Glasgow-based Skillzminer is a new digital job matching platform that will help transform the lives of tenants and the wider community across East Renfrewshire supported by Barrhead Housing Association in its role as a community anchor organisation.

Skillzminer declares itself to be the world’s smartest job platform – giving people a chance to change their career fortunes in just four minutes.

Users answer a few questions in the time it takes to make a hot drink and find jobs they are suited to, based on their skills, interests and working styles – often jobs they never thought they could do.

Barrhead Housing Association will embed the platform into its delivery of the Young Person’s Guarantee, which they have secured funding to deliver from East Renfrewshire Council and the Scottish Government.

The Young Person’s Guarantee aims to connect every 16 to 24-year-old in Scotland to opportunities such as a job, an Apprenticeship, further of higher education, training programme or volunteering.

Going further, the housing association, which has almost 1,000 homes, will use Skillzminer to help give its tenants an opportunity to build skills and their capacity to increase their opportunities of securing employment or progressing their careers to the next level.  

After identifying someone’s transferable skills through innovative artificial intelligence software, Skillzminer opens up access to 750,000 live UK jobs and 50,000 educational resources.

James Ward, director of asset management at Barrhead Housing Association, said: “We have a responsibility to support our tenants and the people in our community to gain new skills. In a time when every household is being placed under financial pressure with income being reduced via Universal Credit, fuel charges being increased and the overall cost of living on upwards trajectory, Barrhead Housing Association is committed to supporting our tenants and the wider community to navigate these challenges. Skillzminer will help us to support people to access employment opportunities that match their aspirations.”

Kirsty Mitchell, managing director of Skillzminer, said: “We’re delighted to be partnering with Barrhead Housing Association and we’re looking forward to people in their community unearthing their potential through our platform.

“Our labour market is shifting considerably, so now is the perfect time for people to find work in jobs that really suit them – and their skills suit the needs of employers, too.”

Skillzminer has already proven to be an effective tool, matching candidates with 12 times more jobs than they would through a traditional job search and helped to support thousands of unemployed people find work and training.

Skillzminer, which has been developed by a team of experts from the world of teaching, employability and technology, also removes any background or gender bias, meaning employers improve their social responsibility by recruiting people based on their true skills, abilities and potential.