'Ageist' milkround may fall victim to new laws
The Milkround is a central feature of the Oxford Careers programme
The lucrative series of student recruitment fairs known as the Milkround is likely to face legal problems under age discrimination legislation coming into force next year. Employers have warned that clauses in the draft Employment Equality (Age) Regulations could result in drastic changes to the ways in which firms market themselves to Oxford undergraduates.
The regulations, set to become law in 2006, list employers’ recruitment techniques in its definition of indirect discrimination practices. Ann Swain, of the Association of Technology Staffing Companies said, “The majority of new graduates are in their early twenties. “As Milkround programmes usually only consider applicants one or two years out of university, the practice in its current form is ageist and would be contrary to the new laws.
Figures from the Higher Educations Statistics Agency (HESA) show that only 13.2 per cent of undergraduate qualifiers in 2003 were aged 40 or over, whilst lawyers have warned companies that using words such as ‘energetic’, ‘vibrant’ or ‘dynamic’ in campaigns aimed a predominantly young audience could become illegal.
Oxford University Careers Service, which co-ordinates Milkround events in Oxford, has said it will be monitoring the situation closely: “The Oxford University Careers Service, in common with other bodies involved in graduate recruitment, awaits with interest the results of the consultation seeking views on the draft Employment Equality (Age) Regulations 2006.
“We will take advice from the relevant professional bodies regarding this legislation prior to it coming into force (subject to approval of Parliament) on 1st October 2006.” Hadwin Jones, content editor of milkround.com, said they believed the Milkround would continue, but in an altered form. “The sounding of the deathknell of Milkround campus recruiting isn’t quite justified.
Graduate recruitment will still go on - graduates are still going to want to join structured training schemes, and companies are still going to want (and will be allowed) to recruit bright university leavers.
However, the marketing and entry requirements of graduate recruiting fairs will probably be forced to change to, “reflect a variety of ages in the imagery and language used; and stipulation of a maximum number of years since graduating may be deemed indirect discrimination,” said Jones.
The Student Union’s Vice- President (Welfare and Equal Opportunities), Aidan Randle- Conde, said: “Advertising career opportunities for ‘young’ or ‘energetic’ students is no longer socially acceptable. Graduate recruitment should be suitable for all students, not just the archetypal 21 year olds who went to University straight after sixth form.
“Recruiters need to understand they have a responsibility to encourage diversity, the new laws will be in place to make sure that they do just that.”.
27th Oct 2005