ACE taskforce targets recruitment issues

London -- The Association for Consultancy and Engineering (ACE) has established a taskforce to address skills issues in the consultancy and engineering sector including the behaviour of recruitment firms serving the sector.

The taskforce, which includes representation from HR and operational professionals from leading UK consultancy firms aims to establish the real extent of current skills shortages in the industry and draw up strategies to address them.

According to ACE, the taskforce’s investigation of recruitment and retention trends will also include an examination of the activities and behaviour of recruitment consultancies in the industry. The industry group has suspended affiliate relationships with two leading industry recruitment firms, while the taskforce conducts its investigations.

“Recruitment and retention challenges and the activities of the recruitment industry have been raised at the highest level in ACE and our board has decided to take action,” said Nelson Ogunshakin, ACE chief executive.

“Firms consistently say that skills shortages, compounded by the unethical behaviour of some recruitment consultancies, are at the top of their list of challenges. We aim to establish the real extent of the problems and develop effective and sustainable strategies to address them.”