UK recruitment agency, Wise Employment, has today been rewarded by the Government for encouraging clients to be more ìage-friendlyî in their employment practices. 
The agency, which has fifteen locations across the UK, has been awarded ìEmployer Championî status by the Age Positive Campaign, a Department for Work and Pensions initiative aimed at tackling age discrimination in the workplace.
Stephen Timms, Minister of State for Pensions Reform, commented: ìEmployer Champions in the recruitment sector are critical in both identifying and tackling age discrimination. They do this by playing a fundamental role in educating clients on the business benefits of age positive recruitment practices. Wise Employment are not only providing a value-added service to clients, but supporting the Campaign by encouraging clients to look at candidates of all ages.î
Wise Employment achieved the accolade due to a number of progressive policies, including the provision of training for consultants to ensure they are aware of the benefits to employers of considering a wide range of ages for any position. The company also assists younger applicants by encouraging clients to take them on to develop their work experience. Older applicants are given training in computer skills to ensure they can compete with other candidates in the marketplace.
Duncan Elliott, HR Manager, at Wise Employment added: ìPositive age practices ensure that we attract the most suitable candidate for the job based on skills, experience and personality, rather than age. This approach enables us to secure more candidates, offer our clients a wider range of options, which therefore ultimately improves their productivity.î
The Age Positive campaign aims to raise the profile of age discrimination issues in the workplace ahead of new EU legislation, which will make age discrimination in the workplace illegal from 2006.
Employer Champions play a vital role in the Age Positive campaign by tackling age discrimination in their own workplace and highlighting the practical business benefits of having a mixed age team.
A free guide, ìAge Diversity at Work: A Practical Guide For Businessî has been developed, and can be ordered by calling 08457 330 360. Additional information about the Age Positive campaign can be found at:
Wise Employment recognised for intelligent age practices
Wise Employment has today been rewarded by the Government for encouraging clients to be more ìage-friendlyî in their employment practices
