Minister for Work Nick Brown today presented Age Positive Recruitment Awards
of Excellence to four recruitment consultancies.
The awards of Excellence, developed in partnership with Interviewer magazine,
are part of the Government’s campaign to ensure recruiters put ability before
age when hiring and training staff.
Speaking at the awards, Brown highlighted that by 2006 over 36 per cent of
potential recruits in the labour force will be over 45.
He said: "The Government has already issued a voluntary code of practice
on age diversity in employment to thousands of employers. By 2006 it will be
against the law to discriminate on grounds of age in the workplace, but good
employers are already getting ahead of the game. Recruitment agencies need to
give a lead by encouraging employers to stop judging people on the basis of
their age"
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The winning consultancies were Kent-based Kings
Hill Recruitment, Linda Taylor Associates from Manchester and Office Angels.
The winner of the Outstanding Activity by an Individual
category was Jacqy Jacobs who at the age of 50 set up Forties People, an agency
set up to encourage older people to apply for jobs.
