The online way to get into work
The young people of Scotland’s Highlands and islands turn to the same place they live their lives: online.
Nearly a quarter of new job seekers turn to their mobile phones to find work.
‘For the mobile jobseeker, especially for those who have never owned a PC, the process of finding a job should be as easy as shopping on Amazon or browsing Instagram,’ said Christopher Snelgrove, the man behind the new app developed by Fort William-based pioneering recruitment site HIJOBS, which is an associate of The Oban Times and its sister papers.
The 18 to 24-year-old age group makes up 22.63 per cent of HIJOB users.
Alongside the investment across the Highlands and islands in broadband and 4G by public and private sectors, it means the national and local job markets are just a smart phone away from the UK’s most remote communities.
‘The increasing availability and reliability of fast internet in the Highlands will continue to be transformative for the prosperity of our rural communities; this improved connectivity paired with our continued development-for-mobile is making this a reality and opening more opportunities for a new generation,’ said Christopher.
Business partner Laura Saunders, who runs the commercial side of the company, is based in rural Aberdeenshire: ‘The HIJOBS app makes our job applicants quicker off the mark.
‘Our app is one-stop and customisable, an end-to-end service from job alerts through to applying on your phone.
‘It sounds pretty simple, but the mast majority of other job sites do not offer this complete service; you need to go home and sit down in front of your PC.’
‘Our entirely self-service offering not only delivers results but has also allowed for rapid expansion across the country,’ said Christopher.
After working for major players in big cities, the business partners agreed that they wanted to be back in the Highlands and set about building an app and a service which would help other people do the same.
Stuart Robertson, head of digital at Highlands and Islands Enterprise has said: ‘Improving digital communication across the Highlands and Islands is vital in helping our local businesses and communities continue to grow. We can see the results are paying off with more areas across the region now connected.’
He was speaking after O2 announced a major increase in 4G coverage in the region, in over 80 towns, villages and hamlets last year; the mobile network is also starting work on bringing 4G to an additional 90 new locations in the coming months. Other telecoms companies are continuing to expand.
‘The digital landscape in Scotland has evolved beyond all recognition,’ Derek McManus the chief operating officer of O2, said at the celebrations to mark the fourth anniversary of the company providing 4G.
Ofcom reports that nine in 10 younger users are using social media apps.
Increasing 4G mobile coverage is driving consumers’ demand for, and use of, mobile data and contributed to a 44 per cent year-on-year increase in average mobile data consumption. Nearly two-thirds of mobile connections in the UK were 4G-enabled at the end of 2016.