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Peter Detre writes in the FT |
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Daily Mail Letters |
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I read with great interest today that UK entrepreneurs are increasingly relying on older workers to plug skills shortages in their businesses, according to figures released by entrepreneur think tank, the Tenon Forum.Nearly half (45 per cent) of UK owner-managers are concerned about skills shortages and many claim younger recruits are often just not up to the job. Many entrepreneurs are now looking to the previously untapped potential of older workers to plug the gap, with two thirds (66 per cent) of SME leaders agreeing that the employment of workers aged 50 plus is a good solution to skills shortages. And more than a fifth (22 per cent) of entrepreneurial businesses actually favour the hiring of older workers over college leavers as a solution to staffing problems.
Maybe I was clairvoyant in 2005 when I set up www.matureaccountants.com as a result of discovering that having a good CV, being out of work AND being over 50 was not a good combination. Nearly 3 years later I now have 2,000 experienced candidates on the books many of whom have discovered that if you fall off the corporate ladder in your 40’s let alone your 50’s it’s tough to get back on at the same level and for some to get back on at all. Despite ageism being alive and well in the UK recruitment industry, I have had great success in advertising over 275 jobs in the UK and overseas, many of which I have filled, which confirms my belief that in the SME sector experience does count, and as we head into murky economic waters that remind me of the early 1990s, many businesses will need help from people that have seen it all before. In a credit crunch you need accountants with bite!
Martin Lloyd-Penny
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Martin's letter in Accountancy Age |
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HR magazine |
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Age Discrimination |
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Spirit of Enterprise Award |
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Martin's Letter in Accountancy Age |
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I read with interest “Institutes are irrelevant say profession”
15th February. I am not sure that it is just the profession that
thinks this. Exactly what does the ICAEW do for me, especially
as an older member who has discovered that life does not begin
at 40 if you are in the unfortunate position of being out of work?
The ICAEW sees itself as providing the premier accounting qualification
which is presumably why so many graduates are attracted by the
Big 4 each year, but as an Institute it does nothing to help its
more experienced members to find work or even to offer career
counselling and support. That is why so many disillusioned members
vote with their feet and resign each year. I have tried to get
the ICAEW to engage with matureaccountants.com to provide a dedicated
resource so that they can show that they take the problem seriously
but so far it has been the dialogue of the deaf!
Martin Lloyd-Penny F.C.A.
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Martin's Letter in Accountancy Age |
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I read with great interest “the Age of Acceptance”
(26th October) and was delighted to see that the Accountancy Age/Robert
Half survey indicated less public animosity to the new Age Discrimination
Laws than had been expected. However I have a number of reservations
about how the Law will be implemented and interpreted, not least
because we are becoming an increasingly litigious society, following
in the footsteps of the USA. As you reported there is a dearth
of accountants in the UK which is ironic when I see on a daily
basis the skills and experience of my 400 candidates that in some
cases will never be used again –these are typically people
in their 40s and 50s who have another 20 years left in the tank.
With so much potential on offer why do we need to go overseas
to plug the gap? However there are signs that maybe it is not
all doom and gloom as in the last week alone matureaccountants.com
has found full-time, well-paid and interesting work for 3 Accountants
who have a combined age of 162, including 2 who had been out of
work for over a year. Maybe the Act is having the appropriate
effect.
Regards
Martin Lloyd-Penny F.C.A |
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Martin's Letter in Accountancy Age |
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When I entered the Accountancy profession in
the 1970’s nobody told me that there would be a correlation
between advancing years and declining earning power, because in
those days it wasn’t an issue. However running a recruitment
business with the name matureaccountants.com has really opened
my eyes to the joys of being an “older” accountant in
the UK in the 21st century and the economic realities of life.
It is quite interesting that my daughter who
has just started a 3 year training contract with one of the Big
4 in London is earning £25,000 a year plus an attractive
range of benefits and is likely to have doubled her salary by
the time she qualifies at the tender age of 25 with no commercial
experience.
This week I advertised a job in London at £25,000
a year for an accountant in a property company and I received
15 applications all from experienced and in the most cases qualified
accountants. And what did they all have in common? They were all
over 40 and they were all desperate for work! Perhaps it is not
really the North/South divide that we should worry about any more.
I wonder how life will be for the newly qualifieds
of 2009 in 25 years time, by which time the Government will hopefully
have allowed me to retire.
Martin Lloyd-Penny |
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MATURE TIMES |
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click
to view |
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Telegraph |
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People in the NEWS |
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Letter in Accountancy |
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Liberal Minded
A brief answer to Martin Lloyd-Penny's letter
on why we always go overboard on political correctness (5th October)
is because our laws are grounded in Saxon legal principles, which
tend to see everything in literal black and white whereas in most
of Europe legislation is based on Roman law, which has some grey
in between.
This is why we complain bitterly in advance
of forthcoming European legislation but then carry it out to the
letter once it has become law while at least one European country
not too far away from our shores appears to take only passing
interest at the proposal stage and then adopts a pragmatic approach
as to whether or not it should be implemented in practice.
Richard George, Worthing |
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Letter in Accountancy Age |
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Negative Impact
It may only be days old but the Age Discrimination
Act has already had a negative impact on my business - www.matureaccountants.com
Yesterday I had to change the home page of my web site as I was
strongly advised by the legal fraternity that there was a risk
that I could be accused of discriminating against younger candidates.
In Holland a similar act has been in force for a number of years
and is also the result of the same EU directive. Yet it is quite
normal in Holland to advertise for over 50s, or people under 25
or to ask for X number of years experience. There is none of this
crazy political correctness. Why do we always go overboard on
regulation in the UK?
There is a great danger that this legislation will have the opposite
effect of what was intended.
Martin Lloyd-Penny |
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BBC Wales |
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Letter in Accountancy |
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Letter: Age of unreason: Independent on Sunday - Martin Lloyd-Penny |
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I experienced workplace ageism when I reached 50. So I decided to fight back. I set up an online recruitment service (matureaccountants.com), and have a database of hundreds of experienced people, many struggling to find work. Now I learn I could be accused of discriminating against younger people because I use the word "mature", and I should not specify experience ("You can be ageist and not know it", Business, 30 July). Total madness.
Martin Lloyd-Penny
NOTTINGHAM |
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Accounting Technician - we get everywhere |
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In the September edition of Accounting Technician
there is a small 1/8th page article on page 7 regarding the new
age discrimination legislation. It gives quite a good write up
of your company. As 47 year old self-employed accountant who would
find it almost impossible to get back into the market I fully
support your ideals. I work as a consultant to small tomedium
size enterprises who when a replacement accountant is sought I
direct them to look for a more mature candidate as they can gain
from the experience and still have many years service to the company.
Well done and keep up the good work for us Mature Accountants.
Chris Valentine-Smith
CVS ACCOUNTANCY SERVICES |
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Letter in ACCOUNTANCY |
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Better with age
Sir . I refer to the interview with Martin Lloyd-Penny of Mature Accountants (Matureaccountants.com) in last November.s edition, p38.The content struck a chord with me, given that at the age of 57, I am finding it harder to find work.This applies to interim as well as full-time work.
Martin spoke a lot of sense and I registered with him not long afterwards. His philosophy mirrored my own experience in several respects.Although I am still in good health and still comparatively young, I am treated like a social pariah by many (but not all, I would emphasise) recruitment agencies.
Martin, however, is quite different. In no time, I was sent potential offers, some of which were right for me, others which were not.However, the day after I decided that I would have to chuck in the sponge and take early retirement, he arranged two interviews for interim work and I received an offer from each. Early retirement is now on hold.
Sir Robert Ropner, FCA |
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Letter to The Times |
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Manage Discrimination |
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Be Ready |
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Helping hand for older accountants |
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Ageism:on the sharp end. |
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The start of it all - not so long ago... |
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"When accountants go to seed" from Accountancy Age: -
Read about it here.. |
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| Solicitor challenges mandatory retirement at 65 |
| Leslie Seldon, former Senior Partner of Kent firm Clarkson Wright and Jakes, has challenged an Employment Tribunal decision that upheld the firm's policy of mandatory partner retirement at 65.
We await the decision with great interest. |
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------------ 15/07/2008 -------------
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| Mature Workers bridge the skills gap |
| I read with great interest today that UK entrepreneurs are increasingly relying on older workers to plug skills shortages in their businesses, according to figures released by entrepreneur think tank, the Tenon Forum.Nearly half (45 per cent) of UK owner-managers are concerned about skills shortages and many claim younger recruits are often just not up to the job. Many entrepreneurs are now looking to the previously untapped potential of older workers to plug the gap, with two thirds (66 per cent) of SME leaders agreeing that the employment of workers aged 50 plus is a good solution to skills shortages. And more than a fifth (22 per cent) of entrepreneurial businesses actually favour the hiring of older workers over college leavers as a solution to staffing problems. |
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------------ 23/05/2008 -------------
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| Another "mature" brand |
| MatureMD was launched on 8th April 2008 and will be run by Peter Detre an experienced London-based CEO. MatureMD is the latest brand from Mature Appointments. |
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| Celia gets her job back |
| Worthing Council has reinstated Celia Powis and extended her contract for 12 months. |
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| Age Discrimination Alive and Well |
| This morning BBC Breakfast reported the story of 70-year old fitness instructor Celia Powis, who was sacked by Worthing Borough Council for being too old. Her appeal against the decision is tomorrow. |
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------------ 17/03/2008 -------------
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