Graduates
are well qualified but business leaders feel they’re not ready for
the world of
work
In a series of roundtable debates held earlier
this year, business leaders, trade unions and educators explored
the best way employers, Government and individuals can best work
together to drive economic growth. The aim is to provide the
government with a 10-point action planon how to stimulate jobs growth for
graduates.
Youth unemployment is at a radical high and
many business leaders want to address the education system because
they see it as a results-driven system rather than the teaching of
broader life skills that employers want to see.
Chris Moore, MD of Adecco Group Solutions, "In
this country we have one of the best education systems in the
world, which is why huge numbers of international students come
here to study. But we should always be looking for ways to improve
and one of the key issues that delegates at our events identified
was the perceived lack of focus on helping young people translate
their qualifications into successful careers. There was a strong
feeling that there should be much greater emphasis on ensuring
students leave the education system more rounded and better
prepared for the world of work.
"We are turning out world-class plumbers,
engineers, fashion designers and so on. But it's the more general
business, social and life skills that we need to prioritise if
candidates who look good on paper are to be taken on and to become
truly successful in their career of choice."
Julie Mercer, Partner at Deloitte, who
attended the event, added: "If you attended a good university and
obtained a good degree, there is no question that you're probably
bright enough to work for a firm such as Deloitte. But we are
looking for much more than good grades so our recruitment process
focuses on the wider skills, attitudes and behaviours that we
believe would suggest that you've got the potential to become a
great business advisor."
With so many graduates being out of jobs, many
employers are able to be very selective over their recruitment choices. This
means many graduates must develop these skills in part time work,
internships, or temporary work in order to show employers they
possess the necessary skills for the world of work.
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