On Assignment is a specialist staffing agency that places professionals, from IT consultants to lab assistants to nurses, with clients in need of temporary help. The firm operates through several divisions: Apex (IT and engineering staffing for temporary, temp-to-hire, and permanent placements); Life Sciences Europe (laboratory and scientific professionals in biotechnology, pharmaceutical, food and beverage, medical device, chemical and environmental industries); and Oxford (engineering and specialized high-end IT consultants). On Assignment provides staff to about 7,700 clients and was founded in 1985.