Jobcentre Plus’s survival for the next 100 years will depend on it embracing new technologies

This week marks 100 years since the opening of the first Labour Exchanges, which eventually became Jobcentre Plus.

Richard Alberg, Founder and CEO of MyNewJob.me, an online service offered free to jobseekers through Jobcentre Plus, comments: “One hundred years ago the Eiffel Tower was the tallest building in the world, women were still eight years away from getting the vote and average life expectancy was about 45 years. There was certainly no Internet!

“The birth of Labour Exchanges was a major step forward in helping people find jobs. Much has changed since their inception.  We have gone from an age when only the very rich had a telephone to now when everyone is connected. 

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“How people find jobs, then, has also changed. Looking for a job in the evenings and at weekends is now common and the Jobcentre’s online services are helping people find their next job – taking work search into the 21st century. Only if the Jobcentre continues to embrace new technologies will it remain a relevant service for the next 100 years.”

MyNewJob.me provides users with tools, information and advice which can be tailored to individual needs. As the service is delivered online, jobseekers can access what they want, when they need it and manage the large number of job applications necessary to secure employment in the current market.