Department for Enterprise launches Talent Portal to support recruitment of skilled workers

Locate Isle of Man, part of the Department for Enterprise, has begun the roll out of an online portal to match global talent with employment opportunities in the Isle of Man.

The Talent Portal, which is free to use for organisations, recruitment agencies and individual workers, seeks to support businesses who are looking to recruit and relocate potential employees. It has been developed in response to industry feedback highlighting that certain roles - particularly those within the digital sector, healthcare and qualified finance specialisms - remain difficult to recruit in the Isle of Man.

Building on the success of the locate.im website and the opportunities the Island has to offer, it provides the ability for people interested in moving to the Island to register in one place, detailing their skills and interest area. Whilst many individuals may choose to continue to register directly with multiple employers or recruitment agencies, a single registration process aims to simplify the end user process and increase Locate Isle of Man's reach across the globe in specialised areas.

Local businesses and organisations who register on the portal will have the opportunity to browse a list of registered candidates with skills matched to their specific vacancies. They can also message them directly to make contact and discuss their job opportunity further. Similarly, the Isle of Man recruitment agencies are able to register their agency on the Talent Portal and access a list of skilled candidates who are looking for employment in the Island.

Individuals who are interested in finding employment in the Isle of Man can populate their profile with skills which will be used to match them automatically with potential job opportunities.

The COVID-19 pandemic has presented challenges to the Isle of Man's economy, and ensuring that we have access to the right skills for continued resilience and growth is key to the Island's future recovery.

Daphne Caine MHK, Political Member with responsibility for Locate Isle of Man, commented:

'As we work together toward recovery, we are seeing an increased number of businesses start to consider their recruitment needs and list new job roles as a result. Simultaneously, we continue to see strong levels of interest from individuals who are interested in relocating to the Isle of Man - particularly former Manx residents and graduates returning and as a result of the Island's rapid response to the pandemic.

'Locate Isle of Man often receives speculative enquiries from people who have heard about the fantastic lifestyle we have in the Isle of Man, but they may be unable to find a suitable vacancy at that time with a recruitment agency or employer. The Talent Portal will provide a central point for anyone who wishes to keep updated about job vacancies as they arise.

'It will also support the Island's employment and recruitment professionals, by providing them with access to a pool of individuals who are warmly engaged with the idea of living and working here.'

Locate Isle of Man has begun the phased roll out of the Talent Portal and are grateful for the assistance of the employment agencies and local businesses that have been part of the pilot programme.

Karen Corran, Head of Human Resources at Hansard, said:

'We are pleased to be part of this new initiative, we believe the Locate Talent Portal will provide an excellent platform for the team at Hansard to explore the skills available.'

The Talent Portal forms one of a number of projects which Locate Isle of Man are undertaking to support the Island's skills requirements in the wake of coronavirus.

For further information and to view or register your business on the Locate Talent Portal, visit: www.talentportal.locate.im