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13 May 2025
Transport & logistics, Graduates/Apprentices/School leavers

Aspiring pilots can apply to join fully-funded training programme

Flight training typically costs in excess of £100k.

The programme has been developed to support Jet2.com’s growth, enabling the leisure airline to fly more customers away to enjoy their holidays on an expanding fleet of aircraft.

Jet2FlightPath is open to candidates from all backgrounds (subject to meeting the application criteria) and aims to boost social mobility and promote diversity within the pilot community. To apply, candidates need at least five GCSEs at grade 4 or above, including maths and a science subject, or equivalent qualifications – making Jet2FlightPath more accessible than other programmes.

The selection process, including assessments and interviews, will see successful candidates invited to take their place on a fully funded 18-month Airline Transport Pilot Licence (ATPL) training course in the UK, Spain or US, with courses starting this year. Upon completion of the ATPL course, trainees will then be offered Type Rating training on either an Airbus or Boeing aircraft, before becoming a Jet2.com pilot. Three partners set to deliver this training are Skyborne Airline Academy, Leading Edge and FTE Jerez.

When completing the Jet2FlightPath pilot training programme, trainees will also be fully immersed in the operation and culture at Jet2.com and Jet2holidays, “so that they can understand all the qualities that make up the businesses”, a company statement said. This includes gaining exposure to various customer-facing roles such as cabin crew and ground operations.

Jet2.com plans to put 60 pilots through Jet2FlightPath in the first year of the programme and then expand it to attract “even more” aspiring pilots in the coming years as the company continues to grow, the company said. 

The UK’s third largest airline currently employs over 1,800 pilots and will operate a fleet of up to 135 aircraft this summer, flying customers to sun and leisure city destinations across Europe, the Mediterranean and the Canary Islands from 13 UK airport bases.

The brand-new Jet2FlightPath programme opens for applications today [13 May 2025]. Pilots of the future can find out further information as well as how to apply by clicking here.

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6 May 2025
Public sector, Creative/Digital/Media

NEW TO THE MARKET: 5-9 MAY 2025

• Heidrick & Struggles has launched a new Government & Defense Tech Practice, aimed at serving the growing demand for technology leadership within public sector organisations. With governments estimated to account for 10% of global technology and IT services spending, the firm sees this as a significant market opportunity. The practice consolidates the company’s experience from over 200 engagements to provide leadership solutions for organisations delivering technology to national, state and local governments worldwide.

The new practice will support clients by offering leadership search, development and organisational effectiveness services. It brings together more than 30 experienced partners across sectors such as IT services, aerospace and defence, energy and private equity, operating globally across North America, Europe, Asia and Australia. The initiative addresses the increasing reliance of governments on advanced technologies like AI, cloud infrastructure, cybersecurity and robotics.

• Workforce management solutions firm Matrix has supported more than 10,000 individuals across the UK into employment between March 2024 and April 2025 through its Social Value team. The efforts focused on a wide range of community initiatives, including employability workshops, career guidance and volunteering opportunities. These programmes were designed to help students, jobseekers and public sector employees gain essential skills and access new career pathways.

• UK start-up Project Brains has launched ProdigyPB, an AI-powered platform designed to revolutionise job description creation and recruitment. Tailored for SMEs, growing businesses, and HR teams, ProdigyPB helps define precise hiring needs by aligning job roles with specific business challenges. The tool generates clear, bias-free job descriptions in seconds and enables users to engage with vetted fractional specialists from Project Brains’ talent pool, according to a company statement. ProdigyPB is currently available in Beta across the UK.

28 April 2025
Life sciences, Engineering

NEW TO THE MARKET: 28 APRIL-2 MAY 2025

• Jobmatch Sweden, a leader in occupational psychological testing, is expanding in Norway through a new partnership with consulting firm Sund Raad. Sund Raad, which focuses on enhancing employee engagement for small and medium-sized businesses, will integrate Jobmatch’s DNV-certified Talent test into its services. This marks Jobmatch’s second partnership in Norway, following its 2022 collaboration with Hapro Jobb og Karriere. Jobmatch Talent is a scientifically validated tool used for recruitment and employee development, according to the company press release.

• STEM recruitment specialist Matchtech has launched STEM Futures, a free, on-demand employability platform aimed at helping young people break into engineering and technology careers. The programme includes expert-led sessions on job search strategies, CV writing, interviews and personal development, and is part of Matchtech’s broader initiative to address the STEM skills gap and support emerging talent.

In addition, Matchtech has awarded the first two grants from its Materna Fund, a £2.5k bursary created to support engineering students facing financial hardship. The inaugural recipients, Sergio Carreno Vargas and David Sarembock from the University of Portsmouth, are using the funds to focus on their studies and development without the added pressure of financial strain.

• Meet Life Sciences has launched Synergy, a new standalone service designed to tackle people capability challenges in the life sciences sector that go beyond recruitment. As part of Meet’s evolution into a full-service talent solutions partner, Synergy offers tailored support in areas like workforce planning, leadership development, skills mapping, culture embedding and organisational design. Led by vice-president Kirsty Wilson, the service is built specifically for the life sciences industry and is focused on delivering measurable, outcome-driven solutions. Unlike traditional consulting, Synergy provides hands-on support from design through to implementation, helping clients build the capability needed to grow, adapt and lead in a competitive global market.

• Right Management, part of ManpowerGroup, has launched a refreshed brand strategy called ‘The Right Way’. It’s a human-centred, data-backed framework that aligns workforce development with business strategy. The new identity centres on ‘The Right Way loop’, a distinctive visual element with modern colours and typography that will be used across all brand touchpoints.

25 April 2025
Construction & property, Graduates/Apprentices/School leavers

National student lettings agency launches apprenticeship scheme

In a bid to support young people and grow skilled and knowledgeable individuals for the student lettings sector, loc8me recently launched its 18-month programme, which is open to anyone aged 16-18. The scheme will offer hands-on experience, mentorship and the opportunity to engage in paid work.

Raffaele Russo, founder of loc8me, said: “We’re thrilled to launch this apprenticeship programme, giving young professionals a real chance to learn, grow and begin building a career in an exciting industry.

“Now more than ever, young people are seeking opportunities, guidance and goals to pursue. With this programme, we’re investing in their future – and in the future of the lettings sector.”

Apprentices will have the chance to study the theoretical and practical elements of the lettings industry, and on starting, they will be given a mentor from the loc8me team to support their development via regular meetings throughout the course.

loc8me now operates in 13 major university cities across the UK, including Loughborough, Durham, Nottingham, Manchester, Leeds, Cardiff, Newcastle, Birmingham, Liverpool, Leicester, Hull, Bath and Bristol.

Freya Watson-Russo, academy co-ordinator, said: "At loc8me, we’re committed to nurturing the next generation of letting agents. … We’re giving young people the chance to build a future, gain confidence and carve their own path.”

Founded in 2008 by Russo, loc8me manages more than 2,500 properties and employs more than 75 staff members.

(L-r) Apprentice Ollie Coe, loc8me's marketing assistant and academy co-ordinator Freya Watson-Russo and apprentice Isabel Tebbutt ©loc8me

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13 February 2018
Creative/Digital/Media, IT/Telecoms

Start-up of the Month: Talentful

When founders and co-CEOs Chris Abbass and Philip Blaydes launched tech sector recruitment agency Talentful, their aim was to solve the recruitment issues both were experiencing in their respective in-house recruitment roles.

According to Abbass, who previously worked in-house at Shazam and Amazon, he and Blaydes, who worked in-house at several digital agencies, saw a gap in the market for an agency that could offer tech companies a flexible recruitment solution whereby their consultants work onsite and clients are charged a flat fee to recruit for roles across the organisation rather than commission.

“They get a partner, which can really represent the brand, which can contact the teams and really understand the business and the culture, making the process of attracting candidates, finding them and getting them onboard a lot more efficient,” Abbass told Recruiter. “We find that is our big USP [unique selling proposition], and the fact that all of our people come from recruitment backgrounds – in some of the fastest growing tech companies in the world. They’ve got the agency experience but they’ve got the in-house experience as well.”

Looking ahead, Abbass said the firm has one eye on expanding beyond its London and Manchester operations.

“We’re focused on growing our presence in Manchester and London, and then we’re looking further afield to places such as Los Angeles, San Francisco – the West Coast of the US. 

13 February 2018
Recruitment Process Outsourcing, Public sector, Transport & logistics, Engineering, Construction & property, IT/Telecoms, Healthcare/Medical

NEW TO THE MARKET: 12-16 FEBRUARY 2018

• The Association of Professional Staffing Companies (APSCo) has launched its ‘Leading the Way’ programme for senior recruitment managers and directors.

The programme focuses on three core areas of organisational growth, looking at best-practice governance, outstanding leadership and business strategy. Mentoring and support is provided by experts including Paul Glynn, Lisa Jones and Kai Murray, while the workshop modules are designed to equip business leaders with the tools and confidence to drive sustainable growth.

The first wave of 11 workshop modules to be delivered between February and December 2018 include ‘Demystifying Finance’, a ‘Digital Marketing Masterclass’ and looking at the ‘Commercial Impact of Culture’.

• Online marketplace ClickMechanic has launched a mechanic in residence programme. The programme enables car mechanics to work from home offering free phone consultations to ClickMechanic’s customers, using their skill set and experience to diagnose any problems with the customer’s vehicle.

• Cardiff-based IT recruitment agency Computer Recruiter has launched TechEvents.Wales, which will provide tech enthusiasts with news and information about all the latest tech meet ups and events in their area.

• Cloud-based web accessibility solution app Recite Me and recruitment outsourcing provider Guidant Group (part of the Impellam Group) have launched a digital inclusion guide for recruiters.

The guide helps recruiters understand how to make the digital and online parts of the recruitment process more accessible for disabled jobseekers.

• Construction staffing specialist ITS has opened three new offices in the UK.

ITS North West office, led by branch manager Jack Birks, is in the Downs Business Centre, Altrincham. He is joined by recruitment consultants Kenny Plumb and Ryan Hegg.

ITS Swansea is on Mansell Street, and is headed up by senior consultant Matt Dyer. He is joined by consultant Jon Young and resourcer Jordan David.

ITS Wiltshire is based in the Manor House Enterprise Centre in Royal Wootton Bassett, Swindon. Andy Graham is branch director, and is joined by recruitment consultants Ben Wootton and Dean Roberts.

• Healthcare recruiter TFS Healthcare has taken up an additional floor at its existing Central London home at 2 London Bridge.

• California-based Uncommon.co has launched Uncommon IQ – a qualifications-based talent marketplace that aims to connect jobseekers, employers and job sites in a fully-automated, transparent and objective way.

Using a proprietary AI algorithm to analyse career paths, experience, skill level and job interest, Uncommon IQ aims to give recruiters on-demand access to applicants that meet or exceed every job requirement and are ready to be interviewed, eliminating the costly and manual inefficiencies of traditional sourcing.

5 February 2018
Retail, Social care, Transport & logistics, Creative/Digital/Media, Executive search, Industrial/Manufacturing, IT/Telecoms, HR, Healthcare/Medical

NEW TO THE MARKET: 5-9 FEBRUARY 2018

• Recruitment investment group Bluestones Group has launched its latest joint venture, a specialist recruitment and training provider operating in Northern Ireland.

Belfast-based Bluestones Staffing NI will provide temporary and permanent personnel to the logistics, retail and manufacturing industry, as well as providing training solutions to companies throughout Ireland.

Debbie McDermott and Kieran Allmark, Bluestones Staffing NI directors, launched the business with the support of the Bluestones Group and have more than 35 years’ expertise in the industry.

As well as providing the investment and aid to launch the new business, Bluestones Group will continue to support Bluestones Staffing NI with its extensive range of services which include marketing, finance, HR, IT and admin.

• Liverpool-based headhunter Chad Harrison International has expanded its European operation with the opening of two new offices in Frankfurt and Brussels.

• Multi-sector recruiter Cobalt Recruitment has launched an office in Vienna, Austria. Managing director Daniel Bauer heads up the new office.

• Assessment specialist cut-e has launched video assessment platform vidAssess. The platform aims to ensure video interviews, which are often conducted early in the recruitment process, are structured and job-related, avoiding unconscious bias so candidates can be fairly and objectively assessed on their merits.

• Global executive search firm Heidrick & Struggles has launched Heidrick Consulting, a new business combining its leadership consulting and culture-shaping businesses. Managing director Andrew LeSueur, who was previously MD of leadership consulting in the Americas, will lead the new venture.

• Recruitment platform Novacare has launched. The software enables care sector teams to use live data to inform decisions, automate certain processes and interview potential candidates digitally.

• Global recruiter Phaidon International has launched its Phaidon Reward app in the US. The app capitalises on the targeted social networks of consultants across the company, rewarding them for their social influence.

• Bespoke pre-employment screening and vetting service SecureSearch has launched. Managed by a team of recruitment professionals who work alongside clients, SecureSearch is part of Search Consultancy, which employs over 700 people nationally.

Using a new cloud-based platform with banking-level secure encryption, the SecureSearch team researches a range of pre-employment screening requirements to deliver a report on the employment, qualifications and criminal history of prospective candidates.

• Recruitment technology provider Textkernel has launched Extract! 4.0 – a deep learning powered CV parsing solution.

CV parsing is the process of converting an unstructured CV into a structured format that can be integrated into any software system. Deep learning is a set of artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms that automatically finds patterns in data using brain-like structures called Neural Networks.

Textkernel is using the technology in a bid to help employers and staffing & recruitment agencies to be more efficient in their HR and recruitment processes. The new release of Textkernel’s CV parsing software is currently available in the English languages.

30 January 2018
Marketing & Sales, Marketing, Transport & logistics, Education, Commercial & office support, Executive search, IT/Telecoms, HR, Accounting/Finance

NEW TO THE MARKET: 29 JANUARY-2 FEBRUARY 2018

• ALC, the global human capital consultancy for the executive search industry, has launched a new advisory division. The new launch is designed to help hiring organisations build their own high-performing in-house executive search functions.

The firm is part of a portfolio of brands, which includes executive search-to-search and executive assessment solutions. The firm is currently forming an advisory board, which already includes James Gardner, former executive search lead at Dixons Carphone, and Ben Barratt, who previously led and developed Alexander Mann’s executive talent solutions business within financial services and is now director of TMC Search.

• Midlands-based recruiter Macildowie, which also operates across Leicester, Milton Keynes, Derby and Northampton, has now moved to its new premises on the sixth floor of Waterfront House on Station Street, Nottingham.

The group adds its new Nottingham home is nearly double the size of the company’s previous headquarters on Castle Gate.

• Hertfordshire-based marketing and HR recruitment consultancy Mesh Talent has been launched by Suellen Morris and Vicky Langford. The agency, which was formed following the pair’s meeting at a local mother-and-baby group, has committed to donating money from every placement it makes.

• nGAGE Specialist Recruitment has launched Ignition People, a start-up that will connect specialist IT development & data talent with opportunities across Europe and the DACH Region. The launch will also see the strengthening of nGAGE’s offering in the STEM sector coinciding with their recent acquisition of GCS Recruitment.

• The NQT Partnership has launched.

The newly qualified teacher recruitment agency is founded by managing director and Ashley Atmore with the help of Bluestones Investment Group.

• Commercial recruitment specialist RAW Recruitment Solutions has officially launched in Crewe, Cheshire, focusing on temporary and permanent recruitment in Cheshire and the surrounding areas.

RAW – which stands for Resourceful, Authentic and Well-advised – is the latest company to join the Bluestones Group, an investment company for specialist recruitment businesses. RAW is led by founder and director Fiona Welch.

• Talent assessment provider Talent Plus has launched new analytics-based workforce and succession planning solutions.

• Recruitment specialist TeamJobs and law firm Steele Raymond have launched Connect HR - an academy for HR and business leaders.   The Connect HR Forum is an inclusive meeting place where human resources professionals and business leaders can discuss the hot topics affecting business, from mental health and harassment to data protection.

TeamJobs has been running a smaller scale Human Resources Forum with Steele Raymond for 18 months.

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