The Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) has renewed its partnership with the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) after it welcomed Minister for Employment Damian Hinds MP earlier this week to meet recruitment industry leaders and to re-sign the partnership agreement.

Originally established in 2012, the agreement sets out practical ways to share knowledge between the public and private sectors, to benefit employers and jobseekers throughout the UK, to stamp out discrimination, and to promote good employment practices.

During 2016 the REC and its members have, in partnership with DWP, supported people affected by large-scale redundancies, including those at British Home Stores (BHS) and the steel industry in Wales. The REC has also been a key advocate for the DWP’s Disability Confident initiative, which equips employers with the tools they need to recruit and retain disabled people, and has been involved in DWP youth employment campaigns such as Get In Go Far. 

“At a time when the UK faces a raft of challenges and uncertainties, it is incredibly important to facilitate conversations between business and government so that we can ensure the sustained success of our jobs market,” REC Chief Executive Kevin Green said.

“This partnership underpins a huge amount of local-level activity, including regular collaboration between agencies and job centres,” Green said. “We know that jobs transform lives and that recruiters can provide the insight and on-the-ground experience needed to help individuals find the right job for them.”

“I’m delighted to renew this partnership with the REC,” Damian Hinds MP, Minister of State for Employment said. “It’s vital that we continue to work together to share expertise between sectors and create a labour market that works for everyone. By sharing practical knowledge and bringing together different types of employers, we can ensure that we have a truly collaborative approach to employment in the UK.”