A WEALTH of data on the island’s job market is expected to be generated by a newly launched website, designed to be a one-stop shop for careers and employment on the Isle of Man.
‘Employed.im will in time provide real-time statistics on the labour market - information which will be of great value to policy makers, educators and employers,’ said Chris Gledhill, managing director of PDMS, the software company which developed the website.
Employed.im provides guidance on career related issues for anybody seeking advice, from students and school leavers through to people considering a mid-career change or a return to work.
Members can also use the website to manage their CVs, application forms and connect to potential employers.
official launch
Speaking at the official launch of the website, Mr Gledhill explained that at the moment it is difficult to accurately quantify the degree of any skills shortfall on the island or the exact requirements of employers.
One of the reasons is fragmentation; employed.im would overcome this by bringing together all the key stakeholders in the labour market.
He stressed that employed.im had been designed as a ‘long-term strategic facility that uses database technology and the internet to make the Isle of Man job market as joined up as possible and to address problems . . . which can change completely with different economic cycles’.
It was a point echoed by Laurence Skelly, MHK, political member for the Department of Economic Development, who shared the stage with Mr Gledhill at the launch.
‘This website is the start of something that will be long serving for employment and skills on the Isle of Man,’ he said.
Employed.im is an evolution of PDMS’ Manx Graduates website, which went live in 2009 with the primary goal of encouraging graduates to return to the Isle of Man. While a great success that site attracted as many experienced professionals as it did newly qualified university students.
‘The wide profile of its users rendered the site’s name something of a misnomer,’ said Mr Gledhill.
‘So, in collaboration with the Department of Economic Development and the Department of Education and Children, we decided earlier this year to redesign the site to considerably broaden its scope.’
The easy-to-navigate employed.im site now serves as a networking portal for students, job seekers and employers.
‘Employed.im meets the combined needs and interests of everyone in the labour market: employers, graduates, jobseekers, government agencies and anyone interested in improving their employability skills,’ said Mr Gledhill. ‘Built on a secure platform, it covers all facets of the process of employment, right the way through a person’s career as well as right the way through economic cycles.’
huge opportunities
He added: ‘We have huge opportunities on the Isle of Man to be more joined up, be more efficient, be less bureaucratic than is perhaps the case in places that the island competes with - that is the vision for the site.’
Employed.im members can post their CV and receive notifications on jobs that match their profile.
Application or other related forms can easily and quickly be added to the site – key information from a member’s profile will automatically be added to the form, saving valuable time and effort.
Members can also save and store their own personal copy of these forms.
The site carries job adverts from local employers.
‘It will be the first port of call for people looking to make a career change, get back into the workplace after a career break or get on the first rung of the career ladder,’ said Mr Gledhill.
‘School leavers will be able to find out about the world of work, get tips on job hunting and will soon, also be able to source the best places in the island to get work experience.’
Employed.im has also been developed in close consultation with the Employability Group, a government and cross-sector industry group, set up to help prepare young people for the world of work.
Annette Baker, chairman of the group, said: ‘Feedback from last year's Employability Conference confirmed that there was an urgent need for easily accessible, up to date information on careers, jobs and work experience opportunities on the Isle of Man.
delighted
‘We are delighted at the launch of employed.im in this new format, which we feel has the potential to provide excellent support for students, teachers, employers and indeed anyone who is looking at developing their own career or the career of others.’
The Department of Economic Development was closely involved to ensure that employed.im supports the important work of the Job Centre, Careers Advisors and Training Services.
‘This is an excellent opportunity for joined-up working between Government and the private sector in order to support job seekers and those wanting careers advice or training opportunities.
‘We look forward to continuing to work with PDMS as this important initiative develops,’ said Mr Skelly at the official launch.
Further enhancements are planned in the coming months, including video profiles for members and the ability for employers to carry out video interviews; a feature developed in collaboration with another local company – the Needle Online.