Recruitment companies are in a privileged position to tackle age discrimination and change ageist attitudes in business.

That was the message from the Department for Work and Pensions’s Mary Pattison as she presented the 2004 Age Positive Recruitment Excellence Awards in central London earlier this month.

Praising the “tremendous” level of response to the awards, she said: “Recruiters are realising that it makes business sense for them and for their clients to be age positive and to take advantage of what an age diverse workforce can offer.”

The award winners are as follows:

Category 1 winner (1-9 employees) was Yorkshire agency Encore Recruitment, which specialises in employment for the over-40s. Set up 18 months ago, it reached its two-year business targets within the first year and half of its own staff are over 50.

The company was judged to have “challenged stereotypical myths about older people in the call centre sector” and to have established partnerships with key stakeholders involved in the process of tackling ageism.

Category 2 winner (10-99 employees) was north-west-based Linda Taylor Associates. It stood out for proactively promoting the benefits of a mixed-age workplace to employers, for running back-to-work courses for local people and for providing introductory IT courses for so-called ‘silver surfers’.

The winner of category 3 (100+ employees) was national high street recruiter Blue Arrow. Its proactive approach to age diversity – by allocating resources to run seminars, producing age positive literature and even creating a diversity award for its own staff – was what impressed the judges.

Category 4 winner (online) was Monster.co.uk. The judging panel said the company had used new technology to help overcome the barriers associated with age. The site provides specific advice for jobseekers over 50 while its diversity and equality job search helps users search for jobs posted by employers who welcome applicants of all ages.

Category 5 (best individual) was awarded to Claire Barlow at LCa Resourcing in West Yorkshire. She won because of her “exemplary attitude in dealing with candidates of all ages” and for going the extra mile, “not just in finding work for candidates but in getting them the job they really want”.

Thanks to all who took part and congratulations to the winners.