APSCo and REC: Marked difference over education recruitment scheme
13 May 2013
The Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo) has expressed “disappointment” it has not been able to work with the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) over the latter’s launch of new education recruitment compliance and quality standards, with the REC defending its move.
Mon, 13 May 2013The Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo) has expressed “disappointment” it has not been able to work with the Recruitment & Employment Confederation (REC) over the latter’s launch of new education recruitment compliance and quality standards, with the REC defending its move.
REC director of policy Tom Hadley says it was “really important that after the DfE [Department for Education] withdrew the Quality Mark that the industry stepped in swiftly to ensure there was continuity for recruiters and continued quality assurance for schools and parents”.
The REC, in partnership with unions, individual schools and academies and other stakeholders, launched the new standard, REC Audited Education, last week (8 May). This was after a surprise announcement in January of the withdrawal of previous scheme Quality Mark, which had been managed by the REC for the DfE.
APSCo’s head of education membership Nick Bowles says the organisation is “very disappointed that the REC has not decided to work alongside us”. APSCo launched its education sector group in January.
“We feel that the safeguarding issue is critical within the education sector and that the industry should be presenting a united front,” Bowles continues. “It should not be about which membership organisation you join and should not focus on commercial gain.”
The DfE said in January that “the recruitment industry should make its own arrangements” around compliance, and hoped that the trade bodies would “continue to help the sector with compliance and build upon the good work already undertaken by the REC”.
Hadley met with APSCo on 10 April to discuss working together. REC plans for a new Quality Mark were already underway at this point, as noted by a report on recruiter.co.uk in February.
Hadley adds: “We are happy to continue to engage with APSCo and hope there are opportunities to work together in the future.”
Meanwhile, APSCo says it has met with the British Standards Institution to discuss a new education recruitment standard, alongside other organisations, which Bowles says is a “first step towards creating an up-to-date robust solution that will work for all stakeholders”.
REC director of policy Tom Hadley says it was “really important that after the DfE [Department for Education] withdrew the Quality Mark that the industry stepped in swiftly to ensure there was continuity for recruiters and continued quality assurance for schools and parents”.
The REC, in partnership with unions, individual schools and academies and other stakeholders, launched the new standard, REC Audited Education, last week (8 May). This was after a surprise announcement in January of the withdrawal of previous scheme Quality Mark, which had been managed by the REC for the DfE.
APSCo’s head of education membership Nick Bowles says the organisation is “very disappointed that the REC has not decided to work alongside us”. APSCo launched its education sector group in January.
“We feel that the safeguarding issue is critical within the education sector and that the industry should be presenting a united front,” Bowles continues. “It should not be about which membership organisation you join and should not focus on commercial gain.”
The DfE said in January that “the recruitment industry should make its own arrangements” around compliance, and hoped that the trade bodies would “continue to help the sector with compliance and build upon the good work already undertaken by the REC”.
Hadley met with APSCo on 10 April to discuss working together. REC plans for a new Quality Mark were already underway at this point, as noted by a report on recruiter.co.uk in February.
Hadley adds: “We are happy to continue to engage with APSCo and hope there are opportunities to work together in the future.”
Meanwhile, APSCo says it has met with the British Standards Institution to discuss a new education recruitment standard, alongside other organisations, which Bowles says is a “first step towards creating an up-to-date robust solution that will work for all stakeholders”.
