This is the weekly snapshot of REC and IRP activities including events, launches, external meetings and policy developments with implications for the recruitment industry.

The latest REC Northern Ireland Policy Forum will take place in Belfast on February 15. The event will be an opportunity for NI recruiters to exchange views on recent and forthcoming policy developments - including AWR and public procurement - and to drive major REC campaigns for 2012.

Neil Smith, Chair of the REC Council and Director of Kinetic plc will be appearing on ITV Granada television tonight to talk about the challenges faced by employers in the north-west region because of the mounting levels of red tape governing business.

Bristol recruiter Esme Bianchi Barry achieved a mark of distinction by becoming the top student in the first ever examinations for the new look Institute of Recruitment Professionals’ (IRP) Certificate in Recruitment Practice (CertRP).

Here is an update on the Agency Workers Regulations (AWR) in the education sector and their interaction with Quality Mark scheme.

The REC has commented on this week's National Audit Office (NAO) report on the Work Programme.

This month’s REC JobsOutlook shows more employer caution with regards to hiring new staff. However, a significant number of businesses still plan to increase their workforce in 2012 and finding the right candidates remains a major challenge in some sectors. This underlines the need to address the ‘skills dislocation’ within the UK jobs market.

The REC was given a 'heads up' this morning by the Department for Work and Pensions that the Government is setting out a revised timetable for when businesses must start enrolling their staff in a workplace pension scheme.

Following post-Christmas trading updates along with the official figures from the British Retail Consortium (BRC) and Office for National Statistic (ONS), members of the REC’s Sales and Retail specialist sector group is predicting a mixed outlook for 2012.

The REC has published its latest AWR Monitor which tracks implementation issues and collates monthly data on the agency market. Although the regulations are creating specific challenges for agencies and their clients in some sectors, the demand for flexible staffing remains strong overall.