Apprenticeships are currently viewed as the centre piece of the government’s skills policy with around one million applicants in the last three years. In England, apprenticeships are not restricted to age or sector and it is this flexibility that makes them unique and advantageous to businesses by widening the...

Government Minister Jo Swinson has endorsed the new everywomanNetwork campaign, Ambition Hour, as being vital in helping develop future leaders. The campaign – launched today – encourages women to take charge of developing their own careers by spending an hour a week exploring career goals and implementing a plan...

In the latest edition of Graduate Market Trends published today (Thursday 7 March 2013), the Higher Education Careers Services Unit (HECSU) considers earnings data from the Futuretrack1 study, reporting an unfair salary advantage for male graduates. In her article on gendered earning power, Jane Artess, director of research at...

Created in 2006 the social networking site Twitter has grown into one of the largest and most visited social media companies in the world. With a growing 500 million users it has become an increasingly popular social media tool in 2013. Not only is it used for people’s daily...

The REC met with top policy advisors at 10 Downing Street yesterday to talk about the youth contract and career progression. REC director of policy Tom Hadley and senior policy advisor Chris Wilford highlighted how recruitment agencies are key players in their local labour markets and have a major...

REC Healthcare has written to Health Services Minister Daniel Poulter to seek clarification about the legitimacy of value added tax (VAT) schemes designed to reduce spend on agency staff within the National Health Service (NHS). Such schemes are spreading rapidly across the health service at a time when NHS...

The largest monthly measure of conditions and trends in employment opportunities in the UK now stands at 155 – its highest level since the index began in 2009 and 10{6060b2de664e4eaa3e7b7e86961ce2c4bbd7a29b6c1097abf8257a4e5b07383e} higher than its previous best of 141 in May 2012. February saw over 12{6060b2de664e4eaa3e7b7e86961ce2c4bbd7a29b6c1097abf8257a4e5b07383e} month on month growth in...

Inflation across the eurozone has fallen from 2.2{6060b2de664e4eaa3e7b7e86961ce2c4bbd7a29b6c1097abf8257a4e5b07383e} to 2{6060b2de664e4eaa3e7b7e86961ce2c4bbd7a29b6c1097abf8257a4e5b07383e} in January, according to official figures. The fall comes as widespread austerity and weakening economies leave consumers with little free cash to spend, depressing retailers’ ability to increase prices.   Some analysts think the drop could leave the European Central...

Fears of a triple dip recession have failed to make a dent in employer confidence on hiring decisions in 2013, according to the latest survey of 600 employers from the Recruitment and Employment Confederation. The REC’s JobsOutlook report indicates that the UK jobs market is likely to continue to...

The decision of Moody’s credit rating agency to remove the UK’s AAA credit status could have a profound impact on the City of London as one of the worlds top financial centres. The Chancellor George Osborne should take urgent action to stimulate the economy – and the best way...

Earlier this month the REC held a webinar to gauge member opinion on the Conduct Regulations consultation being carried out by the Department for Business Industry and Skills (BIS) which closes on 11th April 2013. Members took part in a live survey and expressed strong opinions on of the...

Responding to the publication of the House of Commons Public Accounts Committee report on the Work Programme, Peter Cheese, Chief Executive of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), said: “The Work Programme has attracted a lot of harsh criticism, and this report is no exception.  However, it...

Commenting on the latest ONS Labour Market statistics, for the period October-December 2012, Gerwyn Davies, Labour Market Adviser at the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD), said:  “The latest figures show that the run up to Christmas provided mixed blessings for employees and jobseekers, with buoyant recruitment but...

Commenting on the latest employment figures released today by the Office for National Statistics the Recruitment and Employment Confederation’s (REC) Director of Policy and Professional Services Tom Hadley says: “The strength of the UK labour market continues to defy the doom-mongers. Employer confidence remains strong and the outlook for...

After calls for the standardisation of training across the recruitment sector, March 1st will bring a benchmark for the industry with the introduction of its first dedicated apprenticeship. The apprenticeship has already gained the support of recruitment expert and CEO of Hamilton Bradshaw James Caan, who believes a standard...