A lack of internships and entry-level jobs could lead to a lost generation of graduates, HR directors are warning.
Recruitment consultancy, Office Team, surveyed HR directors and discovered that there is an urgent need for employers to develop training programmes and internships for younger people. HR directors said they were greatly concerned at the lack of entry-level opportunities and pointed out that graduates could find themselves facing career progression problems if this is not addressed quickly.
57% of the HR directors who took part in the survey think the current economic climate will negatively impact the younger generation when they start looking for their first job. On the other hand, 34% said the economic climate would have no impact and 4% expect it to have a positive impact on graduates’ prospects.
Maybe surprisingly, only 19% of HR directors are concerned that rising tuition costs will have a negative impact on the job prospects of younger workers.
SMEs in the UK now account for almost 20% of all UK employment, but the BCC has discovered that micro-businesses appear to be reluctant to hire school leavers and recent graduates.
47% of respondents to a recent BCC survey said they were nervous when it came to taking on school leavers with A Levels, mainly due to concerns over their level of business skills. Only 22% felt confident about the recruitment of school leavers whilst around 33% said they were fairly confident that a recent graduate would have the right business skills.
School leavers and graduates can gain a lot from working in small firms but this lack of confidence in their business ability is not only holding them back, but also the small business. Edward Mellett from WikiJob.co.uk suggests that small business owners should help young people by offering them work experience and summer holiday placements so they can get a feel of the business and get advice on upgrading their business skills.
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