Bangalore, March 5 (IANS) Those looking for employment in Karnataka's rural areas would soon be using their cell phones to hunt for jobs.

The cell phone turning into a job hunting platform will be a reality in two districts of Karnataka first and, depending on the success, the facility would be extended to other parts of the state, an official statement said.

Job providers could also share information on openings available and skills needed.

The Karnataka government would use IBM's 'Spoken Web', among other technologies of the US giant, to provide the facility, to begin with in Mandya, about 80 km from Bangalore and Bijapur, around 550 kms.

The information would be in the local language, Kannada, also. The 'Spoken Web' is a voice-enabled technology, developed by IBM Research - India.

It "complements the internet, and enables people with little or no literacy, or those with visual impairment, to access and share information, perform business transactions, and create social networks using mobile or landline phones," according to IBM.

Karnataka Vocational Training and Skill Development Corporation signed an agreement with IBM here Friday to implement the facility called 'Smarter Employability Platform'.