Wise Owls is the UK leading Over 50s employment and support specialists. We are a not-for-profit body who have been operational since 1999. It was the first organisation to really champion the needs of the over 50’s in relation to online employment and job searching.

Today, Wise Owls offer front line support and finds people meaningful work, lobbys throughout Europe and campaigns against the scourge of ageism. Promoting Age Diversity.

Wise Owls initially received funding to assist older people from the London Borough of Hackney and Haggerston (North-East London) to help them get back into meaningful employment. This service was so successful that it was expanded across the whole of London. Wise Owls has had many successes: It was one of the original organisations to manage the prestigious Prime Loan Fund (aimed at boosting business start-ups established by the 50+); It has won many awards/ accreditations including Investors in People, Matrix and won first prize in the Recruiter magazine awards.

In recent years, Wise Owls has widened its focus with projects that have been focused in London. Today, Wise Owls are London based with a national reach: Wise Owls are expanding and our website now receives on average 1.2 million hits per month. We are reaching into every part of the country with our projects, our voice is becoming louder and our campaigns are making a difference. 

Wise Owls present day projects:

Pan-European Older Person's Learning & Employment network (P.E.O.P.L.E.) - Wise Owls are the lead body in a project funded by the Leonardo Da Vinci programme (ESF) which draws together age organisations from 5 countries to develop best practice and integrate work in relation to education and training, employment, research and campaigning on behalf  of older working age people (50-65+). 

Life Long Learning Centre - provides vocational qualifications and offers businesses free training needs anaylsis and advice & guidance. 

Promoting Age Diversity - provides a national helpline for Over 50s offering them sympathetic advice and details of local organisation who can help them back to work in their area. In addition Promoting Age Diversity runs a series of Employer workshops aiming to promote the benefits of Older workers in and Age Diverse workforce. Promting Age Diversity also runs client workshops offering advice and support in the quest for work.  

Equality Recruitment - through our partner network it provides an opportunity for Employers to advertise their vacancies and genuinely reach out to jobseekers of all equality groups. The website also allows jobseekers who require specialist support to reach them wherever in the country they are through our innovative self-help system.

Campaigns - Wise Owls run a series of campaigns concerning Ageism in the work place. Petitions, surveys and lobbying. Wise Owls are at the forefront of over 50s campigning and championing the rights of the Over 50s, and promoting policy for and decency in society. 

Research - Wise owls are an important research body whose latest research Agesim in the public sector was featured in the BBC's Panorama programme. 

Past projects include:

Experience Works - provides Over 50s with front line employment support and helps get them back into. 

Redundancy to Re-Employment - Wise Owls Redundancy to Re-employment  project  is designed to support people who have been made redundant or unemployed in the past 6 months.  It is for people who live in he following South London boroughs: Bromley, Bexley, Lewisham, Southwark, Lambeth, Croydon, Sutton and Merton.

Enterprising East End - A £1 million program which gave practical support to over 1,100 Small, Medium Enterprise businesses in East London. The project was largely aimed at boosting businesses based in Hackney, Newham and Tower Hamlets. 

Care2Work  - Assisted former carers back into the workplace through a London-wide scheme,

Age Works - Age Works provided support to hundreds of unemployed over 50s in the LSE central London District. In addition provided practical equality and Age and Employment legislation seminars to 450  businesses with templates for implementing employment procedures and policies in partnership with ACAS.

Jobs4You  - Supported unemployed adults, living in: Camden, Islington, Westminster or Kensington & Chelsea.

Train2Gain - Offered training to workforces in London

Whether through the provision of direct help and support to individuals, or through support services offered to businesses, Wise Owls has never lost sight of its initial objective: Assisting older people who want to work get back into meaningful employment.