NINE Midlands housing associations - including two based in Worcestershire - have teamed up to overturn myths about housing jobs and combat a future shortfall in recruitment.

The associations, which employ people across the Midlands and the South West, have launched 1001careers.com with RCChr, a human resources communications company.

Among them are Festival Housing Group based in Malvern and West Mercia Housing Group in Bromsgrove.

The new body aims to promote the benefits of working in the housing sector, such as flexible working and job sharing and the fact that there are more than 1,000 different types of jobs to choose from.

The housing sector is set to expand by 35 per cent in the next three years and employers in the region are taking action now to ensure they can plug employment gaps. Gemma O'Hara, of RCChr, said: "With the sector growing so quickly, it's becoming more important to attract people from outside housing. But there are lots of misconceptions about what working in housing is all about. So as well as advertising current vacancies in the region, 1001careers.com aims to overturn some of these misconceptions and give people the true picture."

Job satisfaction in the housing sector is high, with recent research showing that 85 per cent of housing employees interviewed feel they are doing a worthwhile job.

"That is reflected in retention rates - more than half of those who join a housing association stay for an average of nine years. But many associations are finding it harder to recruit the right people in the first place.Working for a housing association offers everything that most people want from a job."

There are no barriers to working in a housing association and nearly a fifth of the workforce currently comes from the black and minority ethnic communities and more than two-thirds are women.

Ms O'Hara said: "Housing associations are about building and supporting local communities, so it's important that they reflect the communities they work for.

"Overall in the sector, about 14 per cent of housing association tenants or customers are black or minority ethnic and the national housing workforce reflects this.

"The flexible hours suit many women returning to work or juggling work around other responsibilities. We know that housing has a lot to offer and 1001careers.

com will help other people to see that too."