Your at-a-glance guide to what’s happening in the graduate recruitment industry…


UP FRONT • numbers


Three disincentives


time needed for training (14%). (Close Brothers)


to recruiting an apprentice, cited by businesses which intended to do so, were cost (49%), red tape (19%) and


Young women


in the UK are now 52% more likely to go to university than young men, when both sexes are from


disadvantaged backgrounds. (UCAS 2015 End of Cycle Report)


UP FRONT • READING CORNER


Keep your finger on the pulse by checking out these current reports and surveys:


Title: BCC Business and Education Survey 2015


Publisher: British Chamber of Commerce (BCC) Top findings: • 69% of businesses believe that secondary schools are efficient at preparing students for work


• The top five entry level skills that firms value most are communication (88%), literacy (69%), numeracy (64%), computer literacy (56%) and teamwork (53%).


• Businesses want careers guidance reforms to include workplace experiences (64%), encounters with employers and employees (62%) and curriculum learning linked to careers (45%)


Summary: The BCC surveyed over 3,500 business and education leaders about the effectiveness of schools and careers guidance at preparing students for work. 62% of businesses want careers guidance to include encounters with employers and employees, which suggests a need for coordinated approaches. Other findings cover skills and career guidance reform.


Only 16%


of employers’ responses for hard-to-fill positions are to upskill existing staff, with 27% choosing to hire more


48%


apprentices. (CIPD)


Title: Survey of UK SMEs


of independent schools offer vocational courses. (The Telegraph)


Publisher: Close Brothers Top findings: • 31% of SMEs said their workforce lacked the skills needed by their business • Only 5% of hiring firms expect to take on an apprentice in the next year Summary: This shows further evidence that apprentices are more viable for large firms than small ones, and that SMEs benefit from support to develop young staff.


Title: Is Britain Fairer? The state of Equality and Human Rights 2015


out of ten young people (14 to 25-year-olds) said they Six


were intimidated with the prospect of writing a C.V. (Lifeskills)


Title: Sixth-form girls less career confident then boys One in 50


public sector workers will have to be an apprentice, according to new rules from the government


(The Independent).


Publisher: Oxford University Top findings: • Gender-based differences in career confidence start early • Girls tend to go after “worthwhile” jobs while boys go after salaries Summary: This Oxford University survey of nearly 4,000 sixth formers suggests that sixth-form students are already internalising gender stereotypes when it comes to their career choices. Girls can be “self-limiting” in their choices because they tend to look for worthwhile jobs while boys aim for higher salaries.


Publisher: Equality and Human Rights Commission Top findings: • Falling percentages of men and women with no qualifications • Unemployment for 16-24yr olds is significantly higher for ethnic minorities • Persistent gender pay gaps among graduates Summary: This comprehensive overview of equality in Britain is useful context for organisations trying to improve diversity. The headlines are a mixture of positives and negatives, suggesting that there is still plenty to be done.


06 Graduate Recruiter | www.agr.org.uk


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32