Claire makes the front page as the RECís top student

Claire Townsend is in the news herself after becoming the Recruitment and Employment Confederationís top student.

She attained the highest marks in the RECís Certificate in Recruitment Practice (CertRP) examination held in June.

Claire is a publishing recruitment specialist at Inspired Selection Ltd based in Cornmarket Street, Oxford, which operates within the publishing recruitment sector.

After graduating, Claire spent five years with an academic publishing house but then decided to try something a little different so went into recruitment when the opportunity arose at Inspired Selection.

Claire is very surprised and delighted to have become top student for the CertRP, one of the two REC qualifications which are recognised industry-wide.

ìI walked out of the exam unsure of how I had done. I worked very hard on my coursework and exam preparation so I am very pleased that the work paid off, ìshe said.

The hardest part, she said, was studying and revising again for the first time in ten years. ìBut I would certainly recommend the course to other recruiters as I particularly found the legislation module difficult but probably the most useful area.î

Sue Trafford, her manager at Inspired Selection said: ìI am very proud of her achievement which recognises her hard work and commitment to study.î

A total of 280 candidates UK-wide sat the Certificate examination in June.

Judith Armatage, the RECís Director of Professional Development, said: ìMy congratulations go to Claire and all the students who passed their Certificate. The number of recruiters becoming qualified continues to increase.

ìThis year, over 3,000 students will have become qualified to Certificate, Diploma or Degree level. This confirms that the industry is taking the issue of standards and the development of its staff very seriously indeed.î

Helen Reynolds, the RECís Acting Chief Executive Officer said: ìIt is a real testament to Claire that in changing her career to become a recruitment specialist within her chosen industry, she has excelled herself and achieved such a stunning result in the CertRP.î