The interview officer role will gradually transition to that of interview and enrolment officer from 2009, and staff will be trained accordingly. This is to meet the need for the business additionally to record biometrics from all applicants in readiness for the issuing of second biometric passports and identity cards.
It is expected that there will be a need for more enrolment officers than the roughly 600 interview officers to be employed this year during the implementation of the authentication by interview process. Any additional staff are likely to be required from mid 2009, but it is premature to identify how many this will be as it depends on the date when IPS is ready to start initial biometric enrolment and the rate of increase in volume of customers which will depend on the progressive implementation plan.
IPS has recruited 55 interview office staff who have started work and offered a job to a further 539 people. Some are to be full time and others are part time staff. Recruitment was carried out by IPS supported by our recruitment partner Barkers, who assisted with application response handling.
I confirm that the most recent interview officer job advertisements for the recruitment campaign held in September 2006 will be placed in the Library.