Manx Graduates, the Island’s own careers social network for new and past Manx graduates, has announced the winner of its free prize draw as Alison Cubbon.
Alison, a recent graphic design graduate of the University of Central Lancashire, has bagged herself the new BlackBerry Curve 8900, provided in conjunction with Manx Telecom.
'I signed up for Manx Grads after hearing about it in the job centre,' said Alison.
'I’m about to graduate so I'm looking to get a job lined up. When I was still based in Lancashire, it was difficult to keep an eye on the opportunities that pop up back home.
'Signing up with Manx Grads meant I could keep informed about possible vacancies and I could also have conversations with potential employers online before I got back to the Island.'
Manxgraduates.im is a free, online social network and is an Isle of Man Government Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) initiative to help connect local employers with Manx graduates and other skilled Manx individuals who are living oversees and who may be looking for suitable employment on the Island.
Take up of the site has been encouraging, with some 400 graduates and 45 employers registering with the site since its launch.
All individuals who had registered with Manx Graduates, completed their profile and uploaded their CV details before 31st May, 2009 were automatically entered into the draw.
Alison says the phone will come in handy in her job search and in professional life as well as to keep in touch with her friends and family:
'I've never had a BlackBerry before but my dad and brother both have one so I know about the features.
'The access to sites like Facebook, LinkedIn and Manx Grads will help me keep connected with friends and contacts too.'
Voirrey Barron, Marketing Communications Manager at Manx Telecom, said 'The last ten years have seen a generation of people entering the workforce who have grown up online and are used to the instant messaging via e-mail, social networks and texting.
'The BlackBerry provides convenient access to these forms of communication wherever and whenever it is needed.'
Manx Graduates was created by the Island’s largest software developer, PDMS. Managing Director Chris Gledhill said 'Recruitment on the Isle of Man is generally done through advertisements and as such doesn’t lead to any form of long-term candidate/employer relationship.
'Manx Graduates was created to build a vibrant community of Manx workers by using social aspects of Web 2.0 technology, similar to that of Facebook and LinkedIn.'
'The Isle of Man Government supports Manx students at universities around the globe and, of course, we hope that a significant number of them will bring their new found skills back to the Island at some point in their working life,' David Cretney, DTI Minister, commented.
'Manx Graduates allows local employers to promote employment opportunities for skilled workers, and for those currently studying, or who have completed their studies and are working away from the Island, it provides encouragement and confidence to come back.
'I am delighted that my Department has been involved in developing this initiative and I am confident that Manx Graduates will prove beneficial in coming years by attracting the talented and skilled workers required by our modern, diverse economy.'
