GovLaunch: Facebook and Department of Labor Create Partnership for Job Seekers

Federal Computer Weekly reports that the Department of Labor and Facebook have partnered up to create the Social Jobs Partnership. This is an effort to use social networks to facilitate employment for those currently unemployed. The Facebook page states:

In the interest of getting people back to work, the partnership plans to pursue a number of initiatives designed to more effectively leverage the utility of social networks in the job market:

1. The partnership will conduct in-depth survey research about the ways in which job seekers, college career centers, and workforce recruiters are using the social web.
2. The partnership will develop and launch a central page on Facebook that will host specialized resources, and content designed to help job seekers and employers.
3. The partnership will explore and develop systems where new job postings can be delivered virally through the Facebook site at no charge.
4. The partnership will promote existing employment programs and resources offered by government agencies for job hunters.
5. The partnership plans to distribute educational materials about leveraging the power of the social web to recruiters, government agencies and job seekers.

This sounds like an interesting approach by the Department of Labor. Hopefully by becoming more social, the federal government will be able to recruit and retain talent in the federal workforce. Location based searches will be part of the partnership If notifications become available within a certain city, jobs will be pushed to users within that city. Federal Computer Weekly also reports:

The page will connect users to DOL’s MySkillsMyFuture.org, which is a job and career services website, as well as to its MyNextMove.org website for young people just starting their careers, Solis said. It also promotes DOL’s JobCorps program for young workers. Facebook officials said the company will broadcast public service announcements in 10 states with the highest unemployment rates, as well as in Puerto Rico. In the coming weeks, Facebook officials said the company will conduct research to develop innovative ways to connect job recruiters and career centers with job applicants via social networks.

What do you think? Will this program help out the unemployed?