OTTAWA, ONTARIO -- (Marketwire) -- 01/06/13 -- The Honourable Diane Finley, Minister of Human Resources and Skills Development, today launched the new Job Alerts system, making it easier for Canadians across the country to find out about local job opportunities.

"The new Job Alerts system is an important part of our government's plan to better Connect Canadians with Available Jobs in their area," said Minister Finley. "Starting today, Canadians can subscribe to the new system, which will help them find out about locally available jobs that match their skills."

The new Job Alerts will provide emails to Canadian subscribers twice a day that contain job postings from a variety of sources, including Job Bank and other recruitment systems. Job Alerts will continue to be refined and improved over time to ensure it works effectively and efficiently for users.

In addition to job postings for their preferred occupation, subscribers will have access to labour market information and resources that will help support a reasonable job search for suitable employment for Employment Insurance regular and fishing claimants. Subscribers may also choose to receive information on related jobs or the job market in other regions.

The new system is also much simpler to use. Subscribers to the new enhanced Job Alerts system will only have to provide a valid email address to get started. Once users confirm their subscription, they can modify their preferences to define the type of information they want to receive.

For more information or to subscribe, visit WorkinginCanada.gc.ca/JobAlerts.

IF THERE IS A DISCREPANCY BETWEEN ANY PRINTED VERSION AND THE ELECTRONIC VERSION OF THIS NEWS RELEASE, THE ELECTRONIC VERSION WILL PREVAIL.

This news release is available online at www.actionplan.gc.ca.

Backgrounder

The new, enhanced Job Alerts system provides Canadian subscribers with a more comprehensive list of available jobs in their chosen occupation and local area by sending emails twice a day regarding job opportunities and related labour market information.

Among the new features available, Job Alerts can offer suggestions for alternative occupations related to a user's current occupational field. These related occupations are based on the skills and knowledge of the user's current occupation. The results are suggestions and will require further exploration to determine any differences or gaps in skills or training.

When the system launches, Job Alerts will include job postings from a variety of sources, including Job Bank and other recruitment systems. The Government is also working with private-sector companies to include job postings from their sites. As these agreements come into effect, Job Alerts will be able to provide daily alerts about job postings from an even broader range of sources.

As the system continues to evolve, subscribers will also receive additional information that can help them decide how and when to expand a job search. For example, a heavy equipment operator in the oil and gas industry may begin searching for the same job in the same industry. If he chooses to receive additional labour market information, he could find that his skills are in high demand in other sectors. This could help him make the decision to expand his search to the construction or utilities sector.

How can I register for Job Alerts?

Under the previous system, people had to register by creating a profile through Job Bank to receive alerts. Subscribing to the enhanced Job Alerts is easier than ever-simply:

1.  visit WorkinginCanada.gc.ca/JobAlerts; 
2.  choose an occupation and location for which to receive an alert; and 
3.  provide an email address where the alerts can be sent twice daily. 

You can expect to begin receiving email alerts within 24 hours of registration, which is voluntary and can be unsubscribed at any time.

While visiting WorkinginCanada.gc.ca to subscribe to Job Alerts, Canadians can also use other tools to help them in their job search. For instance:

--  The Skills and Knowledge checklist allows users to explore jobs or
    career options that match their skills and knowledge. Users select which
    skills and knowledge they possess, and a list of results demonstrates
    occupations with similar matches. 
--  A user can also explore careers by education program. Users can input an
    education program to generate a list of occupations linked to that
    program. 

The Job Alerts system is part of the Government's common-sense changes to help better connect unemployed Canadians with available jobs in their local area that match their skills.

Other Connecting Canadians with Available Jobs measures include clarifying what constitutes "suitable employment" and "reasonable job search" and working with interested provinces and territories to explore ways to help people on Employment Insurance access employment supports earlier in their claim.