STUDENTS at University College Worcester will be tapping directly into the work market with the launch of a new "job pod" on campus.

The pod, officially known as a Jobpoint, will link students to all the latest employment information and is believed to be the first to be used in a higher education institution in the UK.

Operated by JobCentre Plus, it allows students from the St John's campus to access all the latest information through a dedicated computer terminal and a "hot phone".

This provides students with a direct connection to both local and national Job Centres as well as a benefit advice line.

Students who use the Jobpoint will be able to tap into the 400,000 vacancies handled by Jobcentre Plus at any one time.

"The launch of the Jobpoint is a significant development and it will provide students with up-to-date information on vacancies in their home area," said Student Union president Lindsay Secomb.

"This means they can apply for a job while they are studying and hopefully have secured employment by the time they graduate."

Jobpoints are networked computers with high-tech touch screens, which are also available through Jobcentre Plus in high streets across the country.

They provide up-to-the-minute information on vacancies available throughout Europe.