January 15 - A new agreement to help Paralympic athletes find careers after they finish competing has been signed between the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) and Adecco UK, it has been announced.


Adecco, a Tier Three sponsor of the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics, will launch the IPC Athlete Career Programme (ACP), which will be open to up to 3,000 Paralympians who are still competing or recently retired.

The scheme will offer vital practical support to retiring athletes who may be facing employment for the first time in their lives, claimed Paralympics GB's Jane Jones.

She said: "The programme has already helped positively change the lives of Olympic athletes around the world.

"Now the many past, present and future Paralympians in Great Britain can benefit too, as well as their employers."

Paralympians will be benefitting from the same type of career development and job placement support as the International Olympic Committee’s ACP, which is successfully running in 26 different countries.

Steve Girdler, the manger UK and director of 2012 partnership at Adecco, said that when attending the BT Paralympic World Cup in May 2009 as a representative from Adecco, he was astounded by the grit, determination, dedication and resilience of the competing athletes.

He said: These are qualities valued greatly by employers.

"So as diversity is a key theme of the Games in London in 2012, we knew we had to make this programme launch for Paralympians happen here."

Jones said that the London 2012 Paralympic Games are a focal point, but the IPC ACP will run before and beyond the event.

She said: "It is very much in line with our concept of ‘Team for Life’.

"This means that even if you once are a Paralympian representing Great Britain, you are a member of the team for life.

"Nobody is forgotten once they stop competing; it is a great practical demonstration of long-term support."

The promotion of the IPC ACP will begin toward the end of March.

Girdler said that Adecco UK is already underway in communicating the launch of the IPC ACP to prospective employers, including co-sponsors of London 2012, major names such as Coca-Cola, Deloitte, EDF and BMW.


Related stories
July 2009: IPC extends deal with Adecco until London 2012