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Introduction

The role of veterans in the UK employment market is becoming more and more important. It is no longer acceptable for employers to discriminate on the basis of age and an increasingly older population of workers means that companies need to re evalute the important role veteran job hunters have to play. This article aims to provide a guide to UK job resources for veteran job hunters drawing on my extensive experience working as a recruiter.

- Age and the law

The employment age regulations introduced in 2006 aim to promote equality and diversity for older employees they also cover a number of other areas

- Ban age discrimination in terms of recruitment, promotion and training.
- Ban unjustified retirement ages of below 65.
- Remove the current age limit for unfair dismissal and redundancy rights.

They also introduce:

- A right for employees to request working beyond retirement age and a duty on employers to consider that request.
- A new requirement for employers to give at least six months notice to employees
- About their intended retirement date so that individuals can plan better for retirement, and be confident that "retirement" is not being used as cover for unfair dismissal. Source : The Employment Equality Regulations 2006.

Now that you now your rights what resources are available?

There are some great UK based sites that can provide information for older workers

Life Start I an internet site dedicated to providing information and advice for job hunters in their 4o's, 50's, 60's and upwards. The direct link to the information can be found at http://www.lifestartsat.com/ov er_50s_jobs/older_web_sites_jo bs.php

Antoher site dedicated to helping with employment advice and information for this age group is age positive you can visit them at http://www.agepositive.gov.uk/

Agencies

There are some superb agencies that provide a unqiue job search service for older workers and are specialists at finding jobs that are suitable for experienced and mature professionals who want to continue working at an advanced age. I have compiled the following list of direct links to these agencies so that you can get started with your job search:

http://www.40plusrecrui tment.co.uk/
http://www.the50pl us.co.uk/
http://www.aged2excel .co.uk/index.asp
http://www.cen turenet.com/over50s/welcome.as px
http://www.fiftyon.co.uk/
htt p://www.matureopps.co.uk/
http: //www.prime50plus.co.uk/
http:/ /www.wrinklies.org/
http://www. stilluseful.org/

If you have been out of work for sometime and claiming benefits for at least 6 months there is also a government run job hunting service called new deal 50 plus. This service can provide you with a training grant of upto 1500 to help improve skills or retrain in a different area.

Learn more about this author, J Dawkins.
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