A LOCAL recruitment agency has been honoured for its "age positive" record.

Linda Taylor Associates, which is based in Swinton and has an office in Bolton, received an award from the Minister for work, Nick Brown.

The national Awards of Excellence, developed in partnership with Interviewer magazine, are part of the Government's campaign to ensure recruiters put ability before age when hiring and training staff.

Mr Brown presented four awards at Recruitment 2001, an industry conference at Olympia in London.

He spoke about changing the workplace culture to end age discrimination and said agencies such as Linda Taylor Associates were setting a good example by following recruitment policies which helped create a more diverse workforce.

"These awards help to raise awareness of important demographic changes which will affect all companies," he said.

"By 2006 more than 36 per cent of potential recruits in the labour force will be over 45.

"The Government has already issued a voluntary code of practice on age diversity in employment to thousands of employers.

"By 2006 it will be against the law to discriminate on grounds of age in the workplace but good employers are already getting ahead of the game."

He said recruitment agencies needed to give a lead by encouraging employers to stop judging people on the basis of their age.

"There are, of course, many benefits from employing older workers," Mr Brown said.

"They bring a lifetime of experience to the workplace and companies benefit from the accumulated knowledge of their work and organisations."

He said research showed that a mixed age workforce was happier, better motivated and more productive.

Linda Taylor Associates, which was founded in 1987, won the category for between 10 and 99 employees. Free back-to-work courses are offered and 45 per cent of the trainees are over 50.