The British Olympic Association has announced a major three-year collaboration with Blue Arrow, the leading UK based recruitment agency as the Official Recruitment Partner for the BOA and OPEN – the Olympic & Paralympic Employment Network.

The deal will see Blue Arrow dedicate an in-house team charged with placing athletes and coaches in jobs that give them the flexibility to continue with their careers whilst achieving their sporting aspirations.

The OPEN initiative is part of the British Olympic Association (BOA), UK Sport (UKS) and British Paralympic Association (BPA). As a consequence of the sponsorship Blue Arrow and OPEN form a powerful partnership, providing flexible working arrangements to enable athletes and coaches to train whilst being properly renumerated for developing their careers away from the track, field and pool.

Simon Clegg, Chief Executive of the BOA, said: ‘OPEN seeks to provide the UK’s elite athletes with the opportunity to achieve a successful career path, whilst achieving their personal ambitions in sport. The partnership with Blue Arrow, who will take over the day-to-day operational work on OPEN, means that the programme will become truly National and will provide dedicated support from experienced recruitment professionals for both athletes and member organisations, ensuring an improved standard of service for all involved with OPEN.’

Blue Arrow presently places up to 30,000 people into temporary and permanent work each week in almost every business sector across the UK – from catering to office, industrial to logistics, healthcare, technical and construction – presenting a natural network of opportunity to elite athletes.

OPEN chose to partner Blue Arrow recognising that the company has a culture which already champions flexible workers and is presently undertaking a major awareness campaign to demonstrate the merits of disabled workers through a partnership with disability charity Motability.

Mark Adams, CEO of Blue Arrow, said: ‘Working with OPEN and the British Olympic Association is a natural fit for us and demonstrates our ongoing commitment to championing flexible working in the UK. Even at the peak of their sporting careers athletes cannot afford to ignore their long-term career needs. At the same time athletes will be excellent role-models for employees working alongside them in client partnerships.’

For further information contact:

Philip Pope ext 233 in the BOA Media Office on 0208 871 2677