Jobseekers will be able to surf the net to search for work, training or education at home, in shopping centres or pubs or even over a mobile ‘phone, through Britain’s biggest jobs bank, the new Learning and Work Bank network officially announced by Education and Employment Secretary David Blunkett today.

The new venture, which will be up and running later this year, includes a website with hundreds of thousands of job vacancies from all over the country - from jobcentres, private recruitment agencies and newspapers. This will be backed by £68 million from the Government together with investment from EDS in a public- private sector partnership to set up the call centres and kiosks to provide access to the Bank across the country.

The Bank will also provide details of thousands of education and training courses through a link to the learndirect database.

People will be able to follow up job vacancies found on the net by ringing the national jobs telephone line, ES Direct. In future the Learning and Work Bank may also carry information on local job markets, tax and benefits, link to employers’ sites and will send jobseekers’ CVs to relevant employers.
 
Users will be able to access it through any internet connection, digital TV, kiosks in all jobcentres, in pubs and community centres, and as the technology develops, eventually over mobile ‘phones.

Mr Blunkett launched the Learning and Work Bank internet jobs and skills service at the Knowledge 2000 conference, at which the British and Portugese Prime Ministers promoted the critical importance of the knowledge economy to future success.