A recruitment company designed to tackle ageism has been started in Brighton.

Craig Anderson and Alain van Gils started Thinkwell five months ago and have now moved into the Preston Park Business Centre in Robertson Road.

The agency specialises in placing candidates aged over 45 into employment.

During their careers, both men have witnessed employers turning down applicants for jobs because they were past an agedictated barrier.

Mr Anderson said: "I first became aware of the problem after hearing comments from a friend involved in the recruitment business.

"We both agreed the service these mature workers had received over the years had been very poor and felt the situation could be improved.

"I wanted this agency to be different, to give a comprehensive service to candidates and re-educate clients about the benefits of employing experienced people.

"Setting up the agency involved extensive research. It meant speaking to government agencies, corporations, groups and organisations who deal with age discrimination issues.

"Approximately three million people aged over 50 are described as being economically-inactive in the UK.

They are not showing up on any unemployment figures because they may have taken early retirement or have been made redundant and been living on their payout or savings.

"When they make attempts to get back into the jobs market, no one wants to touch them because they are perceived to be too old to learn new skills or are too set in their ways.

"There are a number of myths surrounding the older worker that are more like excuses.

"What is true is older workers are happy to be offered the chance to learn new skills.

They are more loyal, more dependable and have many social skills the younger generation is lacking.

In a previous company, Mr van Gils submitted three candidates for a particular job, one in his 20s, another in his 30s and the third over 45.

The best qualifiedfor the job was the over 45 candidate who was not requested for an interview.

He was later submitted, as an experiment, with the CV showing a later date of birth.

Mr van Gils said: "Of course, it came as no surprise to us the client requested to interview that particular candidate because he was now of an acceptable age.

"Six out of ten human resources staff recruit on an age basis and, until laws come into place to stop that happening, these employers get away with discrimination.

"Candidates in their 20s on average stay in employment for six to 12 months and candidates in their 40s and 50s are likely to stay in a job four to five years.

"The bottom line for clients means they have to pay five times the recruitment costs to keep replacing younger workers.

"To us, it doesn't make economic sense.

"In the United States, the issue of ageism was tackled in 1967.

Here we will have to wait until 2006, when European anti-ageism directives are put in place."

Thinkwell can be contacted on 01273 560440.