The coronavirus pandemic has given further impetus to digitalisation at the BA: within a very short time, apps for short-time allowance and chatbots were developed to allow customers to communicate with the employment agency. The BA has been modernising its online portal for years and puts up-to-date information, applications and self-exploration tools online.
The new digital applications provide support in more and more areas of everyday life. It is now possible to get in touch with the Employment Agency and job centre even more quickly and often even around the clock.
“BA-mobil” – the popular customer app gets new functions
Andrea Nahles, Director of the BA: “The Digital Day also points out that more digital administration services can make a contribution to digital participation. The BA already made a start on this years ago, for example with the app BA-mobil. With nearly a million users, it is now one of our most popular e-services. We have developed it and many other online services, such as chatbots and video communication in addition to the specifications catalogue of the Federal Government's Online Access Act and are using them successfully. We want to give our customers easy and innovative access to our services. At the same time, in view of the demographic situation, digitalisation offers us as an employer an opportunity to offer our services with fewer staff in future, with the same or even better quality. We aim to become one of the most modern public service providers in Europe within the next ten years.”
At the end of June, the BA-mobil app will be optimised with another feature that has been requested by customers. Using the new upload function, it will then be possible to conveniently upload application papers or documents for applying for unemployment benefit. You can find the functions of the app and details of the advantages at: https://www.arbeitsagentur.de/arbeitslos-arbeit-finden/arbeitslosengeld/app-ba-mobil (in German).
The digital route to making appointments online
The BA offers customers of all employment agencies the opportunity to book an appointment for an initial interview (in person or as a video consultation) as part of their online job seeker registration. Since 1 January 2022, it has also been possible to make an online booking for a consultation appointment as part of online unemployment registration. Many agencies also offer an online facility for arranging a consultation appointment if there are further questions regarding unemployment benefits, further training opportunities and study and training advice. Since July 2021, job centres have also offered their customers the option of booking an appointment online.
Online services for people undergoing rehabilitation
The BA’s occupational rehabilitation helps people with health problems in different situations. Customers whose health is impaired by an accident, disability or disease, for example, often find it harder to enter working life, and to find or keep a job. The introduction of a new digital application route is benefiting customers and employers, as well as supervisors and educational institutions in the field of occupational rehabilitation. Previously, information on occupational rehabilitation could only be submitted in paper form. Now the data can be transmitted conveniently from home in electronic form. Using this function dispenses with the need to print out and post the application documents. You can find more information on applying for occupational rehabilitation at Berufliche Rehabilitation | Bundesagentur für Arbeit (arbeitsagentur.de).
Wichtig:German Digital Day
The Digital Day is sponsored by the initiative “Digital for All”, which brings together 28 organisations from the fields of civil society, culture, science, business, welfare and the public sector. The aim is to promote digital participation. The action day provides a platform to shed light on various aspects of digitalisation, discuss opportunities and challenges and initiate a broad social dialogue. For information and background on the “Digital for All” initiative and the Digital Day, see: https://digitaltag.eu/#Digitaltag (in German).