Managing Editor: Emma Godden Email: emma@agr.org.uk


Welcome


WELCOME W


ISSUE SEVENTY ONE: APRIL / MAY 2013


ith a resurgence in apprenticeships and school leaver programmes, there is growing evidence that


companies are increasingly starting to target talent at a younger age, rather than relying solely on graduate intake. This may in part be fuelled by the anticipated decline in students going to university as a result of tuition fees – a worry that has proved to be, so far, unfounded – yet it seems organisations are waking up to the manifold benefits of reaching out to school leavers. It is with this trend in mind that this issue of Graduate Recruiter is focused on ‘Early Careers’, offering you an insight into the whys and hows of reaching out to a younger audience. Allen & Overy LLP’s Susan Hazledine kicks off with a look at the business case for recruiting school leavers, including citing some instant business benefits: “Having a reputation for meritocracy on campus spread by students will drive talent your way. Within your organisation staff will warm to a message that success is about intrinsic ability, not background or contacts.” And she adds a word of warning – that believing you can attract “good enough” candidates without investing in younger students could mean you miss out on the best talent (page 6). We also ask some leading employers in the school- leaver space to share their tips on how to set up a successful school leaver scheme. BDO LLP’s Lucy Hearne, sums up the experiences of many when she comments, “School leavers are making different choices these days compared with previous generations. Many are reassessing their career options and university won’t necessarily be the answer for some. Firms like us need to respond to the changing times to continue attracting the best talent.” Take a look to see how employers as diverse as the National Audit Office and Marks & Spencer are embracing this shift (page 10). Alison Heron drops in from KPMG to talk about how the company is finding new routes of access for school and


college leavers, offering students greater career opportunities, regardless of social background or economic circumstances. From its 11-month STARs programme, aimed at those from disadvantaged backgrounds, to specific training programmes in Audit, Risk Technology and Risk Consulting, Alison claims that there are even more initiatives in the pipeline (page 7)… John Walker, the National Chairman of the FSB is also in the house to talk about the Government’s plans to increase the number of apprentices and invest around £1.5 billion in the area this year. While supportive of these plans, the FSB wants to see a better quality programme, as John explains (page 13)… We also do some number crunching, with TMP


Worldwide’s Jayne Cullen taking time out to share some of the findings of the company’s latest research into the UK school-leaver market. There were some surprises, such as the expectation that there would be significant similarities in the career aspirations, influencers and decision paths of students from specific types of schools. But this proved not to be the case (page 8)… Aside from Early Careers, we also talk to Impact


International’s David Williams, who questions whether the concept of 70:20:10 - which continues to gain momentum in the world of Learning and Development (L&D) - is the answer for today’s graduates, and instead argues that immersive learning is the way forward (page 18).


All this, and of course, plenty more – from peeking in people’s diaries to reporting from behind the scenes at recent events. It’s all here. Enjoy!


Nicola


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Advertising Enquiries: Emma Godden | Telephone: 01926 623236 | Email: emma@agr.org.uk


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GRADUATE RECRUITER 3


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