The high street recruitment agency Blue Arrow is pioneering a scheme to encourage employers to recruit more athletes.

Blue Arrow chief executive Mark Adams hosted the official launch of the Olympic and Paralympic Employment Network (OPEN)(pictured) at the House of Commons last week with the help of top athletes including rowing gold-medallist Sir Steve Redgrave, MPs from all parties and major UK employers.

So far the scheme has attracted 120 employers and the aim is to increase this number to 1,200 over the next 18 months. Last week the NHS – Europe’s largest employer – became the latest body to join.

As OPEN’s official recruitment partner, Blue Arrow will host the OPEN website, where athletes will be able to post CVs and employers will be able to promote positions. Candidates will initially be dealt with by a central team of consultants in London and then passed out to Blue Arrow’s branches.

The aim of the scheme is to help athletes find work in their chosen field by matching up their qualifications and experience with employers who can offer flexible working conditions to fit in with training and competitions. Often athletes end up in low-paid, temporary jobs.

“Too often the recruitment industry focuses on the needs and requirements of the employers and there’s not enough emphasis on the desires of individual candidates,” Adams told Recruiter.

Blue Arrow’s partnership with the British Olympic Association will initially run for three years.