A NEW dial-a-job hotline which will give out of work people in East Lancashire access to 4,000 local jobs has been launched by the Employment Service.

The nationwide scheme began on Monday and allows jobseekers to access a database of more than 300,000 jobs across the UK for the price of a local phone call. It will also help employers fill vacancies more quickly.

Joan Lee, district manager for East Lancashire, said: "Employment Service Direct is an exciting and innovative approach to help our customers find work.

"It's not only available to existing Jobcentre customers but to anyone currently looking for work. In East Lancashire alone we can give people access to some 4,000 local jobs at any one time."

East Lancashire callers are put through to four operators at the Burnley jobcentre, but if all lines are busy the call is automatically diverted to another centre.

Joan said: "Anyone anywhere can deal with a caller because we all have access to the same database but the caller only pays the cost of a local call even if it's answered by another centre." First time callers will be asked for their details and the answers will be stored on computer.

They can then call in every day to check what's new without having to keep visiting the jobcentre.

Joan said: "We have telephone banking and people are more used to using the telephone to order the things they want.

"Lines were very busy by the end of the first day. It's certainly a new venture and we think it's what local people want."

The hotline, on 0845 6060234, is open from 9am to 6pm Monday to Friday, and from 9am to 1pm on Saturdays.

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