The days of printed job adverts and clunky computers in the UK’s estate of tired Job Centres could soon be drawing to a close with moves afoot to undertake a significant digital revamp of the government service.
A raft of new technologies look set to be introduced from signature recognition pads to biometric software, PC’s and free wi-fi.
Baljeet Mahal, branch manager of London Bridge Job Centre, the first to be given the makeover, said: "We've moved away from customers coming in and standing in a queue waiting to be directed," said, the branch's customer services manager.
"We don't have podiums, we don't have public-access phones. If you look back to Job Centre Plus from years ago, we had boards with paper cards with vacancies on them - we don't have those anymore."
The government has sought to allay fears around cyber security by insisting that they will operate behind a Department for Work and Pensions firewall, with the same level of virus and hacking protection.
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