Skills testing essential if Jobcentre Plus is to succeed

The inability of the Jobcentre Plus scheme to accurately skills test the growing number of job applicants could hinder recovery from the recession, according to online skills assessment company, Skillsarena.

With the UK unemployment rate reaching a 14-year high at 2.5 million and over 1.5 million people claiming Jobseekers Allowance, more candidates than ever are relying on government initiatives such as Jobcentre Plus to help them find work.

Recent research from the Federation of Small Businesses stated that one in three companies find the Jobcentre Plus system ineffective. However, candidates are also feeling the brunt. Jason Pierce, Managing Director of Skillsarena, said:

"Jobcentre Plus is the biggest and most accessible medium across the country for job seekers. However the placements through this medium are being hindered due to a lack of trust and faith by businesses and organisations. Sustained complaints such as, 'submitted candidates skills are not aligned to the job specifications' and 'candidates employed are unable to perform the tasks for which they are employed' are undermining confidence. In this climate business and organisations will not use ineffective means to employ and adopt other methods.

"HR departments of major corporate organisations and recruitment agencies have been using skills tests to successfully match candidates with vacancies for decades. Applicants using the Jobcentre Plus system are lucky if they get assistance from staff with their requirements, let alone a professional and efficient job matching service.

"If the Jobcentre Plus wants to truly succeed in its aims, it needs to open its eyes to the new technologies that can speed up the system and help place applicants in the right job, first time in a cost-effective way. Currently, the system is failing both businesses and candidates by its inability to supply industry with the right skills set."

Founded in 2001, Skillsarena is one of the UK’s most innovative providers of online skills testing, providing assessment services for Knight Frank, Go Response, the Mediterranean Shipping Company and EDF Energy. Mr. Pierce continued:

"There is growing frustration amongst the skills assessment industry over the Jobcentre Plus offering. It is an unfortunate reality that skills testing companies do offer the technology to help solve some of the unemployment problems posed by the recession but, from our experience, the Jobcentre Plus is not willing to consider it. Our concern is that without new technologies such as online skills testing, and a new way of approaching the job market as a whole, the Jobcentre Plus scheme will hinder more job applicants than it will help."