It is believed that the scheme, funded by the government at £40m, will work similarly to the 2008/09 Jobcentre Plus initiative, which partnered with local recruiters to provide employability support to jobseekers, according to the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC). The scheme will be aimed at people who have been unemployed for less than three months with advice to help them find jobs, write CVs, prepare for interviews and explore options for building skills, the REC said.

The announcement about the service “is the culmination of months of collaboration between the REC, its members and the Department of Work and Pensions (DWP)”, the REC said in a statement.

REC CEO Neil Carberry went on to say: “As the country faces a jobs crisis, it’s great to see the government is listening to our advice and turning to the recruitment industry as jobs experts who can help people back into work. 

“There are two clear benefits to this – firstly immediate professional support for the unemployed from recruiters who are already geared up and ready to go. Secondly, it will mean a more robust recruitment industry, better able to do what it does best and help drive unemployment down over the long term.”

He concluded: “We look forward to working with government over the coming months to help return the jobs market and the economy to growth.”

John-Paul Marks, director general – work and health services at DWP, said: “Our continued partnership with REC members in communities across the UK has never been more important as we support every jobseeker to find quality work and get back on their feet. We look forward to working closely with the REC as we take the next important steps together.”

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