet tools is exemplified by Universal
Jobmatch: the new Jobcentre Plus web-based job posting and matching service due
to be launched by the Department for Work and Pensions in late autumn 2012.
As well as taking vacancies notified to Jobcentre Plus, Universal Jobmatch will
incorporate vacancies from a range of other job boards. In so doing it will be one
of the largest jobsites in the United Kingdom. It will be available to all employers
and anyone looking for work or seeking a career change, on a 24/7 basis. It will be
accessed through the www.direct.gov.uk website on a computer and any Internetenabled
device or mobile phone. The service will be available from anywhere that
the Internet can be accessed, including Internet cafes, libraries, and mobile devices.
Although it is primarily aimed at all employers and people in the United Kingdom
who are looking for work or seeking a career change, anyone can use the service
as it is an Internet service. Universal Jobmatch is designed to provide job search
tools and a job matching function. If a job-seeker completes a profile on Universal
Jobmatch they can search for jobs and be automatically matched to the wording
in the skills section of their profile. If a job-seeker goes on to complete or upload
a CV, the service will search through the CV and make a match to suitable jobs
when an employer places a job, notifying the job-seeker by email and by entry to
their account. The job-seeker can then apply for jobs online and access help and
support functions.
Universal Jobmatch exemplifies how job-seekers (wherever they are located) can
access an ever wider range of vacancy information.
131 http://ec.europa.eu/immigration/.
132 http://ec.europa.eu/eures/home.jsp?lang=en.
country studIes – UNITED KINGDOM
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