News from the UK and around the world

Recruitment intentions among UK employers surveyed have levelled off in the spring quarter, following a year of sharp falls. Figures from this quarter's survey show that a third of organisations are still freezing recruitment. The proportion of those who don't intend to recruit over the next three months (33%) and those who do intend to (62%) are both the same as in the winter quarter. However, recruitment intentions are still down 13 percentage points from the autumn and 24 percentage points from spring 2008. While recruitment intentions in the private sector (52%) (see Figure 4) continue to lag behind the public sector, hiring in the public sector looks set to slow in the next quarter. Three-quarters of public sector employers intend to recruit in the next three months, which compares with 84% in the last quarter. Recruitment intentions are highest in healthcare (93%) and education (88%). Almost three-quarters of voluntary sector respondents (72%) are planning to recruit, which represents a decrease of 7 points from last quarter.  Source: CIPD Labour Market Outlook

A survey by the CIPD sought to find out whether employers were 'likely to exclude' or 'exclude' certain groups from the recruitment process. Workers aged 65 and above and returning to work are more likely than other groups to be excluded from the recruitment process. One in seven (14%) employers said they would exclude older workers not in work. Similarly, employers surveyed say 13% of those over 65 and still in employment are also likely to be excluded from the recruitment process. Interestingly, no employers said they would exclude those over 50. Young people are equally affected by discrimination from a small minority of employers. One in eight (12%) of employers are likely to exclude 16–18-year-olds. Only 3% said they would exclude 19–24-year-olds, while 8% said they would exclude migrant workers. Two per cent of employers surveyed would exclude the long-term unemployed from the recruitment process, whereas no employers say they would exclude the short-term unemployed. Organisations were also asked which of these groups they had recruited from in the past three months. Only 4% employed older workers over 65 in the past three months, which compares with 20% of employers that have recruited migrant workers. Those who have been unemployed for six months or more and 16–18-year-olds (14% each) have also been more affected than other groups in the current recession.

According to a CIPD labour survey, more than a third (36%) of employers admit to not having any guidelines in place when making redundancies to ensure that certain groups – for example women, older workers, and black and minority ethnic (BME) workers – are not disproportionately affected by redundancies. Half of employers (50%) do have such guidelines, while a further 7% are considering implementing them.

The deepening effects of the economic crisis on the labour market have meant more challenges for the 300,000 graduates who graduate in the UK every year. Nearly half (45%) of LMO employers surveyed say they would be unlikely to take advantage if internships for graduates were government-funded, compared with about a quarter (24%) who say they would be likely to do so. Taking these findings, and the fact that many employers already have graduate recruitment programmes in place, appears to justify the Government's decision not to fund such internships. Public sector employers are more welcoming of this policy than the other sectors. More than three in ten (34%) of them support this incentive, compared with around a fifth of organisations in the private (20%) and voluntary/not-for-profit sectors (17%).

According to a CIPD Labour Outlook Survey, only a fifth (20%) of UK employers responding has used the Government’s new migration points-based system in the last year. Among those using it, about four in five (78%) have been successful in at least the majority of their applications. However, this new system is often found to be more difficult to use. Over two in five (44%) have found the process more difficult than the previous system. Nevertheless, three in five (61%) employers will be unperturbed from recruiting workers outside the EEC and Switzerland. This cannot be said for over a fifth (23%) of employers, who say these difficulties would deter further recruitment.

There has been an "alarming increase" in the number of pregnant women and new mothers who are being targeted for redundancy in the UK, according to specialist support bodies. The Alliance Against Pregnancy Discrimination in the Workplace (AAPDW) said that its member organisations had reported a surge in the number of calls for advice. According to the organisation, some employers are using the recession as an excuse to break the law on discrimination and that its helpline had been handling up to 25 per cent more calls than usual since January, with other helplines reporting similar increases. Research by the Equal Opportunities Commission indicates that illegal practices in this area were indeed rife before the downturn. It estimates that 30,000 women lose their jobs each year for being pregnant and expects this figure to rise. Such employers are following a "high-risk strategy" as there is no cap on the compensation awarded in discrimination cases.

Job offers to IT contractors into financial services doubled between April and May, according to new research by pre-employment company Powercheck. The research also found employment offers increased in insurance and banking.

The PepsiCo Foundation and United Nations World Food Programme (WFP), the world's largest humanitarian agency which fights hunger worldwide, today announced a strategic partnership aimed at enhancing the ability of WFP to deliver food and relief to the most vulnerable communities around the globe. The PepsiCo Foundation has committed $2.2 million for a program that brings together global logistics experts from PepsiCo to help strengthen WFP’s response to growing hunger needs brought on by high food prices and the financial crisis, as well as improve its operating efficiency and response time in crisis situations. Propelled by last year’s global food crisis, WFP estimates that nearly 1 billion people worldwide are going hungry today. WFP and PepsiCo logistics experts, including PepsiCo retirees who are part of the PepsiCo Foundation Service Corps, will share best practices, collaboration tools, performance dashboards and training frameworks to improve food delivery. All of the operating efficiencies gained by WFP will be re-applied to meet the needs of the disadvantaged communities WFP serves.

Zoosa has launched a new website today (www.zoosa.org) as a single destination for all social enterprise resources: news, blogs, actions/ideas, jobs, & skills-based volunteer projects. The organisation has partnered with several top organizations in order to make it easier for time constrained professionals to find all of the information & opportunities which are relevant to them. Rather than aimlessly searching across multiple websites, individuals can now utilize Zoosa as their portal to the social enterprise network, it says. To realize their vision, Zoosa broadened the definition of social enterprise beyond non-profits to include organizations focused on community development, education, government, and the environment, including alternative energy/clean-tech start-ups. Zoosa's emphasis on skills-based volunteering creates a unique opportunity for non-profits to connect to professionals willing to share their skills at no cost. Given the tough economic climate, many individuals are looking for projects which either help them learn new professional skills or help them maintain their existing skills. Recent college graduates, for example, would likely benefit from creating a Zoosa account and linking it to their existing online professional profiles.

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP (PwC) has announced the graduation of its inaugural class of Impact Scholars, 49 academically talented African-American high school students who completed a year-long program that helped them navigate the rigorous college planning and financial aid process and gain admission into some of the nation's premier colleges and universities, including six Ivy League schools. Many of the scholars will be the first generation of their families to attend college. PwC launched the Impact program last year in the New York City and Washington, D.C., metro areas as part of the firm's diversity initiatives and corporate responsibility commitment to youth leadership. Graduation from the Impact program culminates a series of monthly workshops that provided tools and strategies for broadening the students' education and career choices. Each scholar was paired with a dedicated professional from PwC who served as his or her mentor and as an experienced resource throughout the program.

Cadbury, awarded Gold today for sustainable business practice by Business in the Community in their Corporate Responsibility Index, has launched its Geography online educational resource, www.skillsspace.co.uk. Skills Space enables students to learn about Ghana, how cocoa is grown, the lives of cocoa farmers, the interdependence between Ghana and chocolate manufacturers, and discover more about sustainable farming. The company has access to a huge amount of information and resources that can inspire and have real value to young people studying business and associated subjects and, it says, receives a large number of enquiries from teachers and pupils looking for real-life case studies to support learning in the classroom. Skills Space has been developed in specific response to this demand as a new online resource and a useful tool in their studies. Through Skill Space, Cadbury reflects that it is more important than ever for businesses to acknowledge the impact they have on society and the environment, and commit to tackling the issues, not just because they should, but because it's good for business, as acknowledged in the BiTC CR Index.

According to John Philpott, Chief Economist and Director of Public Policy at the CIPD, the current mood of optimism over the upturn is not yet justified. The main reason is that the burden of public debt means that large-scale public-sector job cuts are inevitable, which will have a knock-on effect throughout the economy, he said. The CIPD's current estimate is that the fiscal squeeze implied by government plans will result in a total of 350,000 job cuts in the public sector overall between 2010-11 and 2014-15." First in line for cuts will be local authorities, which could face 30,000 job losses in the next year alone, he added. The effects of public-sector redundancies will cancel out much of private-sector recovery and create a prolonged "age of austerity", where generous pay and perks are removed. This might lead to running battles with unions, he predicted.

The UK Government's 2012 pension reforms may not help low earners save significantly for their retirement, according to a report from the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS). The reforms are aimed at reaching the employee group – estimated at 4.7 million people in 2005 – that have no pension savings at all. Workers without a pension will be automatically enrolled into a "personal account" that they can choose to opt out from. But the report points out that people in this group are the least likely to benefit from pension saving because they are more likely to be low earners who can put little extra money aside into the scheme, are more likely to qualify for means-tested help in retirement and are more likely to have debts that need to be prioritised. The report was funded by the IFS Retirement Consortium, a group of 13 public and private organisations including the CIPD.

More people are selling their holiday allowance to boost salaries during the recession, according to research from risk and benefits consultants Aon Consulting. Aon's 2009 Flex Tracker found that holiday trading, where employees buy or sell days off, has become more popular with take-up increasing by 21 per cent from 2008 levels. The proportion of staff selling holiday has nearly doubled from 20 per cent in 2008 to 35 per cent in 2009. Despite the increase in holiday selling, Aon found there were still significantly more people buying holiday than selling it. The research also revealed a significant reduction in staff take-up of well being initiatives. Pensions remain the most popular benefit with 78 per cent of flex scheme members selecting it, followed by private medical insurance at 45 per cent and then holiday trading at 21 per cent.

A new "super-ministry" has been formed to lead the Government’s fight against the recession. The newly created Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS) will take on the responsibilities of the Department for Business, Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (BERR) and the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills (DIUS). The government says the new department will "build Britain's capabilities to compete in the global economy". They also hope it will put universities firmly at the heart of the Government's business policy.

Most international companies expect an economic recovery by the end of the year, according to a survey from management training providers The Ken Blanchard Companies. The survey shows that 70% are optimistic about the economy rebounding in 2009, while just 25% of the 1,700 executive, line managers, HR and L&D professionals surveyed worldwide thought the downturn would run unabated into next year.

A new grants programme to provide support to organisations that manage volunteers has been announced by non-departmental government body, Capacitybuilders. The £3 million programme, developed in response to recommendations from the 2008 Commission on the Future of Volunteering, is intended to develop a long-term vision for volunteering throughout England and is keen to help ensure that volunteers have the best possible experiences whilst volunteering. The importance and prominence of volunteering has sky-rocketed since the economic downturn and, as Campbell Robb, Director-General for the Office of the Third Sector, confirms, it is now more important than ever to ensure volunteering programmes are effective and useful for everyone involved. It is anticipated that the grants programme will be delivered via three separate initiatives: a £1.6 million funding pot until March 2011 that will be targeted at around 25 local volunteering development organisations to help them provide outreach and other direct support services to people who manage volunteers; a £200,000 grant specifically targeted for the national strategic support of volunteer management, coordinated via the existing Modernising Volunteering national support service; and a £1 million bursary fund available from April 2010 to help support training for people managing volunteers.

The average age at which people feel or will feel totally confident and comfortable about their skills at work is 37, according to a recent YouGov survey of 2,100 UK adults commissioned by Standard Life. This works out to around 30,000 hours in the job. The study also highlights an interesting trend in people working beyond retirement age - reflecting the longer life expectancy in the UK, the growing ease with which people can work from home, and the need for many to continue making an income during uncertain economic times (and unsatisfactory pension provision). The survey into generational differences in attitudes to work found that 'fulfilment' is even more elusive: although 79% expect to or do feel fulfilled by their career at some point in their life, those over 55 on average said that fulfilment peaked at 50. This considerable time investment in career potentially suggests why; 85% of the population do not intend to stop work altogether post retirement age; a third (33%) of the population simply want to continue in full time work post retirement age; and 31% want to carry on in a similar role but on their own terms. The survey suggests that the number of 'olderpreneurs' is likely to increase, with 8% of those surveyed wanting to set up a business on retirement.

The UK's small businesses are being urged to rediscover their passion for exporting during the recession. The joint call by the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) and Lord Davies, Minister for Trade and Investment follows the publication of the BCC's international trade survey, Exporting Britain. The report reveals that most companies export because they have been approached by their customers (58%), or by an agent or distributor (19%). Half of the firms polled said they export to specific markets because they already had connections there. The BCC argues that these figures suggest that many businesses are not as proactive as they could be when it comes to exporting.

UNCF– the United Negro College Fund– the United States' largest and most effective minority education organization, and the global research-based pharmaceutical company Merck & Co., Inc., have announced awards of scholarships and fellowships to 37 African American biological and chemical science students. The awards were part of the UNCF/Merck Science Initiative, a fifteen-year partnership that has supported 516 promising undergraduate, graduate and post-doctoral science students. UNCF/Merck recipients have gone on to pursue careers in a wide range of disciplines, from biochemistry and microbiology to pharmacology, neuroscience, biophysics, chemistry and bioengineering. UNCF/Merck scholarships and fellowships include financial support, hands-on training, close mentoring and networking relationships and institutional support. Recipients are chosen through a competitive application process that selects candidates based on their academic achievements and potential in the field of biomedical research. Between now and 2050, according to the Brookings Institution, the number of African Americans and Hispanics will grow from about 25 percent to nearly 40 percent of the working-age population, and will account for more than 90 percent of total growth in that age range. Considering the increasingly technology-and innovation-driven nature of the global economy, minority and low income students remain significantly under-represented in science, technology, engineering and mathematics—the STEM-related fields of study. For every 10,000 ninth grade students in the bottom income quartile in their respective communities, (a demographic which includes a disproportionate number of minorities), only 30 will graduate with a bachelors degree in STEM-related fields, according to “The Narrowing STEM Pipeline for Low-income Students in the US," a 2008 report released by the Louis Stokes Institute for Opportunity in STEM Education. Understanding the demand and need to address that challenge, Merck awarded UNCF a 10-year $20 million grant in 1995, targeting students pursuing careers in biomedical research at the undergraduate, graduate and postdoctoral levels. The UNCF/Merck Science Initiative program supported by the Merck Institute for Science Education and Merck Research Laboratories, was renewed in 2006 to provide more than $13 million in additional funding through 2010. The 2009 UNCF/Merck Fellows may receive awards ranging up to $25,000 for undergraduate scholarship recipients and up to $85,000 for post doctoral fellowships. In addition, UNCF/Merck fellows from 1996-2008 have organized a group, the Association of UNCF/Merck Fellows, to facilitate continued professional growth. This network allows former Fellows to collaborate in academia, government and the private sector by leveraging the collective wealth of knowledge and experience they share in varying scientific, technical and biomedical backgrounds.

Black Enterprise magazine has named UPS to its list of "40 Best Companies for Diversity" for the fourth consecutive year. According to the magazine, UPS demonstrated strength and outperformed its peers in the key categories of senior management and supplier diversity. UPS was one of more than 1,000 publicly traded companies evaluated by Black Enterprise on business activities related to the participation of African Americans as well as members of other ethnic minority groups. This honor continues UPS's accolades for diversity. Earlier this year, the company was named one of "America's Top Corporations for Women's Business Enterprises" by Women's Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC) for the ninth consecutive year, and was among those listed on DiversityBusiness.com's "America's Top 50 Organizations for Multicultural Business Opportunities." In past years, UPS managers have been featured in Black Enterprise as among the 100 Most Powerful Executives in America. UPS is the world's largest package delivery company and a global leader in supply chain and freight services.

Blommer Chocolate Company, North America's largest processor of cocoa beans and ingredient chocolate products, has announced a new initiative with the Rainforest Alliance to produce a line of certified cocoa and ingredient chocolate products. Blommer will work with the Rainforest Alliance in helping certified cocoa farmers maintain a healthy environment. The initiative also will help ensure improved, more sustainable livelihoods for participating cocoa communities. Blommer's new Rainforest Alliance Certified(TM) cocoa and ingredient chocolate products are now available in its premium organic line and standard product offers are anticipated in 2010. The Rainforest Alliance will work with cocoa farmers supplying Blommer to help them meet comprehensive standards for sustainability that protect the environment and wildlife and ensure the well being of workers and local communities. Once the farms achieve these requirements, they will receive the Rainforest Alliance Certified(TM) seal. Independent audits not only will ensure that cocoa produced on these farms meets and maintains these standards, but also will provide farmers access to the higher market prices often available for certified cocoa. The Rainforest Alliance is a nonprofit conservation organization that works to conserve biodiversity and protect the rights and welfare of workers, their families and communities.

After 18 months of negative optimism, a Continental Research study suggests that confidence in both the general economy and own trading prospects is returning amongst small businesses. According to the report, in the second quarter of 2009 there was a return to optimism levels not seen since the summer of 2007. Opinions about net economic optimism and own trading prospects have converged for the first time as SMEs feel that the fortunes of their business are more tied than ever before to the general economic environment. The data shows a significant rebound in confidence in own trading prospects: after a six month period of decline and an all time low reached in the first quarter of 2009, confidence has now returned to SMEs with Continental Research monitoring a rise of some 33 points – the largest movement in over a year, while economic optimism shot up by 50 points over the quarter. This data suggests SMEs are feeling some relief and becoming more positive about the economic outlook. New-found confidence in the general economic environment is an indication that SMEs are finally seeing the green shoots coming through that signal that prosperity will return for their business.

The Big Lottery Fund (BLF) has unveiled its new funding strategy for the next six years. Following on from the Big Thinking consultation in the Autumn of 2008, which asked stakeholders and the general public how they thought the Big Lottery budget should be spent, the BLF has announced its new funding strategy. The strategy includes an extra £45 million to help charities hard-hit by the recession and a pledge to give at least 80% of its money to voluntary and community organisations. The £45 million recession package will be distributed this financial year and will include cash injections for existing funding programmes such as the Reaching Communities scheme, Basis and Awards for All. In addition to extra money being made available, the BLF have also outlined new priorities and directions for their grant-making, with projects that reduce isolation and promote community cohesion and front-line services now at the very top of their agenda. Voluntary sector leaders have given the new funding strategy a mixed reception.

Colleges and universities across England are to be given millions of pounds to promote online learning and "transform the way people can get a degree". As part of a wider strategy to support online learning, Higher Education Minister David Lammy announced plans for a new £20 million Open Learning Innovation Fund. Through the scheme, the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE) will provide £10 million match funding to encourage universities to collaborate with other institutions, businesses and third sector bodies to promote online learning. Mr. Lammy has also appointed a new taskforce to be headed up by Dame Lynne Brindley, chief executive of the British Library, which will investigate ways of ensuring the UK remains a world-leader in distance learning. At present, the UK currently attracts more than 100,000 distance learners from around the globe, earning the higher education sector approximately £200 million in fees. Advances such as 3G, webcasts and web 2.0 will allow UK universities to reach out to communities as far flung as Africa and Hong Kong to deliver high quality, student-centred higher education across the globe.

Application deadlines for the next three rounds of £1 million youth volunteering scheme VCashpoint have been revealed. Through the initiative, which is run by the charity V, young people in England aged between 16 and 25 can grab grants worth up to £2,500 to carry out a volunteering project in their local community. In particular, the fund is looking to support "hard to reach" groups of youngsters, such as people with disabilities, travelling communities, black and ethnic minorities, and young people not in education, employment or training (NEET). Projects should be youth-led, provide new volunteering opportunities, be creative and innovative, and make a positive impact on the local community. For upcoming application deadlines and further information about the programme, visit the VCashpoint website.

The United Kingdom has overtaken South Africa as the world's most violent country. New findings show that Britons experienced more incidents of violent crime per 100,000 citizens than South Africa, which is often depicted as the world capital of violent crime. The UK has a higher murder rate than its neighbours France, Germany, Italy and Spain. The figures were obtained from the European Commission and the United Nations. In the UK, 2034 of every 100,000 citizens fell victim to violent crime, compared with 1677 in second-placed Austria and 1609 in South Africa.

A survey by finance comparison website money.co.uk in association with YouGov says that British men think a woman's financial place is in the home. British men do not blame testosterone fuelled bankers for the credit crunch and recession, research from money.co.uk has found. The study found that less than a quarter (22%) of men believe that the presence of more women in banking and finance boardrooms would have helped to prevent the excessive risk taking that contributed to the credit crunch and recession. In addition, only 10% of men feel strongly that top finance and banking jobs are too male dominated, despite the fact that the credit crunch 'hall of shame' is almost entirely male. This does not however reflect the balance of decision making in households across the country. According to the research, just 24% of men claim to make all household financial decisions, with money decisions shared between the sexes in 55% of British homes. The view also ignores the role that women tend to play in those decisions - 56% of women said they tend to want to reduce risk.

Successful businessman Steve Morgan has launched his annual search for the most enterprising companies and individuals. Cash prizes worth more than £100,000 are up for grabs in the Morgan Foundation Entrepreneur Awards 2009. Established back in 2007 by Mr. Morgan, founder of construction company Redrow and chairman of Wolverhampton Wanderers FC, the awards aim to recognise and celebrate the achievements of businesses, social enterprises, charities and entrepreneurs from the following areas: North Wales, North Cheshire, Merseyside, Shropshire, and Wolverhampton. Awards are on offer in categories including: Best New Business (less than four years old), Best Business providing Economic and Social Contribution to the Region (over the past three years), Best Entrepreneurial Social Enterprise or Charity, Best Young Entrepreneur (under 25 years old), Best Individual Entrepreneur (working in a charity or social enterprise), Against All Odds (person or business overcoming the greatest difficulties, disadvantages and disabilities to succeed). The closing date to submit an entry for this year's awards is 10 September. For further information about this year’s awards and to download application forms, visit the Morgan Foundation website

Asked to choose three competencies they believed were most important to establishing the function's effectiveness and credibility in the organisation, 46% of HR professionals taking part in a CIPD mini poll highlighted 'effective management of change'. This was closely followed by 'strategic thinking' (44%) and 'business knowledge' (36%). Heads of HR/heads of function, business partners, learning and development managers, HR managers, HR experts, HR officers and assistants and independent consultants took part in the poll. There was a high level of agreement on the most important capabilities for the function. Seventy-eight of those taking part in the website poll were heads of HR/heads of function. For this group of respondents 'strategic thinking' was most commonly identified as crucial (55%) followed by 'effective management of change’ (47%) and, reflecting their more senior role in the organisation, 'influencing and political skills' (40%). The 67 HR officers and assistants in the sample also recognised the value of 'strategic thinking' (43%) and 'effective management of change’ (42%) and rated 'understanding of HR practices' (37%) among their top three areas of competence. Areas where there are potentially opportunities for HR to make a difference (but which were less popular in the poll) included: 'creative practices/ability to do more with less’ (18%), 'willingness to innovate' (11%) and 'organisational design skills' (3%).  Source: CIPD

Unemployment among blacks in New York City has increased much faster than for whites, and the gap appears to be widening at an accelerating pace, new studies of jobless data have found. While unemployment rose steadily for white New Yorkers from the first quarter of 2008 through the first three months of this year, the number of unemployed blacks in the city rose four times as fast, according to a report by the city comptroller’s office. By the end of March, there were about 80,000 more unemployed blacks than whites, according to the report, even though there are roughly 1.5 million more whites than blacks here. Across the nation, the surge in unemployment has cut across all demographic lines, and the gap between blacks and whites has risen, but at a much slower rate than in New York. Economists said they were not certain why so many more blacks were losing their jobs in New York, especially when a large share of the layoffs in the city have been in fields where they are not well represented, like finance and professional services. But in those sectors, the economists suggested that blacks may have had less seniority when layoffs occurred. And black workers hold an outsize share of the jobs in retailing and other service industries that have been shrinking as consumers curtail their spending. Historically, the unemployment rate for blacks has always been higher than for whites. But since the start of the recession, in December 2007, the overall rate has risen by 4.6 percentage points — driving the black unemployment rate as high as 15 percent in April. Manufacturing, which has shed more jobs than any other sector of the city’s economy, had become a mainstay for black workers. Government jobs had also become a prime source of solid, stable work for many blacks in the city. But lately there have been cutbacks there, too, as falling tax revenue has forced the paring back of budgets. Source: New York Times

Dawid Konotey-Ahulu, a former barrister who set up independent pensions consultancy, Redington in 2006, has topped a poll by Financial News Online for top pick in the fund management industry. Konotey-Ahulu received 73% of readers' votes, having developed a reputation of delivering solid pensions advice over the last year. Redington advises clients including Aviva and the Royal Mail and the group's profits quadrupled to more than £1 million on quintupled turnover of £2.4 million.

500 bursaries have been awarded to third sector organisations throughout England to help combat the effects of the economic downturn. Non-departmental government body Capacitybuilders has announced that up to 500 third sector organisations have received cash injections from the Real Help for Communities Modernisation Fund, despite it only being open a matter of months. The programme, intended to encourage third sector groups to explore the possibilities of merging and collaborating with other organisations in order to combat the effects of the recession, has proved very popular, particularly with those involved in frontline services now in high demand because of the current economic climate.

BT is the most race-friendly organisation in the UK, according to Race for Opportunity's annual investigation into race diversity practices at work. Publishing company Pearson came second in the index, while the Ministry of Defence, the Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform and the Home Office made up the rest of the top five. Of BT's staff, 10.8% come from a Black or ethnic minority background.

More than 3.6 million vocational qualifications were awarded n 2008, an increase of 11% on the previous year. The figures, released by independent education foundation Edge, show a rise of 350,000 in the numbers awarded. Most of the extra qualifications went to young people at school or college, although the numbers of over-25's taking NVQs or SVQs (Scottish vocational qualifications) also increased by 2%.

More women are needed to help defuse a recruitment 'time bomb' forecast for 2010 in the information and technology sector, according to the HR Director of Cisco. A report commissioned by Cisco reveals that there could be a shortfall of 70,000 employees in IT by 2010 across five European countries. It found that a high number of female students were not pursuing careers in IT, despite having good computer skills.

45% of employers have increased flexible working among staff as a method of saving costs during the recession, according to a survey by the CBI and recruiters Harvey Nash. A further 24% are considering such changes, while other popular measures being implemented are cuts in the use of agency staff (33%) and reducing paid overtime (43%). The survey of more than 700 UK organisations shows that most believed it would be at least two years before recruitment returned to 2007 levels.

More than 6,000 UK companies now use social networking website Twitter to advertise their jobs, according to recruiters. The site, on which people can post messages (tweets) of 140 characters, has seen an explosion in membership this spring, doubling its numbers of users in March/April alone. The growth has spawned recruitment services such as Twitter Job Search and Tweet My Jobs, where employers distil their adverts into tweets.