Could you repair and tweak superstar physicist Stephen Hawking's robot voice box and gadget-laden wheelchair? If you reckon yes, then the celebrated author and cosmologist wants to hear from you.
He has a technical assistant job going, with a modest graduate salary, and it involves maintaining the electronic systems that allow him to speak in public and meet others in the rock'n'roll globetrotting world of physics.
Ironically, the position involves working for one of the University of Cambridge's top theoretical scientists yet performing rather practical tasks. If chalkboards and equations are your game because tangled wires and humming circuits scare you off, then this probably isn't the career path for you.
It's implied that Prof Hawking's go-go-gadget wheelchair isn't well documented and, as you can see from the picture below, rather ad-hoc. There's no technical support for the gear - whoever gets the job will be the technical support.
The Brief History of Time author has motor neurone disease, which has left him almost completely paralysed, and the black hole probing boffin lost his voice after a tracheotomy operation in the 1980s.
He relies on his souped-up wheelchair to get out and about, and various bits of gear to translate small hand movements into words, spoken in the monotonic robotic voice that - outside the arena of particle physics - he is best-known for. The supercomputer wielding, alien invasion fearing prof also controls things like the lights and doors, TV and other gadgets in his home and office by remote control from his wheelchair.
According to the unconventional job advert: "It is not a PhD or post-doc position for academics looking to study physics, but a purely technical post to allow Prof Hawking to function within the physics community and as a public speaker. The original purpose of this position was to aid Professor Hawking in those areas which he has difficulty due to his disability. The job has since expanded."
Duties include booking travel arrangements for the prof and his entourage (including yourself), developing and fixing his speech systems, repairing his adapted van, help prepare his lectures, fend off journos, maintain his website and deal with the public.
Most importantly, the ideal candidate must be able to work under pressure, maintain "black box" systems with no instruction manual or technical support, be a whiz with computers and electronics, be able to speak to large audiences and show others how to use complex systems.
Not a big ask, then. The salary is roughly £25k ($38.5k) and the start date is somewhere between February 20 to 27.
Source: Chris Williams, Theregister.co.uk, Friday 30th December 2011
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Saturday 31 December 2011
Friday 30 December 2011
200 new jobs coming soon to Bexhill
A Bexhill-based business is expanding yet again - bringing another 200 jobs to the town.
Insurer Hastings Direct, which is located in Conquest House, Collington Avenue, is continuing to buck the economic trend, seeing growth through its car, home, van and bike insurance products.
In 2011 the company grew by 30 per cent, trebling its profits and creating 400 new jobs.
It ended the year being named as Personal Lines Broker of the Year.
The new jobs are full-time equivalents, and cover everything from entry level to senior management.
Part-time applicants are being encouraged to apply for entry level roles as job shares, and shifts include evenings and weekends.
Applicants must be aged 18 and over.
Amanda Menahem, HR director at Hastings Direct, said: “We are a UK success story and a great place to work.
“This year we have enjoyed formal recognition for our people strategy as well as winning awards for our business development and anti-fraud work.
“As our business expands, we need to fill roles in all areas from finance to facilities, IT, marketing and our call centres. We are committed to growing our people and continue to invest heavily in staff development; we have doubled our leadership and development programme and will create college leaver and graduate schemes later in the year.”
In 2011, a customer took out a policy with Hastings Direct every 41 seconds and the company aims to have insurance with one in 20 of the UK population by 2020.
Source: Bexhillobserver.net, Friday 30th December 2011
Insurer Hastings Direct, which is located in Conquest House, Collington Avenue, is continuing to buck the economic trend, seeing growth through its car, home, van and bike insurance products.
In 2011 the company grew by 30 per cent, trebling its profits and creating 400 new jobs.
It ended the year being named as Personal Lines Broker of the Year.
The new jobs are full-time equivalents, and cover everything from entry level to senior management.
Part-time applicants are being encouraged to apply for entry level roles as job shares, and shifts include evenings and weekends.
Applicants must be aged 18 and over.
Amanda Menahem, HR director at Hastings Direct, said: “We are a UK success story and a great place to work.
“This year we have enjoyed formal recognition for our people strategy as well as winning awards for our business development and anti-fraud work.
“As our business expands, we need to fill roles in all areas from finance to facilities, IT, marketing and our call centres. We are committed to growing our people and continue to invest heavily in staff development; we have doubled our leadership and development programme and will create college leaver and graduate schemes later in the year.”
In 2011, a customer took out a policy with Hastings Direct every 41 seconds and the company aims to have insurance with one in 20 of the UK population by 2020.
Source: Bexhillobserver.net, Friday 30th December 2011
Thursday 29 December 2011
SCA creates new jobs for Northumberland
A tissue manufacturer has created more than a dozen jobs and is expanding its apprentice scheme, after switching its European production to Prudhoe.
SCA Hygiene Products has made a multi-million investment in it’s production line, enabling the company to produce Tork zigzag-folding paper towels in the UK for the first time. This will provide a massive boost to the firm’s supply chain.
Tony Richards, who has responsibility for the Prudhoe factory and site, said: “We are delighted that Prudhoe Mill has won this investment which helps to provide new employment, safeguards existing jobs and gives support to the local economy.
“This project is the latest in a long line of key investments designed to improve the performance of our business, deliver significant environmental improvements and ensure that we remain on track to achieving a long-term, sustainable future for the mill.”
The company has also recently established a Graduate Accelerator programme, a scheme which guides engineering graduates through a two year development programme.
Mr Richards continued: “Coupled with our recruitment of 11 new operations staff, internships for three university students – who are working at Prudhoe outside of term time – and our long-standing apprenticeship programme, we are confident that our investment in our people as well as new production equipment will secure our future in Prudhoe.”
The firm has also made further investments in a new de-inking plant to help them meet environmental targets. The technology allows then to remove ink from recycled waste paper and reuse it in the production process.
Earlier in the year SCA was named by Vince Cable as one of the UK’s top 40 manufacturing sites, having being nominated by Hexham MP Guy Opperman.
Source: Bdaily.co.uk, Wednesday 28th December 2011
SCA Hygiene Products has made a multi-million investment in it’s production line, enabling the company to produce Tork zigzag-folding paper towels in the UK for the first time. This will provide a massive boost to the firm’s supply chain.
Tony Richards, who has responsibility for the Prudhoe factory and site, said: “We are delighted that Prudhoe Mill has won this investment which helps to provide new employment, safeguards existing jobs and gives support to the local economy.
“This project is the latest in a long line of key investments designed to improve the performance of our business, deliver significant environmental improvements and ensure that we remain on track to achieving a long-term, sustainable future for the mill.”
The company has also recently established a Graduate Accelerator programme, a scheme which guides engineering graduates through a two year development programme.
Mr Richards continued: “Coupled with our recruitment of 11 new operations staff, internships for three university students – who are working at Prudhoe outside of term time – and our long-standing apprenticeship programme, we are confident that our investment in our people as well as new production equipment will secure our future in Prudhoe.”
The firm has also made further investments in a new de-inking plant to help them meet environmental targets. The technology allows then to remove ink from recycled waste paper and reuse it in the production process.
Earlier in the year SCA was named by Vince Cable as one of the UK’s top 40 manufacturing sites, having being nominated by Hexham MP Guy Opperman.
Source: Bdaily.co.uk, Wednesday 28th December 2011
Wednesday 28 December 2011
Cambridge graduates wooed with signing on fees in fight for talent
The salaries being paid to attract the best graduates in Britain have increased by some £2,000-£3,000 in the last year according to Cambridge hi-tech recruitment specialist, ecm.ecm director, Martin Constantinides said this applied to Cambridge graduates in the UK elite.
Software , hardware, maths modelling and support engineer roles are seeing higher rewards.
Salaries for software roles at the fresh graduate/PhD level are – for the second year running – significantly higher than the previous year (up £2k-3k).
A number of companies are even offering a signing-on bonus for graduates as they seek to secure the best talent emerging from Cambridge and other universities.
Hardware/electronic role salaries are also up but not by as much.
Senior, hands-on positions in mechanical engineering have paid up to £4k-£5k more in 2011 than in 2010.
Constantinides also reports “a significant increase in salaries for support engineer roles.”
ecm’s latest annual Salary & Benefits Survey gathered data during the final quarter of 2011 – both directly from client companies and indirectly from job seekers, vacancies and placements.
Its findings allow companies to compare salary levels and benefits packages, to ensure they retain key staff and continue to attract the most highly sought-after candidates.
Constantinides said that the hi-tech sector had proved notably robust throughout the year. “Those who do still have money to invest, faced with very low returns elsewhere, have been attracted by the prospects of early-stage technology companies, and the Cambridge area has maintained its pre-eminent position.
“As a result, companies in the local areas are continuing to hire and to compete for the very best candidates. As last year, we have seen increased salary scales at the more junior end in response to sustained competition for the top talent.”
Source: Matt Dean, Businessweekly.co.uk, Tuesday 27th December 2011
Software , hardware, maths modelling and support engineer roles are seeing higher rewards.
Salaries for software roles at the fresh graduate/PhD level are – for the second year running – significantly higher than the previous year (up £2k-3k).
A number of companies are even offering a signing-on bonus for graduates as they seek to secure the best talent emerging from Cambridge and other universities.
Hardware/electronic role salaries are also up but not by as much.
Senior, hands-on positions in mechanical engineering have paid up to £4k-£5k more in 2011 than in 2010.
Constantinides also reports “a significant increase in salaries for support engineer roles.”
ecm’s latest annual Salary & Benefits Survey gathered data during the final quarter of 2011 – both directly from client companies and indirectly from job seekers, vacancies and placements.
Its findings allow companies to compare salary levels and benefits packages, to ensure they retain key staff and continue to attract the most highly sought-after candidates.
Constantinides said that the hi-tech sector had proved notably robust throughout the year. “Those who do still have money to invest, faced with very low returns elsewhere, have been attracted by the prospects of early-stage technology companies, and the Cambridge area has maintained its pre-eminent position.
“As a result, companies in the local areas are continuing to hire and to compete for the very best candidates. As last year, we have seen increased salary scales at the more junior end in response to sustained competition for the top talent.”
Source: Matt Dean, Businessweekly.co.uk, Tuesday 27th December 2011
Tuesday 27 December 2011
IBM Advances Analytics Skills Program To Universities Globally
To address a growing market demand for analytics savvy graduates, IBM is working with universities around the world to bring advanced analytics training directly into the classroom. The company is expanding its academic initiatives for business analytics with new programs in China, India, Ireland and Scotland, helping students keep pace with today’s competitive job market by gaining skills in this fast-growing field of technology.
University Faculty members from leading schools in India attended a faculty development program offered by IBM to learn how advanced analytics technologies can be used to solve some of the world’s toughest challenges. The faculty members will be sharing what they learned with the students in classrooms across India.
Everyday people create the equivalent of 2.5 quintillion bytes of data from sensors, mobile devices, online transactions, and social networks; so much that 90 percent of the world’s data has been generated in the past two years. This amounts to more data than organizations can effectively use without applying analytics. The new programs are providing students and faculty members, regardless of their course of study, with access to the latest software capabilities and thinking on how advanced analytics can be applied to tackle complex business and societal challenges.
According to the 2010 IBM Institute for Business Value and MIT Sloan Management Review study of nearly 3,000 executives worldwide, the biggest challenge is the lack of understanding in how to use analytics to gain insights that can improve business outcomes. In response to market demand, universities are incorporating analytics curricula and courseware into a variety of degree programs to educate college students in this growing field.
In India, IBM is working with faculty members from 500 universities to help more than 30,000 students develop skills in predictive analytics. As part of the program, IBM will conduct a series of training programs with business school faculty concentrating on predictive and business analytics, in 15 major cities throughout the country of India. The faculty members will complete a certification process in analytics at the end of the program.
Once certified they will begin to teach students about how analytics can be applied to their topic of study. The learning will involve access to predictive analytics technology and will focus on how to act on the results the analytics technology uncovers.
“I have been using IBM predictive analytics technology in a number of programs at Indian Institute of Management Calcutta,” said Sahadeb Sarkar, Professor, Operations Management Group, Indian Institute of Management Calcutta (IIM). “I hope this initiative will help teachers in universities to learn and include analytics in existing courses and design new curriculum that will helps students gain a top-notch education to meet the demands of today’s businesses and government organizations.”
University of theWest of Scotland (UWS) is introducing several new courses to its School of Computing curriculum including data mining, business intelligence and knowledge management. Plans to expand the analytics course offerings to non-IT and non-finance students are underway.
“Beyond teaching business and IT skills, we are preparing students for future job opportunities with new analytics courses,” said Professor Malcolm Crowe, University of the West of Scotland. “UWS is adding new courses in direct response to the recommendations of regional employers. They have specifically advised the School of Computing that important computing skills such as business analytics are in demand and will help graduates secure jobs.”
Xi’an Jiao Tong University in China, together in cooperation with IBM’s China Development Lab in Xi’an, has developed business analytics oriented curriculum, project training materials, and planned a series of technical salon and master speech focus on analytics. These activities cover Cognos, SPSS and many best practices and tips integrated and tailored by the China Development Lab, and this analytics curriculum is planned to be replicated to six other Chinese universities in the future. This promotion of business analytics techniques and tools will enable a new generation of students, helping the Xi’an Lab with a pipeline of students with necessary skills, and will help to build up the business analytics ecosystem in China.
At the University of Ulster, Northern Ireland’s largest university, students are using analytics software in a variety of application areas allowing them to collect hidden data and applying knowledge that seemed impossible to find before that can now be uncovered.
These universities join schools around the world including Northwestern University, Yale School of Management, Fordham University, DePaul University, University of Southern California and University of Ottawa Telfer School of Management, that are working with IBM to develop and implement undergraduate and graduate curriculum and training on business analytics.
Some of the early analytics projects underway at the university level were inspired by IBM’s Watson technology – the most advanced analytics technology currently available. Through the development of Watson, IBM sparked the interest of many students in the areas of math and computer science. IBM has teamed with universities to work on the sophisticated technology associated with Watson’s deep-Question and Answer capabilities, giving more than 10,000 students exposure to analytics technology.
“Through IBM’s Academic Initiative, universities are adding analytics to their course offerings, establishing new degree programs and now we are seeing an acceleration in global demand for training in analytics,” said Jim Corgel, general manager of IBM’s Academic Initiative. “By combining IBM’s leadership in analytics with its global reach, we will begin to bridge the gap between to better equip students for new job opportunities.”
Through its Academic Initiative, IBM is making its software, courseware and curricula available to nearly 6,000 universities and more than 30,000 faculty to advance technology skills. More information about IBM’s University Programs and Academic Initiative is available at www.ibm.com/press/university.
Source: Beyonce Perry, Vadvert.co.uk, Tuesday 27th December 2011
University Faculty members from leading schools in India attended a faculty development program offered by IBM to learn how advanced analytics technologies can be used to solve some of the world’s toughest challenges. The faculty members will be sharing what they learned with the students in classrooms across India.
Everyday people create the equivalent of 2.5 quintillion bytes of data from sensors, mobile devices, online transactions, and social networks; so much that 90 percent of the world’s data has been generated in the past two years. This amounts to more data than organizations can effectively use without applying analytics. The new programs are providing students and faculty members, regardless of their course of study, with access to the latest software capabilities and thinking on how advanced analytics can be applied to tackle complex business and societal challenges.
According to the 2010 IBM Institute for Business Value and MIT Sloan Management Review study of nearly 3,000 executives worldwide, the biggest challenge is the lack of understanding in how to use analytics to gain insights that can improve business outcomes. In response to market demand, universities are incorporating analytics curricula and courseware into a variety of degree programs to educate college students in this growing field.
In India, IBM is working with faculty members from 500 universities to help more than 30,000 students develop skills in predictive analytics. As part of the program, IBM will conduct a series of training programs with business school faculty concentrating on predictive and business analytics, in 15 major cities throughout the country of India. The faculty members will complete a certification process in analytics at the end of the program.
Once certified they will begin to teach students about how analytics can be applied to their topic of study. The learning will involve access to predictive analytics technology and will focus on how to act on the results the analytics technology uncovers.
“I have been using IBM predictive analytics technology in a number of programs at Indian Institute of Management Calcutta,” said Sahadeb Sarkar, Professor, Operations Management Group, Indian Institute of Management Calcutta (IIM). “I hope this initiative will help teachers in universities to learn and include analytics in existing courses and design new curriculum that will helps students gain a top-notch education to meet the demands of today’s businesses and government organizations.”
University of theWest of Scotland (UWS) is introducing several new courses to its School of Computing curriculum including data mining, business intelligence and knowledge management. Plans to expand the analytics course offerings to non-IT and non-finance students are underway.
“Beyond teaching business and IT skills, we are preparing students for future job opportunities with new analytics courses,” said Professor Malcolm Crowe, University of the West of Scotland. “UWS is adding new courses in direct response to the recommendations of regional employers. They have specifically advised the School of Computing that important computing skills such as business analytics are in demand and will help graduates secure jobs.”
Xi’an Jiao Tong University in China, together in cooperation with IBM’s China Development Lab in Xi’an, has developed business analytics oriented curriculum, project training materials, and planned a series of technical salon and master speech focus on analytics. These activities cover Cognos, SPSS and many best practices and tips integrated and tailored by the China Development Lab, and this analytics curriculum is planned to be replicated to six other Chinese universities in the future. This promotion of business analytics techniques and tools will enable a new generation of students, helping the Xi’an Lab with a pipeline of students with necessary skills, and will help to build up the business analytics ecosystem in China.
At the University of Ulster, Northern Ireland’s largest university, students are using analytics software in a variety of application areas allowing them to collect hidden data and applying knowledge that seemed impossible to find before that can now be uncovered.
These universities join schools around the world including Northwestern University, Yale School of Management, Fordham University, DePaul University, University of Southern California and University of Ottawa Telfer School of Management, that are working with IBM to develop and implement undergraduate and graduate curriculum and training on business analytics.
Some of the early analytics projects underway at the university level were inspired by IBM’s Watson technology – the most advanced analytics technology currently available. Through the development of Watson, IBM sparked the interest of many students in the areas of math and computer science. IBM has teamed with universities to work on the sophisticated technology associated with Watson’s deep-Question and Answer capabilities, giving more than 10,000 students exposure to analytics technology.
“Through IBM’s Academic Initiative, universities are adding analytics to their course offerings, establishing new degree programs and now we are seeing an acceleration in global demand for training in analytics,” said Jim Corgel, general manager of IBM’s Academic Initiative. “By combining IBM’s leadership in analytics with its global reach, we will begin to bridge the gap between to better equip students for new job opportunities.”
Through its Academic Initiative, IBM is making its software, courseware and curricula available to nearly 6,000 universities and more than 30,000 faculty to advance technology skills. More information about IBM’s University Programs and Academic Initiative is available at www.ibm.com/press/university.
Source: Beyonce Perry, Vadvert.co.uk, Tuesday 27th December 2011
Monday 26 December 2011
Management graduates' job prospects improving
The survey published by the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) found that almost three quarters of employers are looking to hire MBAs in 2012, marking a significant increase from 2011's figure of 58%.
A further 22% of firms are looking to increase the number of MBAs they hire in the next 12 months.
Over half of organisations plan to seek Masters in Management and 59% are hoping to hire graduates with specialised business skills next year.
To encourage MBAs and Masters graduates to take a role at their company, 32% of firms are planning to boost MBA salaries and 27% are planning a wage increase for Masters in Management graduates.
The Office for National Statistics recently revealed UK unemployment has increased to a 17-year high in the past few months.
Source: Matt McAllister, i-l-m.com, Thursday 15th December 2011
A further 22% of firms are looking to increase the number of MBAs they hire in the next 12 months.
Over half of organisations plan to seek Masters in Management and 59% are hoping to hire graduates with specialised business skills next year.
To encourage MBAs and Masters graduates to take a role at their company, 32% of firms are planning to boost MBA salaries and 27% are planning a wage increase for Masters in Management graduates.
The Office for National Statistics recently revealed UK unemployment has increased to a 17-year high in the past few months.
Source: Matt McAllister, i-l-m.com, Thursday 15th December 2011
Sunday 25 December 2011
Want your degree for free? Course you do!
It’s the news students have been waiting for… A newly launched website is offering a competition to win a £27,000 degree.
The “once-in-a-lifetime” prize will cover the spiralling cost of tuition fees for any standard undergraduate course.
It promises to pay up to £9,000 per year to a university, college or other recognised higher educational facility in England, Scotland and Wales for a maximum of three years.
The competition, which costs £5 to enter, is believed to be the first of its kind anywhere in the world.
It is being promoted by new experience website Dream-Extreme.co.uk, which offers unique prizes “for less than the price of a glass of wine”.
A spokesman for the site said the contest would enable the winner to enter higher education without being “burdened with debt for life”.
He said: “We sincerely hope that this once-in-a-lifetime competition will open the doors to higher education and will encourage more young people to think laterally about their future.
“Put simply, we believe it will allow one lucky person the chance to complete a university degree or equivalent without being burdened with debt for life.”
According to recent figures, more than half of students currently taking A-Levels are not planning to go to university or are undecided about taking up a place because they can't afford the cost.
Almost half said they plan to go straight into employment after their A-levels or equivalent studies. A further 12 per cent were unsure what they would do.
Earlier this year, The Office of Fair Access announced that every one of the 123 universities and university colleges in England intends to charge £6,000 or more to full time undergraduates from the autumn of 2012.
Other figures suggest that almost three-quarters of English universities and university colleges intend to charge £9,000 for at least some of their courses.
According to Dream-Extreme.co.uk, the promise of free tuition fees will also ensure the lucky winner comes away with a “first-class degree”.
“With nothing financial to worry about, it makes sense that the winner concentrates his or her efforts on the task at hand – having a great time and securing a first-class degree in the process,” he said.
The contest – which went live in December and runs until tickets are sold out– will be based on a simple ‘spot the ball’ competition.
The lucky winner is the entrant who chooses the correct spot on the image. If more than one entrant picks the same spot, their names will be entered into a draw and chosen at random.
By Chris Marks, TheNationalStudent.com, 20th December 2011
Saturday 24 December 2011
Trainee dentists 'left with no job' in NHS
Around 100 dentists will be left without jobs in the NHS and forced into private work or abroad due to a shortage of training places.
Despite spending more than £30m on two new dental schools to increase the numbers of dental graduates and boost access to NHS dentistry there are too few training places for them to ensure they can work in the health service, it has emerged.
Despite spending more than £30m on two new dental schools to increase the numbers of dental graduates and boost access to NHS dentistry there are too few training places for them to ensure they can work in the health service, it has emerged.
It costs £250,000 to put each graduate through dental school and around 100 have been left without a place on the postgraduate training course which is compulsory for them to work in the NHS.
Their only option is to enrol in a private postgraduate course which means they will not be able to work in the NHS or leave the country and practice elsewhere.
Competition from overseas graduates has made entry into the postgraduate course even tougher.
A dentist involved in training, who asked to remain anonymous, said: "The cost of setting these dental schools up and of training the students is completely wasted if there are not vocational places for all the UK students who need them.
"It is the fact UK students have to do vocational training, that other EU students do not have to but are eligible to apply to vocational training and have in some cases had offers which has displaced graduates in England and Wales from the system."
The problem mirrors that of junior doctors in the shake-up of medical training in 2007 which left thousands without training posts and choosing to either reapply the following year or go abroad.
A dental undergraduate told the Daily Telegraph: "The NHS system insists on an vocational training course, and it could even be said that without such a course, a graduate dentist will be lacking in fundamental skills to practice as a dentist.
"The fact that the Department of Health approved the opening of new dental schools five years ago in order to counteract the deficit of NHS dentists, but then does not provision for any more dentists to join the compulsory foundation training shows incredible lack of foresight, and just seems to totally go against any kind of common sense."
He added: "As I will be barred from working for the NHS in the UK next year (and most likely throughout my dental career as vocational training is compulsory if you want to work for the NHS, and must be completed within 18 months of graduating), I will be beginning my dental career in Australia.
"I think it is obvious that the current system is flawed and failing to help to alleviate the shortage of NHS dentists."
Dr Susie Sanderson, chairman of the British Dental Association's Executive Board, said: "While we do not have an accurate picture about the unsuccessful candidates who have completely failed to get placements, what is clear is that a number of applicants have been informed, in an extremely insensitive way, that they have been unsuccessful before it is even clear how many training places will be released during the rest of the year. That is appalling.
“While the development of a new system for applying for training places is a positive development, because it seeks to replace a flawed predecessor, it is clear that one of the critical issues continues, as in years previously, to be the mismatch between numbers of candidates and training places made available.
“Taxpayers and the students themselves have invested heavily in the education and development of these individuals. To squander that investment by now denying them the opportunity to work in the NHS is ludicrous. Government needs to look very carefully at this situation, ascertain the full facts, and deal with it.”
Barry Cockcroft, Chief Dental Officer, said: "There is no statutory time limit within which dental graduates must start their vocational training. In 2011, only 21 out of around 900 applicants were unsuccessful in getting vocational training places. Most of these dentists were found temporary posts in which to keep their clinical skills up to date and should get vocational training places at a later date.
"926 applicants have been offered places to start in August 2012 already. There has been greater competition for training places in 2012, however, the final outcome of the recruitment round is dependent on examinations in June, so additional places are expected to become available."
Source: Rebecca Smith, Telegraph.co.uk, Friday 23rd December 2011
Their only option is to enrol in a private postgraduate course which means they will not be able to work in the NHS or leave the country and practice elsewhere.
Competition from overseas graduates has made entry into the postgraduate course even tougher.
A dentist involved in training, who asked to remain anonymous, said: "The cost of setting these dental schools up and of training the students is completely wasted if there are not vocational places for all the UK students who need them.
"It is the fact UK students have to do vocational training, that other EU students do not have to but are eligible to apply to vocational training and have in some cases had offers which has displaced graduates in England and Wales from the system."
The problem mirrors that of junior doctors in the shake-up of medical training in 2007 which left thousands without training posts and choosing to either reapply the following year or go abroad.
A dental undergraduate told the Daily Telegraph: "The NHS system insists on an vocational training course, and it could even be said that without such a course, a graduate dentist will be lacking in fundamental skills to practice as a dentist.
"The fact that the Department of Health approved the opening of new dental schools five years ago in order to counteract the deficit of NHS dentists, but then does not provision for any more dentists to join the compulsory foundation training shows incredible lack of foresight, and just seems to totally go against any kind of common sense."
He added: "As I will be barred from working for the NHS in the UK next year (and most likely throughout my dental career as vocational training is compulsory if you want to work for the NHS, and must be completed within 18 months of graduating), I will be beginning my dental career in Australia.
"I think it is obvious that the current system is flawed and failing to help to alleviate the shortage of NHS dentists."
Dr Susie Sanderson, chairman of the British Dental Association's Executive Board, said: "While we do not have an accurate picture about the unsuccessful candidates who have completely failed to get placements, what is clear is that a number of applicants have been informed, in an extremely insensitive way, that they have been unsuccessful before it is even clear how many training places will be released during the rest of the year. That is appalling.
“While the development of a new system for applying for training places is a positive development, because it seeks to replace a flawed predecessor, it is clear that one of the critical issues continues, as in years previously, to be the mismatch between numbers of candidates and training places made available.
“Taxpayers and the students themselves have invested heavily in the education and development of these individuals. To squander that investment by now denying them the opportunity to work in the NHS is ludicrous. Government needs to look very carefully at this situation, ascertain the full facts, and deal with it.”
Barry Cockcroft, Chief Dental Officer, said: "There is no statutory time limit within which dental graduates must start their vocational training. In 2011, only 21 out of around 900 applicants were unsuccessful in getting vocational training places. Most of these dentists were found temporary posts in which to keep their clinical skills up to date and should get vocational training places at a later date.
"926 applicants have been offered places to start in August 2012 already. There has been greater competition for training places in 2012, however, the final outcome of the recruitment round is dependent on examinations in June, so additional places are expected to become available."
Source: Rebecca Smith, Telegraph.co.uk, Friday 23rd December 2011
Friday 23 December 2011
SMEs turn to the next generation to plot the social enterprise future
We are seeing a growing number of SMEs intent on transforming themselves into social enterprises: organisations that leverage social, mobile and open cloud technologies to put customers at the heart of their business.
A recent study, sponsored by salesforce.com and conducted by OnePoll, into the opinions of senior decision makers in UK SME organisations revealed that nearly half (47%) use social networks and tools to interact with customers and prospects. This figure is set to grow, with 66% saying that social networks and tools are important to the future of their business; rising to 86% among decision-makers aged 18 to 24 years old.
Most SMEs realise that social networks and technologies represent a great opportunity for them to reach out to customers and prospects; to share the passion that they have for their business, build their online reputation and engage with others.
Social networks are also seen as key for improving internal communication - between employer and employee. Another study, conducted by Coleman-Parkes Research, found that in the next twelve months, 75% of CEOs will find it important to use social networks for employee communication while 76 per cent believe that social networks will be an important way to enhance employee engagement.
Increasingly too, these tools are proving crucial in the recruitment process both from the employer and the employee perspective. Three quarters of CEOs in the survey said it is important to their business to use social networks and tools to attract and retain skilled workers
In the shop window
Most SMEs appreciate that achieving competitive edge over their larger enterprise peers is not just down to having high-quality, innovative products, slick customer service or clever marketing campaigns. It is just as much about the ability to attract the right calibre of employee and social networking can be an invaluable tool in doing so.
Twenty years ago at the dawn of the Internet as businesses began to explore the online world, the focus was on populating company websites with all the information that customers and prospective employees could possibly need. The approach worked but technology has moved on. Individuals and the organisations where they work are spending more and more time on social networks and utilising social technologies and SMEs need to address this if they want to remain competitive.
Further evidence of the positive long-term prospects for the social enterprise is endorsed by the willingness of the next generation of SME employees to embrace social networks. It is critical that small businesses embrace this trend to shape their approach to recruitment and ongoing staff engagement.
In the recent OnePoll survey, 66% of SME decision-makers said a graduate's experience in social networks and tools is important to them. And the feeling's mutual, with 76% of graduates surveyed claiming that they would be more attracted to an employer if it was an active user of social networks and tools.
Shifting cultures
For the SME employers themselves the lesson is clear. By 'moving with the times' and embracing the new era of social networking, they make themselves more appealing to the next generation of graduates. Yet, this culture shift has to extend far beyond the recruitment process to be truly effective.
There are now clear signs that it is doing so. The OnePoll survey finds that the enthusiasm for the social enterprise among SMEs is reflected in more liberal and accommodating attitudes towards the use of social networks in the office. A growing number of experienced managers in SME companies (27%) now look to new graduates to educate them about social networks and how best to utilise them to grow business while, just 15% of SMEs ban all use of external social networks and 37% have no restrictions in place.
Adopting this freer approach is key if SMEs want to attract the best talent in the future - two-fifths (40%) of graduates surveyed said they would be deterred from working for a company that had banned Facebook and Twitter.
A two-way relationship
The two surveys show that to attract and retain tomorrow's talent, SMEs need to understand social networks and tools and use them to engage with customers, prospects, employees and in the recruitment process. Likewise, the surveys confirm that social media skills are extremely important for students. A graduate's experience with social networks and tools is becoming increasingly key both to their chances of winning a job with a SME and to their prospects of future success in that job.
As SMEs begin the process of transitioning into social enterprises and continue to migrate to a more inherently social, collaborative and mobile approach to business computing, they need to wholeheartedly embrace this new way of working. In doing so, their very latest recruits and the upcoming generation of new employees will inevitably have a key role to play.
Source: Woodson Martin, Hrmagazine.co.uk, Thursday 22nd December 2011
Thursday 22 December 2011
Ernst and Young research: Graduates rank training and development over a large salary
Graduates rank training and development over a large salary when selecting a future employer, according to research conducted by Ernst and Young.
An online poll, which registered nearly 600 respondents, showed that 41% of graduates view training and development as the most important consideration when weighing up a potential employer. This compares to 44% when the same survey was last run in 2007.
Salary and benefits remained the second most popular factor, increasing slightly from 18% in 2007 to 21% in 2011.
Stephen Isherwood, head of graduate recruitment at Ernst and Young, said: “The poll raises interesting questions around the expectations of the post-recession class of 2011 versus those of 2007, who were graduating into an uncertain future.
“Despite the burden of university debts, today’s graduates still see their first job as a prime opportunity to gain qualifications and skills which can benefit them long into the future.”
The biggest change in students’ views was around work-life balance, which fell from the third most important factor in 2007 to the fifth in 2011: 16% and 11% respectively.
“Generation Y’s are typically thought to value a healthy work-life balance more than any other generation but, based on the survey results, it’s clear that an increasingly competitive jobs market is tempering their expectations,” said Isherwood.
Source: Nicola Sullivan, Employeebenefits.co.uk, Thursday 22nd December 2011
An online poll, which registered nearly 600 respondents, showed that 41% of graduates view training and development as the most important consideration when weighing up a potential employer. This compares to 44% when the same survey was last run in 2007.
Salary and benefits remained the second most popular factor, increasing slightly from 18% in 2007 to 21% in 2011.
Stephen Isherwood, head of graduate recruitment at Ernst and Young, said: “The poll raises interesting questions around the expectations of the post-recession class of 2011 versus those of 2007, who were graduating into an uncertain future.
“Despite the burden of university debts, today’s graduates still see their first job as a prime opportunity to gain qualifications and skills which can benefit them long into the future.”
The biggest change in students’ views was around work-life balance, which fell from the third most important factor in 2007 to the fifth in 2011: 16% and 11% respectively.
“Generation Y’s are typically thought to value a healthy work-life balance more than any other generation but, based on the survey results, it’s clear that an increasingly competitive jobs market is tempering their expectations,” said Isherwood.
Source: Nicola Sullivan, Employeebenefits.co.uk, Thursday 22nd December 2011
Wednesday 21 December 2011
Teesside University graduate lands job with Nifco
A graduate who helped an award-winning car parts company find new markets has been offered a job with the firm.
Michelle Blackett, who graduated from Teesside University with a first class degree in product design, worked with Stockton-based Nifco during a nine-month project to explore the firm’s potential markets.
The 23-year old from Hartlepool so impressed the firm on her knowledge transfer partnership organised by the university and the company that it was extended and she was then offered a job.
She said: “My time at Nifco has been a massive learning curve and a really exciting opportunity for me.
“The support I have had from both Nifco and Teesside University has been great, and the fact that the company is investing in young people like me, who are just starting out on their career, is something to be proud of. I really do feel privileged to be given this opportunity in the current climate where jobs are hard to find.”
She found the £30m business, named North East Company of the Year 2010 in the Journal’s awards, could produce parts for more sectors than just its traditional motor industry clients.
Mike Matthews, managing director of Nifco UK, said: “Having Michelle on board has given us the opportunity to really gain an understanding into the markets we could look to enter and the types of products we are able to develop.
“Teesside University has been fantastic in giving support to us as a business, and more importantly to Michelle, helping her to develop her skills and confidence and enabling her to fit fantastically into the company. We’re glad to have her as part of the team.”
As well as undertaking her KTP, Nifco has paid for Michelle to complete an MSc in marketing management, a two-year part time course, which she is three months into.
Peter Reid, a senior lecturer at Teesside University, mentored Michelle throughout her KTP. He said: “Introducing new product development to a successful company such as Nifco UK would be quite daunting for an established professional, not least a recent graduate.
“Michelle has risen to the challenge brilliantly, quickly networking within the company and getting to grips with a complex project that could bring about real growth opportunities for Nifco.”
Source: Iain Laing, Nebusiness.co.uk, Wednesday 21st December 2011
Michelle Blackett, who graduated from Teesside University with a first class degree in product design, worked with Stockton-based Nifco during a nine-month project to explore the firm’s potential markets.
The 23-year old from Hartlepool so impressed the firm on her knowledge transfer partnership organised by the university and the company that it was extended and she was then offered a job.
She said: “My time at Nifco has been a massive learning curve and a really exciting opportunity for me.
“The support I have had from both Nifco and Teesside University has been great, and the fact that the company is investing in young people like me, who are just starting out on their career, is something to be proud of. I really do feel privileged to be given this opportunity in the current climate where jobs are hard to find.”
She found the £30m business, named North East Company of the Year 2010 in the Journal’s awards, could produce parts for more sectors than just its traditional motor industry clients.
Mike Matthews, managing director of Nifco UK, said: “Having Michelle on board has given us the opportunity to really gain an understanding into the markets we could look to enter and the types of products we are able to develop.
“Teesside University has been fantastic in giving support to us as a business, and more importantly to Michelle, helping her to develop her skills and confidence and enabling her to fit fantastically into the company. We’re glad to have her as part of the team.”
As well as undertaking her KTP, Nifco has paid for Michelle to complete an MSc in marketing management, a two-year part time course, which she is three months into.
Peter Reid, a senior lecturer at Teesside University, mentored Michelle throughout her KTP. He said: “Introducing new product development to a successful company such as Nifco UK would be quite daunting for an established professional, not least a recent graduate.
“Michelle has risen to the challenge brilliantly, quickly networking within the company and getting to grips with a complex project that could bring about real growth opportunities for Nifco.”
Source: Iain Laing, Nebusiness.co.uk, Wednesday 21st December 2011
Tuesday 20 December 2011
The Financial News Guide to a Career in Media
The media industry throughout the world is vast, producing many fruitful opportunities for graduates. In the UK alone there are over 550,000 people working within the industry, encompassing many different sectors including TV, film and animation.
Demand for jobs in today’s economic climate is highly competitive especially in marketing but even more so more so in the media industry. However if you set yourself apart from the crowd then you will set yourself in good stead in securing a media job.
What qualities are essential in order to work in Media?
Do you see yourself as a creative person? Many employers think you need to be able to think creatively in order to be successful. You need to be able to communicate strongly with others, be able to work well under pressure and have a good knowledge of the industry.
For a lot of media careers a degree is not necessary, however more than half employees who work in media are graduates so if you’re a graduate you may already have an advantage over other applicants!
What steps could be taken in order to obtain a job in media?
There are various routes for you to go down in order to get a “foot in the door” of the media industry. You can gain valuable experience doing unpaid or relatively low paid work for media companies, even if the work is not within the specific role, it is important to gain some work experience as it is increasingly regarded as essential.
If you are looking for media jobs in the Television industry then national TV companies such as BBC, ITV and Sky offer work experience schemes and also internships, although these are few and in high demand.
When applying for work experience or an internship you must appear focused and explain the reasons why you want to gain the experience and what you hope to do after you have gained it. This was the company knows that you will be putting the knowledge and experience you gain to good use.
You must research your chosen company and show good knowledge in your chosen area. Places are few and the competition is intense so prepare and show passion.
While trying to get your foot in the door, why not carry out some freelance work? Through the use of websites such as PeoplePerHour.com you can gain paid work experience which will help build up your media CV.
At the end of the day, it is this experience which employers really want to see. While building upon your experience you are also gaining valuable contacts within the industry which can benefit you in the long run. You could also potentially use these as references for employment providing that are obviously happy with your work.
So it is essential if you do obtain freelance work that you make the most of it and go above and beyond what the client expects. We all know that “it’s not what you know but who you know!” As well as gaining contacts, you are building up your own private portfolio of work while also being paid, so it’s definitely a sound option for anyone who is finding it difficult getting their foot in the door.
Source: Financial-news.co.uk, Tuesday 20th December 2011
Demand for jobs in today’s economic climate is highly competitive especially in marketing but even more so more so in the media industry. However if you set yourself apart from the crowd then you will set yourself in good stead in securing a media job.
What qualities are essential in order to work in Media?
Do you see yourself as a creative person? Many employers think you need to be able to think creatively in order to be successful. You need to be able to communicate strongly with others, be able to work well under pressure and have a good knowledge of the industry.
For a lot of media careers a degree is not necessary, however more than half employees who work in media are graduates so if you’re a graduate you may already have an advantage over other applicants!
What steps could be taken in order to obtain a job in media?
There are various routes for you to go down in order to get a “foot in the door” of the media industry. You can gain valuable experience doing unpaid or relatively low paid work for media companies, even if the work is not within the specific role, it is important to gain some work experience as it is increasingly regarded as essential.
If you are looking for media jobs in the Television industry then national TV companies such as BBC, ITV and Sky offer work experience schemes and also internships, although these are few and in high demand.
When applying for work experience or an internship you must appear focused and explain the reasons why you want to gain the experience and what you hope to do after you have gained it. This was the company knows that you will be putting the knowledge and experience you gain to good use.
You must research your chosen company and show good knowledge in your chosen area. Places are few and the competition is intense so prepare and show passion.
While trying to get your foot in the door, why not carry out some freelance work? Through the use of websites such as PeoplePerHour.com you can gain paid work experience which will help build up your media CV.
At the end of the day, it is this experience which employers really want to see. While building upon your experience you are also gaining valuable contacts within the industry which can benefit you in the long run. You could also potentially use these as references for employment providing that are obviously happy with your work.
So it is essential if you do obtain freelance work that you make the most of it and go above and beyond what the client expects. We all know that “it’s not what you know but who you know!” As well as gaining contacts, you are building up your own private portfolio of work while also being paid, so it’s definitely a sound option for anyone who is finding it difficult getting their foot in the door.
Source: Financial-news.co.uk, Tuesday 20th December 2011
Monday 19 December 2011
Graduates turn blind eye to small business enterprises and social channels for job seeking
Graduates and SMEs need to seek forums and channels to maximise opportunities, says Iconnyx.
UK graduates are missing obvious opportunities, with only one in five graduates proactively seeking jobs with SMEs, and only one in ten using social media to find employment.
Further research into graduate recruitment* and possibilities for why SMEs struggle to find fresh talent, has been identified by Iconnyx, UK SME and Managed Services provider.
Knowledge collated from UK SMEs and recruitment agencies, as well as campaigns polling businesses across LinkedIn and Twitter identified the following issues:
Only 25% of graduates proactively sought SME opportunities, perceiving that larger organisations offered more opportunities and stability
Only 10% of graduates have LinkedIn profiles and are using the network to find opportunities
Only 1 in 3 graduates had heard of LinkedIn or been advised by their university to research the social network
“The issues for both ‘top talent’ graduates and growing SMEs alike are frustrating in that there is no obvious forum for the two to connect and ‘sell’ to each other,” said Tim Walker, managing director. “Universities need to alert their talent to the opportunities that exist in UK small to medium businesses as well as channels for reaching them. It’s frustrating to see that high-growth companies typically lose out on the best of graduate talent for these reasons. Universities should invite SMEs and networks like LinkedIn into the student community far earlier.”
In response, Duncan Cheatle, the founder of The Supper Club - a club for Britain’s most successful entrepreneurs has launched the Rise To Challenge, a 6-week competition for students and graduates to learn practical business skills and gain valuable insight into running a business. The challenge offers unique prizes: one-off internships (for example shadowing a CEO), jobs and training. Iconnyx has already sponsored five internships for 2012, where graduates can work directly alongside the management team with visibility of sales, marketing and technical support operations.
“There is nothing more exciting or eye-opening than the chance to start out your career working alongside founders and CEOs,” said Duncan Cheatle. “UK SMEs are not reaching their fair share of top university talent. Rise To is a platform for graduates and SMEs to bring the very best to one another.”
Source: Realwire.com, Monday 19th December 2011
UK graduates are missing obvious opportunities, with only one in five graduates proactively seeking jobs with SMEs, and only one in ten using social media to find employment.
Further research into graduate recruitment* and possibilities for why SMEs struggle to find fresh talent, has been identified by Iconnyx, UK SME and Managed Services provider.
Knowledge collated from UK SMEs and recruitment agencies, as well as campaigns polling businesses across LinkedIn and Twitter identified the following issues:
Only 25% of graduates proactively sought SME opportunities, perceiving that larger organisations offered more opportunities and stability
Only 10% of graduates have LinkedIn profiles and are using the network to find opportunities
Only 1 in 3 graduates had heard of LinkedIn or been advised by their university to research the social network
“The issues for both ‘top talent’ graduates and growing SMEs alike are frustrating in that there is no obvious forum for the two to connect and ‘sell’ to each other,” said Tim Walker, managing director. “Universities need to alert their talent to the opportunities that exist in UK small to medium businesses as well as channels for reaching them. It’s frustrating to see that high-growth companies typically lose out on the best of graduate talent for these reasons. Universities should invite SMEs and networks like LinkedIn into the student community far earlier.”
In response, Duncan Cheatle, the founder of The Supper Club - a club for Britain’s most successful entrepreneurs has launched the Rise To Challenge, a 6-week competition for students and graduates to learn practical business skills and gain valuable insight into running a business. The challenge offers unique prizes: one-off internships (for example shadowing a CEO), jobs and training. Iconnyx has already sponsored five internships for 2012, where graduates can work directly alongside the management team with visibility of sales, marketing and technical support operations.
“There is nothing more exciting or eye-opening than the chance to start out your career working alongside founders and CEOs,” said Duncan Cheatle. “UK SMEs are not reaching their fair share of top university talent. Rise To is a platform for graduates and SMEs to bring the very best to one another.”
Source: Realwire.com, Monday 19th December 2011
Sunday 18 December 2011
Unemployment among young in rural areas rising faster than other areas
The number of young people out of work in rural areas and leafy parts of the Home Counties is rising more quickly than anywhere else, according to official figures.
They are the safe Tory seats that are supposed to be far removed from the high youth unemployment that plagues Britain's inner cities.
However, the number of young people out of work in rural areas and leafy parts of the Home Counties is now rising more quickly than anywhere else, according to official figures.
The Conservative strongholds of Winchester, Weston-Super-Mare and Devizes have all seen unemployment amongst 16 to 24 year-olds rise by at least 40 per cent over the past year.
By contrast, youth unemployment has risen by 10 per cent or less in parts of Liverpool, Leeds and Manchester over the same period.
Economists said the figures "shatter the myth" that only poor areas are struggling during the downturn, with many out of work graduates forced to return to live with their parents out in the country as they look for work.
Even the Prime Minister's Oxfordshire seat has been hit hard by the downturn in the jobs market. The number of young people out of work in David Cameron's constituency of Witney has risen by 30 per cent in 12 months.
Other affluent areas with soaring levels of youth joblessness include St Albans, Gloucester, the Cotswolds, Hereford, and the Kent towns of Sevenoaks, Dover, Canterbury and Ashford.
Iain Duncan-Smith, the cabinet minister in charge of the government's fight against unemployment, has seen joblessness amongst your people in his constituency of Chingford and Woodford Green soar by 32.1 per cent over the past year.
John Philpott, chief economic advisor to the Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development, said these figures "shattered the myth" that youth unemployment was only a problem in towns and cities.
"A lot of these more affluent places are in areas with high numbers of graduates, who are struggling to find work," Mr Philpott said.
"These people are frequently finding it hard to get into work and have to go back home and rely on the bank of mum and dad.
"Once living back there they may find themselves far away from graduate job opportunities."
However, Lantra, a government agency that tries to boost skills in agriculture and other rural industries, maintained that there are jobs in rural areas.
Young people are often reluctant to take such work as it is considered "untrendy", a spokesman for the agency said.
Nearly 50% of the 500,000 people employed in agriculture are aged over 45, suggesting that a large number of vacancies will emerge over the coming years as current workers retire.
"Jobs in the countryside are unfairly often not seen as glamorous by young people," said a spokesman for Lantra. "The muddy Wellingtons reputation persists.
"There are high-skilled jobs in agriculture. If you are driving or servicing a combine harvester you are in charge of a £1million piece of machinery."
"There is a real shortage of people to work in tree and timber work, fencing, hedge trimming and dry-stone walling.
"There are jobs - often graduate jobs - here for the taking."
Youth unemployment last month passed the 1 million mark for the first time since records began in 1992.
The issue has become a running sore for the government, raising questions about the effects of the government's economic strategy.
Official figures last week showed that total UK unemployment rose by 128,000 to 2.64million in the three months to the end of October, the highest figure since 1994.
Economists believe the number of people out of work will continue to rise throughout next year, due to the government's ongoing austerity cuts, the weakness of Britain's major export markets and low business confidence.
Source: Robert Watts, Telegraph.co.uk, Sunday 18th December 2011
They are the safe Tory seats that are supposed to be far removed from the high youth unemployment that plagues Britain's inner cities.
However, the number of young people out of work in rural areas and leafy parts of the Home Counties is now rising more quickly than anywhere else, according to official figures.
The Conservative strongholds of Winchester, Weston-Super-Mare and Devizes have all seen unemployment amongst 16 to 24 year-olds rise by at least 40 per cent over the past year.
By contrast, youth unemployment has risen by 10 per cent or less in parts of Liverpool, Leeds and Manchester over the same period.
Economists said the figures "shatter the myth" that only poor areas are struggling during the downturn, with many out of work graduates forced to return to live with their parents out in the country as they look for work.
Even the Prime Minister's Oxfordshire seat has been hit hard by the downturn in the jobs market. The number of young people out of work in David Cameron's constituency of Witney has risen by 30 per cent in 12 months.
Other affluent areas with soaring levels of youth joblessness include St Albans, Gloucester, the Cotswolds, Hereford, and the Kent towns of Sevenoaks, Dover, Canterbury and Ashford.
Iain Duncan-Smith, the cabinet minister in charge of the government's fight against unemployment, has seen joblessness amongst your people in his constituency of Chingford and Woodford Green soar by 32.1 per cent over the past year.
John Philpott, chief economic advisor to the Chartered Institute for Personnel and Development, said these figures "shattered the myth" that youth unemployment was only a problem in towns and cities.
"A lot of these more affluent places are in areas with high numbers of graduates, who are struggling to find work," Mr Philpott said.
"These people are frequently finding it hard to get into work and have to go back home and rely on the bank of mum and dad.
"Once living back there they may find themselves far away from graduate job opportunities."
However, Lantra, a government agency that tries to boost skills in agriculture and other rural industries, maintained that there are jobs in rural areas.
Young people are often reluctant to take such work as it is considered "untrendy", a spokesman for the agency said.
Nearly 50% of the 500,000 people employed in agriculture are aged over 45, suggesting that a large number of vacancies will emerge over the coming years as current workers retire.
"Jobs in the countryside are unfairly often not seen as glamorous by young people," said a spokesman for Lantra. "The muddy Wellingtons reputation persists.
"There are high-skilled jobs in agriculture. If you are driving or servicing a combine harvester you are in charge of a £1million piece of machinery."
"There is a real shortage of people to work in tree and timber work, fencing, hedge trimming and dry-stone walling.
"There are jobs - often graduate jobs - here for the taking."
Youth unemployment last month passed the 1 million mark for the first time since records began in 1992.
The issue has become a running sore for the government, raising questions about the effects of the government's economic strategy.
Official figures last week showed that total UK unemployment rose by 128,000 to 2.64million in the three months to the end of October, the highest figure since 1994.
Economists believe the number of people out of work will continue to rise throughout next year, due to the government's ongoing austerity cuts, the weakness of Britain's major export markets and low business confidence.
Source: Robert Watts, Telegraph.co.uk, Sunday 18th December 2011
Saturday 17 December 2011
Non-graduate market key to engineering success, IET report suggests
Engineering firms should turn to the non-graduate market to ensure they attract talent, the ’Recruiter Requirements Report’ carried out by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) reveals.
While 66% of engineering jobs require a degree, just 1% mention apprenticeships among specifications, the research from the IET shows.
Given the imminent rise in university fees and UCAS’s revelation of a 15% drop in UK-born students applying to university this year, the IET has urged employers to widen their focus in recruitment.
Employers are already on their way to achieving this, however, a recent study from the Engineering Council UK suggests, showing that 88% of employers in the sector encourage employees to obtain professional qualifications through work-based learning.
Stephanie Fernandes, policy advisor at IET, says: “Companies could do better when it comes to seeking talent.
“Work-based learning is held in great esteem by the industry and companies need to do more to demonstrate the great prospects that come with a career in engineering and to make it known that the graduate route is not only way to achieve this.”
Source: Recruiter.co.uk, Friday 16th December 2011
While 66% of engineering jobs require a degree, just 1% mention apprenticeships among specifications, the research from the IET shows.
Given the imminent rise in university fees and UCAS’s revelation of a 15% drop in UK-born students applying to university this year, the IET has urged employers to widen their focus in recruitment.
Employers are already on their way to achieving this, however, a recent study from the Engineering Council UK suggests, showing that 88% of employers in the sector encourage employees to obtain professional qualifications through work-based learning.
Stephanie Fernandes, policy advisor at IET, says: “Companies could do better when it comes to seeking talent.
“Work-based learning is held in great esteem by the industry and companies need to do more to demonstrate the great prospects that come with a career in engineering and to make it known that the graduate route is not only way to achieve this.”
Source: Recruiter.co.uk, Friday 16th December 2011
Friday 16 December 2011
What are mitigating circumstances for graduate job applications?
Mitigating circumstances are serious, often unforeseen reasons or events that prevented you from achieving your expected academic results, which graduate recruiters may take into account when processing job applications. Common reasons include bereavement, illness (both physical and mental) and your parents getting a divorce. Other reasons might include being a carer while studying or suffering a real financial crisis. However, recruiters tell us that, while sad, being dumped by your boyfriend or girlfriend or the demise of a pet probably don’t cut it. Part-time working for the hours recommended by your university is also unlikely to count.
Should you disclose your mitigating circumstances?
‘Many students feel uncomfortable about disclosing their mitigating circumstances, especially if they involve mental health issues,’ says Mark Armitage, a careers consultant in the Employability and Graduate Development team at the University of Exeter. He would never advise students to disclose if they do not want to; as with disclosing a disability, it is a personal choice. However, if the employers you want to apply to insist on a 2.1 and you have a lower grade, you can still be considered if you inform them of your mitigating circumstances. If you don’t, you will find yourself being filtered out.
How do you inform recruiters that you have mitigating circumstances, if you choose to?
You can usually find out which organisations welcome applicants with mitigating circumstances by looking at their graduate recruitment webpages – information can usually be found in the FAQ sections. If the employer doesn’t mention it, do email or phone the recruitment team (or go up to them at a careers fair) and ask whether they’d still consider you if you applied, given your mitigating circumstances.
Most recruiters will have space on their application forms for details of mitigating circumstances. Some will require you to upload corroboration from your university. For example, financial and management consultancy Towers Watson requires proof from your university/examining body and checks that your situation wasn’t already taken into account during the marking process.
What do you say?
You don’t need to go into painful detail about the extenuating circumstances. Mark suggests that someone who had suffered illness (physical or mental) could just state something like: ‘I was ill during my second year, which affected my ability to carry out my work, and I received a 55% average instead of the 65% average of my first year.’ This level of detail should do for any mitigating circumstance but, if you feel the need to add more, concentrate on the strategies you used to overcome your difficulties and continue studying.
Karen Poulton, graduate recruitment and diversity manager at property firm Cushman & Wakefield, agrees with this approach. ‘Applicants can tick a box on the application form to flag the fact that they have been affected by mitigating circumstances. We will always call the student so that we can understand what the extenuating circumstances were and anything that is disclosed is done so in confidence and handled as sensitively as possible. We understand that graduates might not want to discuss this in detail and we don’t expect them to.’
Tell your university
Both Karen and Mark agree that you should talk to your personal tutor, or another lecturer to whom you feel close, about your mitigating circumstances at the time. They can help ensure that your university takes them into account while marking and/or extending deadlines. 'I always ask for the applicant’s permission to talk to their tutor to verify whether the candidate is of genuine 2.1 calibre,’ says Karen. ‘The tutor may be able to give you a verbal reference,’ adds Mark.
What if your university doesn't know? ‘It's still worth contacting the employer to see whether they would consider you regardless,’ says Mark. After all, they can only say no.
Resilience is attractive
Resilience is a highly sought after quality by graduate recruiters and they appreciate when students have managed to continue studying when life gets in the way, even if the grades are a little less than they would have been. As Karen puts it: ‘We understand that individuals sometimes face adversity. What makes a student stand out is how they've dealt with it to become a stronger person.’
Source: Targetjobs.co.uk, Thursday 15th December 2011
Thursday 15 December 2011
Optimistic outlook for MBA graduates despite economic uncertainty
In contrast to concerning economic predictions, findings from the Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) reveal an optimistic job outlook for MBA and Masters graduates.
A study published this week outlines the boost graduate management education can offer individuals keen to obtain and retain top quality jobs in the current turbulent job market.
According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Europe is currently in recession with Britain poised to follow in early 2012.
The OECD also said unemployment, which currently stands at 8.3% - its highest since 1996 - will rise to 9.1 per cent in 2013, putting another 400,000 workers out of a job on top of the 2.6 million already unemployed.
But GMAC's survey finds 74% of employers plan to hire MBAs in 2012, up from 58% in 2011, 51% of employers plan to seek Master's in Management in 2012, up from 36% this year and 59% of companies plan to hire graduates with specialised business Master's in 2012, a substantial increase from 38% this year.
Nearly four times as many companies are planning to increase the number of MBAs they hire in 2012 (22%), compared to last year (6%) and more than 50% of employers expect to fill positions from Master's in Management and Specialised Master's in 2012, reflecting significant growth over the third of companies last year who were seeking these candidates and met or exceeded projections.
Just under a third (32%) of companies plan to increase salaries for MBA hires, 27% plan to increase salaries for Master's in management and 26% plan to increase salaries for specialised Masters courses.
GMAC researchers sent the invitation for this poll to 3,358 employers. As of November 16, 229 respondents from 216 companies had completed the survey-a 7% response rate.
Source: Hrmagazine.co.uk, Thursday 15th December 2011
According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), Europe is currently in recession with Britain poised to follow in early 2012.
The OECD also said unemployment, which currently stands at 8.3% - its highest since 1996 - will rise to 9.1 per cent in 2013, putting another 400,000 workers out of a job on top of the 2.6 million already unemployed.
But GMAC's survey finds 74% of employers plan to hire MBAs in 2012, up from 58% in 2011, 51% of employers plan to seek Master's in Management in 2012, up from 36% this year and 59% of companies plan to hire graduates with specialised business Master's in 2012, a substantial increase from 38% this year.
Nearly four times as many companies are planning to increase the number of MBAs they hire in 2012 (22%), compared to last year (6%) and more than 50% of employers expect to fill positions from Master's in Management and Specialised Master's in 2012, reflecting significant growth over the third of companies last year who were seeking these candidates and met or exceeded projections.
Just under a third (32%) of companies plan to increase salaries for MBA hires, 27% plan to increase salaries for Master's in management and 26% plan to increase salaries for specialised Masters courses.
GMAC researchers sent the invitation for this poll to 3,358 employers. As of November 16, 229 respondents from 216 companies had completed the survey-a 7% response rate.
Source: Hrmagazine.co.uk, Thursday 15th December 2011
Wednesday 14 December 2011
UK universities see a 15 per cent slump in applicants
Universities face a record 15.1 per cent slump in applications as school leavers shun university due to the tuition fee increase.
A rising number of students are being deterred from University as the government's new tuition fees start next year. Ucas statistics have shown a decrease in applications which will come as a blow to the coalition government.
Universities Minister David Willets has said it is too early in the applications cycle to make predictions on demand. Yet experts believe the drop in applications for next years degree courses is one of the biggest.
The figures show a drop of 23,759 applications to 133,357 compared to the same point last year. This means that universities are going to become over reliant on overseas students who pay the full cost of courses, as much as £26,000 a year. However the number of applicants from outside the EU has risen by 11.8 per cent amid extensive overseas recruitment drives.
Part of the decrease in applications is the amount of students that cancelled gap years to beat the tuition fee increase. Professor Alan Smithers, director of the Centre for Education and Employment Research at Buckingham University, said: ‘I think this is the highest drop outside of the two World Wars, when some universities almost became bankrupt due to falling applications. They were rescued by State support.
‘In the 1980s, when the number of 18-year-olds dropped by a third, the shortfall in applications was made good by mature students and part-time students. It will be the less popular universities that will struggle. Students will be questioning whether they would be getting sufficient value from £9,000-a-year from those universities.’
Sally Hunt, general secretary of the University and College Union, said the figures were worrying, adding: ‘Putting financial barriers in front of young people who have been told their entire lives to aim for university is nothing more than a policy of penalising ambition.’
With the economy still in uncertain times many companies are freezing their recruitment again which means that the reduction in applications to university is probably a good thing for current graduates searching for graduate jobs.
Source: Pareto.co.uk, Wednesday 14th December 2011
A rising number of students are being deterred from University as the government's new tuition fees start next year. Ucas statistics have shown a decrease in applications which will come as a blow to the coalition government.
Universities Minister David Willets has said it is too early in the applications cycle to make predictions on demand. Yet experts believe the drop in applications for next years degree courses is one of the biggest.
The figures show a drop of 23,759 applications to 133,357 compared to the same point last year. This means that universities are going to become over reliant on overseas students who pay the full cost of courses, as much as £26,000 a year. However the number of applicants from outside the EU has risen by 11.8 per cent amid extensive overseas recruitment drives.
Part of the decrease in applications is the amount of students that cancelled gap years to beat the tuition fee increase. Professor Alan Smithers, director of the Centre for Education and Employment Research at Buckingham University, said: ‘I think this is the highest drop outside of the two World Wars, when some universities almost became bankrupt due to falling applications. They were rescued by State support.
‘In the 1980s, when the number of 18-year-olds dropped by a third, the shortfall in applications was made good by mature students and part-time students. It will be the less popular universities that will struggle. Students will be questioning whether they would be getting sufficient value from £9,000-a-year from those universities.’
Sally Hunt, general secretary of the University and College Union, said the figures were worrying, adding: ‘Putting financial barriers in front of young people who have been told their entire lives to aim for university is nothing more than a policy of penalising ambition.’
With the economy still in uncertain times many companies are freezing their recruitment again which means that the reduction in applications to university is probably a good thing for current graduates searching for graduate jobs.
Source: Pareto.co.uk, Wednesday 14th December 2011
Tuesday 13 December 2011
Jobs market on ‘knife edge’
The jobs market sits on a “knife-edge” next year, with firms waiting to see what happens to the economy before taking on new staff, according to a report today.
A survey of 2,100 employers by recruitment firm Manpower found that four out of five had no plans to hire more workers in the next three months.
Recruitment expectations for the new year have slumped to their weakest levels since the end of the recession in 2009, with finance and business services falling from the most optimistic sector at the start of the year, to among the most pessimistic, said the report.
A new East-West divide had also emerged, with employers in Eastern England the most positive about employment prospects, while those in the West of England, Wales and Northern Ireland were pessimistic.
Mark Cahill, Manpower’s managing director, said: “The 2012 jobs market sits on a knife-edge. In some ways this is a reflection of a weakening economy. We hear stories about companies hoarding cash and not investing and we see a number of business sectors battening down the hatches, holding on to existing levels of staff and not hiring with any great enthusiasm.
“Employers have adopted a wait-and-see approach to hiring - they are cautious about the economy and the fear of a Euro-wide contagion is weighing heavily on their minds.”
Another study found that half of graduates had been considering becoming self-employed and 15 per cent have been looking for a job for more than a year.
A survey of 530 university leavers by recruitment firm totaljobs.com found that a “stale” jobs market was forcing many graduates to seek an alternative route to employment.
Just one in four of those questioned said they had been invited to an interview after applying for jobs.
Mike Fetters of totaljobs.com said: “With European economies in a worrying state and the UK labour market experiencing a 17-year low, competition for graduate jobs is increasingly tough. Therefore, it’s not surprising graduates are looking at the alternative routes and it’s great to see this entrepreneurial spirit amongst young people.”
Source: Yorkshirepost.co.uk, Tuesday 13th December 2011
A survey of 2,100 employers by recruitment firm Manpower found that four out of five had no plans to hire more workers in the next three months.
Recruitment expectations for the new year have slumped to their weakest levels since the end of the recession in 2009, with finance and business services falling from the most optimistic sector at the start of the year, to among the most pessimistic, said the report.
A new East-West divide had also emerged, with employers in Eastern England the most positive about employment prospects, while those in the West of England, Wales and Northern Ireland were pessimistic.
Mark Cahill, Manpower’s managing director, said: “The 2012 jobs market sits on a knife-edge. In some ways this is a reflection of a weakening economy. We hear stories about companies hoarding cash and not investing and we see a number of business sectors battening down the hatches, holding on to existing levels of staff and not hiring with any great enthusiasm.
“Employers have adopted a wait-and-see approach to hiring - they are cautious about the economy and the fear of a Euro-wide contagion is weighing heavily on their minds.”
Another study found that half of graduates had been considering becoming self-employed and 15 per cent have been looking for a job for more than a year.
A survey of 530 university leavers by recruitment firm totaljobs.com found that a “stale” jobs market was forcing many graduates to seek an alternative route to employment.
Just one in four of those questioned said they had been invited to an interview after applying for jobs.
Mike Fetters of totaljobs.com said: “With European economies in a worrying state and the UK labour market experiencing a 17-year low, competition for graduate jobs is increasingly tough. Therefore, it’s not surprising graduates are looking at the alternative routes and it’s great to see this entrepreneurial spirit amongst young people.”
Source: Yorkshirepost.co.uk, Tuesday 13th December 2011
Monday 12 December 2011
Boom times in oilfield recruitment
The growing maintenance needs of ageing oil and gas assets is proving a boon for Aberdeen-based recruitment company OIE Services.
The specialist oil and gas recruitment company says it is on track to treble its turnover in the next 12 months after contracts to fill 200 vacancies all over the world.
OIE, which is owned by Aberdeen entrepreneur Mark Cavanagh, has won business from Aberdeen to Brunei and is expanding into new markets in Australia and Brazil. It recently appointed a new recruitment manager, Keith Ogilvie, to spearhead the growth strategy.
Ogilvie said: “This is an exciting time for us. There is a rising demand for qualified people in the areas of asset integrity and maintenance and an apparent shortage of candidates.
“It is our job to plug those gaps for companies by sourcing the right skills from all over the world.”
Ogilvie said that the steady growth meant the company had also filled vacancies of its own, taking on several graduate consultants.
OIE Services says turnover should grow from £1.7 million this year to £4.2m in 2012.
Source: Scotsman.com, Monday 12th December 2011
The specialist oil and gas recruitment company says it is on track to treble its turnover in the next 12 months after contracts to fill 200 vacancies all over the world.
OIE, which is owned by Aberdeen entrepreneur Mark Cavanagh, has won business from Aberdeen to Brunei and is expanding into new markets in Australia and Brazil. It recently appointed a new recruitment manager, Keith Ogilvie, to spearhead the growth strategy.
Ogilvie said: “This is an exciting time for us. There is a rising demand for qualified people in the areas of asset integrity and maintenance and an apparent shortage of candidates.
“It is our job to plug those gaps for companies by sourcing the right skills from all over the world.”
Ogilvie said that the steady growth meant the company had also filled vacancies of its own, taking on several graduate consultants.
OIE Services says turnover should grow from £1.7 million this year to £4.2m in 2012.
Source: Scotsman.com, Monday 12th December 2011
Sunday 11 December 2011
X Factor relies on unpaid interns
The X Factor is regarded as the biggest TV talent show in Europe. It is hugely popular and hugely profitable, both for its makers and its broadcaster, ITV.
Yet there are unpaid interns working for the show, according to research by Graduate Fog, the careers advice website for university graduates.
It followed up a Daily Mail article on Monday by Liz Jones, Inside the X Factory, in which she wrote about head stylist Laury Smith having help from four unpaid interns
Jones wrote: "These young people work seven days a week, from 8am until gone 10pm. No wonder the interns... are exhausted and in tears."
So Graduate Fog contacted Our Assembly, the outfit that handles PR for the X Factor style team. It confirmed that four "regular" interns work for the team and, occasionally, more were used on show days.
They are not paid, but receive travel expenses and free meals. They are generally hired for three-month stints.
Graduate Fog lists the substantial money generated by the programme before asking why X Factor can't stump up the minimum wage – £6.08 an hour – for their hard-working interns?
It then decided to discover whether Simon Cowell was aware of unpaid interns working on his show and sent his office a letter. It has not had a reply thus far.
Graduate Fog says it is "seriously unimpressed" with the use of unpaid interns. It adds:
"Claiming that the use of unpaid interns is the industry standard is no excuse – nor is emphasising what valuable experience internships can offer young people. ...
We believe that unpaid internships exploit those who do them and exclude those who can't afford to do them. They are getting longer and longer, with less chance of a job at the end of them.
Increasingly, it is a myth that unpaid internships lead to paid jobs – now they are replacing paid jobs. Unpaid work is not a solution to youth unemployment – it is a big part of the problem."
Update: Graduate Fog has just reported that Talkback Thames, the producers of X Factor, does not engage unpaid interns itself. It describes the style team's intern use as an "isolated incident".
Yet there are unpaid interns working for the show, according to research by Graduate Fog, the careers advice website for university graduates.
It followed up a Daily Mail article on Monday by Liz Jones, Inside the X Factory, in which she wrote about head stylist Laury Smith having help from four unpaid interns
Jones wrote: "These young people work seven days a week, from 8am until gone 10pm. No wonder the interns... are exhausted and in tears."
So Graduate Fog contacted Our Assembly, the outfit that handles PR for the X Factor style team. It confirmed that four "regular" interns work for the team and, occasionally, more were used on show days.
They are not paid, but receive travel expenses and free meals. They are generally hired for three-month stints.
Graduate Fog lists the substantial money generated by the programme before asking why X Factor can't stump up the minimum wage – £6.08 an hour – for their hard-working interns?
It then decided to discover whether Simon Cowell was aware of unpaid interns working on his show and sent his office a letter. It has not had a reply thus far.
Graduate Fog says it is "seriously unimpressed" with the use of unpaid interns. It adds:
"Claiming that the use of unpaid interns is the industry standard is no excuse – nor is emphasising what valuable experience internships can offer young people. ...
We believe that unpaid internships exploit those who do them and exclude those who can't afford to do them. They are getting longer and longer, with less chance of a job at the end of them.
Increasingly, it is a myth that unpaid internships lead to paid jobs – now they are replacing paid jobs. Unpaid work is not a solution to youth unemployment – it is a big part of the problem."
Update: Graduate Fog has just reported that Talkback Thames, the producers of X Factor, does not engage unpaid interns itself. It describes the style team's intern use as an "isolated incident".
Source: Roy Greenslade, Guardian.co.uk, Friday 9th December 2011
Saturday 10 December 2011
Students looking for first job 'face tough choices'
Those graduates looking for their first UK job have been told to consider their priorities.
The average starting salary for graduate jobs is now £25,500 and Michael Garvey, a chartered financial planner at Edinburgh Wealth Management, stated that it could be a few years before they become debt free after university, so they should think carefully about their choices.
He explained that many will need to continue to use free loans from their parents to help them initially.
"The burden of student debt will also be an inhibiting factor with regards to aspirations like marriage or getting on to the housing ladder," stated the expert.
Many graduates are finding it increasingly difficult to acquire a job when they finish their studies.
The Department for Work and Pensions recently announced that it was going to invest £1 billion over the course of the next five years to help tackle record levels of youth unemployment.
Source: Uknetguide.co.uk, Thursday 8th December 2011
The average starting salary for graduate jobs is now £25,500 and Michael Garvey, a chartered financial planner at Edinburgh Wealth Management, stated that it could be a few years before they become debt free after university, so they should think carefully about their choices.
He explained that many will need to continue to use free loans from their parents to help them initially.
"The burden of student debt will also be an inhibiting factor with regards to aspirations like marriage or getting on to the housing ladder," stated the expert.
Many graduates are finding it increasingly difficult to acquire a job when they finish their studies.
The Department for Work and Pensions recently announced that it was going to invest £1 billion over the course of the next five years to help tackle record levels of youth unemployment.
Source: Uknetguide.co.uk, Thursday 8th December 2011
Friday 9 December 2011
HSBC graduate schemes still running despite jobs losses
HSBC’s 2012 graduate recruitment programmes continue unaffected by recent announcements of job cuts elsewhere in the business, TARGETjobs Finance has learned.
The bank announced on Monday that it is cutting 330 jobs in the UK, primarily in commercial banking but also in retail banking, wealth and technology. ‘Every effort is being made to support impacted employees and redeploy as many people as possible within the bank,’ the BBC quoted Joe Garner, head of HSBC's UK bank, as saying.
Students and graduates interested in applying to HSBC graduate schemes can be reassured, however. Gregg Carnaffan, emerging talent manager at HSBC plc, told TARGETjobs Finance: ‘Our graduate roles for 2012 will remain unchanged. Our programmes are designed to fill critical, strategic roles in the future and so we will continue to recruit graduates into our business.’
HSBC is currently advertising a range of graduate schemes on targetjobs.co.uk. Its international management programme, customer propositions, technology & services management, commercial & corporate management trainee, executive management trainee, and retail management trainee programmes all have deadlines of 31 January.
Source: Targetjobs.co.uk, Thursday 8th December 2011
The bank announced on Monday that it is cutting 330 jobs in the UK, primarily in commercial banking but also in retail banking, wealth and technology. ‘Every effort is being made to support impacted employees and redeploy as many people as possible within the bank,’ the BBC quoted Joe Garner, head of HSBC's UK bank, as saying.
Students and graduates interested in applying to HSBC graduate schemes can be reassured, however. Gregg Carnaffan, emerging talent manager at HSBC plc, told TARGETjobs Finance: ‘Our graduate roles for 2012 will remain unchanged. Our programmes are designed to fill critical, strategic roles in the future and so we will continue to recruit graduates into our business.’
HSBC is currently advertising a range of graduate schemes on targetjobs.co.uk. Its international management programme, customer propositions, technology & services management, commercial & corporate management trainee, executive management trainee, and retail management trainee programmes all have deadlines of 31 January.
Source: Targetjobs.co.uk, Thursday 8th December 2011
Thursday 8 December 2011
A quarter of graduates still unemployed after three years
Graduates are been advised to invest in further training or education to help increase their chances of finding employment.
A leading provider of student tracking software is advising unemployed graduates to further their chances of obtaining graduate jobs and full time employment by investing in further training and education.
The Higher Education Statistics Agency figures that were recently published outlined the current difficulties facing graduates in their search for employment. With a quarter of university graduates still without full time work three years after graduating, many graduates are being forced to work as volunteers or apply for job seekers allowance.
The study by Perspective, a leader for student tracking software outlined that graduates who had taken degrees in creative arts, computer science and architecture were more likely to be unemployed. The study also found that 6.5% of these graduates were returning to full time education to further their opportunities in finding graduate jobs.
Paul Davis, managing director of Perspective, said: "Times are currently hard for both university graduates and school leavers. With recent figures suggesting 20.2% of 18-24-year-olds are classed as 'Neet', this clearly illustrates the dire situation many young people in the UK find themselves in."
"In such hard times, we recommend young people look to further their education, either through apprenticeships or training programmes, to help them stand out from their counterparts in this currently saturated jobs market where so many young people are vying for the same positions."
Source: Pareto.co.uk, Wednesday 7th December 2011
A leading provider of student tracking software is advising unemployed graduates to further their chances of obtaining graduate jobs and full time employment by investing in further training and education.
The Higher Education Statistics Agency figures that were recently published outlined the current difficulties facing graduates in their search for employment. With a quarter of university graduates still without full time work three years after graduating, many graduates are being forced to work as volunteers or apply for job seekers allowance.
The study by Perspective, a leader for student tracking software outlined that graduates who had taken degrees in creative arts, computer science and architecture were more likely to be unemployed. The study also found that 6.5% of these graduates were returning to full time education to further their opportunities in finding graduate jobs.
Paul Davis, managing director of Perspective, said: "Times are currently hard for both university graduates and school leavers. With recent figures suggesting 20.2% of 18-24-year-olds are classed as 'Neet', this clearly illustrates the dire situation many young people in the UK find themselves in."
"In such hard times, we recommend young people look to further their education, either through apprenticeships or training programmes, to help them stand out from their counterparts in this currently saturated jobs market where so many young people are vying for the same positions."
Source: Pareto.co.uk, Wednesday 7th December 2011
Wednesday 7 December 2011
MPs' unpaid internships benefit the rich and damage the job market
You state that "scores" of "MPs may have broken minimum wage law by taking on unpaid interns", as a result of "changes to parliamentary expenses rules" combined with "record graduate unemployment".
I am a 2010 graduate with a politics and sociology degree and have spent my time since graduating working in Starbucks, as a charity street fundraiser, and as an unpaid intern in political monitoring. I desperately want to work in politics. Still, I would not lower myself to work unpaid for an MP.
You say the increased number of unpaid internships, placements, voluntary positions – the job titles are diverse and mysterious – is "leading to a fear of a new political class emerging". These young graduates who are chalking up parliamentary experience are presumably able to be there because they are parent-funded. Making sure these roles are unpaid is, in effect, freezing out any applicant who is not from a wealthy background.
For those of us who want to campaign for equality, having to effectively buy career experience in order to have any chance of getting a paid job in the future is bound to herald an identity crisis. I have done one unpaid internship, and I felt guilty throughout. The internship was political, but wasn't for a party or politician. It paid £100 a week, which covered travel and lunch expenses – some internships pay nothing. To support myself I worked evenings and weekends in a cafe for the three months of the placement.
Keith Vaz, Labour MP and chairman of the home affairs select committee, recently hired a new intern. I was interviewed for the position, under the impression that it was paid. The job ad detailed the pay as "in accordance to Ipsa [Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority] guidelines" and I, naively, thought that these might say "pay your staff". But, no, it was a full-time, three-month, expenses-only internship. The lack of pay essentially ruled out any applicant who was not already in a fortunate economic position – ie with wealthy parents who were willing to fund their career progression.
What actually drives young people to take these roles and accept conditions of no pay and no employment rights? The desire to "volunteer" for an MP? Anyone who has not recently worked a 50-hour week for less than £20 may be out of touch with graduate job-hunting. The article does not mention the crippling fear of failure that arises from being unlucky in your job search, and the feeling that you will never get anywhere.
Internships are happening in every industry and sector, not just in buildings with shiny gold clocks on the side. Yet how can employers in creative industries, or the public sector, or in business, be told to pay their staff when unpaid internships are rife in the offices of our elected representatives? Young people cannot expect MPs to represent us – to campaign for our pay and employment rights – while we bring them research reports, with a smile, for the bargain price of travel and lunch expenses only.
Source: Emma Kosmin, Guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 6th December 2011
I am a 2010 graduate with a politics and sociology degree and have spent my time since graduating working in Starbucks, as a charity street fundraiser, and as an unpaid intern in political monitoring. I desperately want to work in politics. Still, I would not lower myself to work unpaid for an MP.
You say the increased number of unpaid internships, placements, voluntary positions – the job titles are diverse and mysterious – is "leading to a fear of a new political class emerging". These young graduates who are chalking up parliamentary experience are presumably able to be there because they are parent-funded. Making sure these roles are unpaid is, in effect, freezing out any applicant who is not from a wealthy background.
For those of us who want to campaign for equality, having to effectively buy career experience in order to have any chance of getting a paid job in the future is bound to herald an identity crisis. I have done one unpaid internship, and I felt guilty throughout. The internship was political, but wasn't for a party or politician. It paid £100 a week, which covered travel and lunch expenses – some internships pay nothing. To support myself I worked evenings and weekends in a cafe for the three months of the placement.
Keith Vaz, Labour MP and chairman of the home affairs select committee, recently hired a new intern. I was interviewed for the position, under the impression that it was paid. The job ad detailed the pay as "in accordance to Ipsa [Independent Parliamentary Standards Authority] guidelines" and I, naively, thought that these might say "pay your staff". But, no, it was a full-time, three-month, expenses-only internship. The lack of pay essentially ruled out any applicant who was not already in a fortunate economic position – ie with wealthy parents who were willing to fund their career progression.
What actually drives young people to take these roles and accept conditions of no pay and no employment rights? The desire to "volunteer" for an MP? Anyone who has not recently worked a 50-hour week for less than £20 may be out of touch with graduate job-hunting. The article does not mention the crippling fear of failure that arises from being unlucky in your job search, and the feeling that you will never get anywhere.
Internships are happening in every industry and sector, not just in buildings with shiny gold clocks on the side. Yet how can employers in creative industries, or the public sector, or in business, be told to pay their staff when unpaid internships are rife in the offices of our elected representatives? Young people cannot expect MPs to represent us – to campaign for our pay and employment rights – while we bring them research reports, with a smile, for the bargain price of travel and lunch expenses only.
Source: Emma Kosmin, Guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 6th December 2011
Tuesday 6 December 2011
Graduate 'made to stack shelves' seeks judicial review
A graduate is taking legal action against the government over a scheme which she says forces people to do unpaid work.
Cait Reilly, a University of Birmingham geology graduate, is currently trying to find work in the museum sector.
The 22-year-old said she had to work for free at a Poundland store for two weeks or risk losing her benefits.
She is seeking a judicial review. Poundland said the scheme is operated in partnership with the government.
It involves provide pre-employment training, a work placement and a guaranteed interview as a way of improving a person's employability.
The government has said the work experience offered through the scheme is with good employers providing real opportunities for employment.
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions is due to respond to Ms Reilly's case on 14 December.
Poundland said in a statement its work experience is designed to help people find work in the retail sector.
The company said: "We work in partnership with JobCentre Plus and other government funded organisations to implement a comprehensive work placement programme designed to provide on-the-job training for those looking to retail as a career opportunity.
"Our partnership with JobCentre Plus is a positive step to get people back into work. It doesn't replace our recruitment activity, but adds to the number of colleagues we have working with us."
Public interest lawyers, acting on behalf of Ms Reilly, have sent a letter-before-action, the first stage in a potential judicial review, challenging the Jobseeker's Allowance (Employment, Skills and Enterprise) Regulations 2011.
A spokesman for the law firm said Ms Reilly was told in November of an opportunity to attend an open day about job vacancies that could lead to a week's training and a job interview.
He said when she attended the open day she discovered the training would last up to six weeks, including a two-week, unpaid retail placement.
When she expressed concerns about the lack of relevance of the scheme to the work she wants to do, she said her Jobcentre Plus adviser had told her participation in the scheme was mandatory and that if she did not comply she would lose her benefits.
She said she spent two weeks cleaning and stacking shelves at the Poundland store in Kings Heath, Birmingham, and was not offered an interview.
"I think it's a form of manual labour in that they're forcing people to do jobs that are in no way related to what they want to do and giving them no experience for their careers," she said.
Jim Duffy, Ms Reilly's solicitor, said: "Everyone agrees on the need to help the unemployed back into work, but forcing young people into pointless, unpaid labour at massive retailers who could easily afford to pay them the minimum wage demeans and frustrates them when we should be empowering and supporting them.
"These Orwellian schemes are about work for its own sake rather than for any greater purpose."
Source: BBC.co.uk, Monday 5th December 2011
Cait Reilly, a University of Birmingham geology graduate, is currently trying to find work in the museum sector.
The 22-year-old said she had to work for free at a Poundland store for two weeks or risk losing her benefits.
She is seeking a judicial review. Poundland said the scheme is operated in partnership with the government.
It involves provide pre-employment training, a work placement and a guaranteed interview as a way of improving a person's employability.
The government has said the work experience offered through the scheme is with good employers providing real opportunities for employment.
The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions is due to respond to Ms Reilly's case on 14 December.
Poundland said in a statement its work experience is designed to help people find work in the retail sector.
The company said: "We work in partnership with JobCentre Plus and other government funded organisations to implement a comprehensive work placement programme designed to provide on-the-job training for those looking to retail as a career opportunity.
"Our partnership with JobCentre Plus is a positive step to get people back into work. It doesn't replace our recruitment activity, but adds to the number of colleagues we have working with us."
Public interest lawyers, acting on behalf of Ms Reilly, have sent a letter-before-action, the first stage in a potential judicial review, challenging the Jobseeker's Allowance (Employment, Skills and Enterprise) Regulations 2011.
A spokesman for the law firm said Ms Reilly was told in November of an opportunity to attend an open day about job vacancies that could lead to a week's training and a job interview.
He said when she attended the open day she discovered the training would last up to six weeks, including a two-week, unpaid retail placement.
When she expressed concerns about the lack of relevance of the scheme to the work she wants to do, she said her Jobcentre Plus adviser had told her participation in the scheme was mandatory and that if she did not comply she would lose her benefits.
She said she spent two weeks cleaning and stacking shelves at the Poundland store in Kings Heath, Birmingham, and was not offered an interview.
"I think it's a form of manual labour in that they're forcing people to do jobs that are in no way related to what they want to do and giving them no experience for their careers," she said.
Jim Duffy, Ms Reilly's solicitor, said: "Everyone agrees on the need to help the unemployed back into work, but forcing young people into pointless, unpaid labour at massive retailers who could easily afford to pay them the minimum wage demeans and frustrates them when we should be empowering and supporting them.
"These Orwellian schemes are about work for its own sake rather than for any greater purpose."
Source: BBC.co.uk, Monday 5th December 2011
Monday 5 December 2011
Study while you work with distance learning
Next autumn, studying for a degree in this country becomes signficantly more expensive, and already the pressure is beginning to tell. This week, figures from UCAS showed a 15 per cent dip in applications compared to this time last year, now that £9,000-a-year fees are looming. Cost-conscious students have a powerful incentive to examine every option in higher education — including distance learning, which allows students to obtain a degree while still living, and earning, at home.
That is important, because fees are only part of the picture. The National Union of Students asserts that UK students pay an average £4,900 a year for basics such as rent, food, books, equipment, field trips and the like.
If those costs can be significantly reduced, the burden of fees will be lessened. So canny sixth formers are musing not only on what and where to study, but how to study — whether, indeed, they have to be on campus to get a degree.
Distance learning best suits certain subjects and an ultra-motivated student, according to Carrie-Anne Rice of Resource Development International (RDI), the largest independent provider of UK university qualifications by distance learning. “The advantage is that the fee system is more flexible and you can start or maintain a full-time career while studying,” Rice says. “You graduate three years ahead of job rivals – with the same degree, but with three years’ work experience and without the debt.”
Henri Lanson, a sixth-form student at George Abbot School in Guildford, confirms that cost has indeed become an issue for his peers. “Some of my friends will not be going to university as they think it is simply too expensive, which is a shame as some are more than capable of achieving decent grades,” he says.
“I want to go to university to gain a good qualification, and to have the social experience that comes from living independently. But would I consider going straight into work and doing a distance degree from home? Quite probably.”
No matter how exhaustively student loans and the various mitigating elements are explained, no one should underestimate the scariness for a teenager of the prospect of hitting the job market with a five-figure debt. Adults may be conversant in the ins and outs of loans and repayment schemes, but for a 17 year-old, still emerging from the Piggy Bank years, any method of reducing that burden must be worth consideration.
Andy Cain is at the mature end of the student scale. He is 29, and awaiting his final grades for a BSc in business computing from the University of Teesside which he took while working for Fylde Borough Council in Lancashire. He has become a persuasive advocate for distance learning.
“I left school and went straight into work. But at the age of 23, I changed career and soon realised I needed a degree to advance. Because of mortgage demands and time constraints, full-time university wasn’t an option, but I discovered that distance learning was financially flexible and enabled me to work and gain skills from my workplace without affecting the quality of my life,” he says.
“If I could go back in time to when I was 18, and I had the option of university or a work and distance learning mix, I would definitely choose the latter. There are so many advantages in gaining work experience which, combined with the theoretical knowledge I’ve gained from my degree course, has already helped me advance up the career ladder.”
Andy (who paid around £7,000 in tuition fees for his BSc compared to what would, from 2012 onwards, be £27,000 for the traditional university experience) stumbled upon distance learning through RDI, which supports students at eight partner universities: Bradford, Wales, Anglia Ruskin, Sunderland, Sheffield Hallam, Birmingham, Birmingham City and the Royal Agricultural College.
That’s the surprise: flexi study is widely available. The Open University – the granddaddy of distance learning – boasts 250,000 students and not just midlife self-improvers. This academic year, 15.7 per cent of its students are aged 18-25. This week’s figures from UCAS suggest that the proportion of younger students in distance learning programmes is likely to rise, since the biggest drop in applications has been from mature students.
But demand for distance learning from overseas students shows no sign of slackening. The University of London has 48,000 students registered on its International Programme, taking undergraduate courses in accounting and finance, business and management, banking and finance, computing, earth sciences, economics, humanities, law, languages, mathematics or social sciences.
Many of the students on the International Programme are in fact UK-based but off-campus. The study experience is different, but there is no distinction in the standard of the award earned. Birkbeck College, for example, part of London University, is renowned for its evening-only courses.
Durham Business School, part of Durham University, offers a global MBA programme as well as part-time Masters degrees in management, marketing and human resources management. Warwick University, too, is increasingly known for its flexible distance learning courses.
A campus-based university experience will remain the dream for most school-leavers, and there is no question that “being there” is not only fun but beneficial in shared experience, pooled knowledge and — perhaps most valuable of all — friendships and contacts that will endure long after the degrees have been awarded.
But a head start in the job market, and a significantly smaller level of debt, also have their attractions: and sixth formers all over the country, not just budding mathematicians, must now do the calculations.
Source: Antonia Bremner, Telegraph.co.uk, Monday 5th December 2011
That is important, because fees are only part of the picture. The National Union of Students asserts that UK students pay an average £4,900 a year for basics such as rent, food, books, equipment, field trips and the like.
If those costs can be significantly reduced, the burden of fees will be lessened. So canny sixth formers are musing not only on what and where to study, but how to study — whether, indeed, they have to be on campus to get a degree.
Distance learning best suits certain subjects and an ultra-motivated student, according to Carrie-Anne Rice of Resource Development International (RDI), the largest independent provider of UK university qualifications by distance learning. “The advantage is that the fee system is more flexible and you can start or maintain a full-time career while studying,” Rice says. “You graduate three years ahead of job rivals – with the same degree, but with three years’ work experience and without the debt.”
Henri Lanson, a sixth-form student at George Abbot School in Guildford, confirms that cost has indeed become an issue for his peers. “Some of my friends will not be going to university as they think it is simply too expensive, which is a shame as some are more than capable of achieving decent grades,” he says.
“I want to go to university to gain a good qualification, and to have the social experience that comes from living independently. But would I consider going straight into work and doing a distance degree from home? Quite probably.”
No matter how exhaustively student loans and the various mitigating elements are explained, no one should underestimate the scariness for a teenager of the prospect of hitting the job market with a five-figure debt. Adults may be conversant in the ins and outs of loans and repayment schemes, but for a 17 year-old, still emerging from the Piggy Bank years, any method of reducing that burden must be worth consideration.
Andy Cain is at the mature end of the student scale. He is 29, and awaiting his final grades for a BSc in business computing from the University of Teesside which he took while working for Fylde Borough Council in Lancashire. He has become a persuasive advocate for distance learning.
“I left school and went straight into work. But at the age of 23, I changed career and soon realised I needed a degree to advance. Because of mortgage demands and time constraints, full-time university wasn’t an option, but I discovered that distance learning was financially flexible and enabled me to work and gain skills from my workplace without affecting the quality of my life,” he says.
“If I could go back in time to when I was 18, and I had the option of university or a work and distance learning mix, I would definitely choose the latter. There are so many advantages in gaining work experience which, combined with the theoretical knowledge I’ve gained from my degree course, has already helped me advance up the career ladder.”
Andy (who paid around £7,000 in tuition fees for his BSc compared to what would, from 2012 onwards, be £27,000 for the traditional university experience) stumbled upon distance learning through RDI, which supports students at eight partner universities: Bradford, Wales, Anglia Ruskin, Sunderland, Sheffield Hallam, Birmingham, Birmingham City and the Royal Agricultural College.
That’s the surprise: flexi study is widely available. The Open University – the granddaddy of distance learning – boasts 250,000 students and not just midlife self-improvers. This academic year, 15.7 per cent of its students are aged 18-25. This week’s figures from UCAS suggest that the proportion of younger students in distance learning programmes is likely to rise, since the biggest drop in applications has been from mature students.
But demand for distance learning from overseas students shows no sign of slackening. The University of London has 48,000 students registered on its International Programme, taking undergraduate courses in accounting and finance, business and management, banking and finance, computing, earth sciences, economics, humanities, law, languages, mathematics or social sciences.
Many of the students on the International Programme are in fact UK-based but off-campus. The study experience is different, but there is no distinction in the standard of the award earned. Birkbeck College, for example, part of London University, is renowned for its evening-only courses.
Durham Business School, part of Durham University, offers a global MBA programme as well as part-time Masters degrees in management, marketing and human resources management. Warwick University, too, is increasingly known for its flexible distance learning courses.
A campus-based university experience will remain the dream for most school-leavers, and there is no question that “being there” is not only fun but beneficial in shared experience, pooled knowledge and — perhaps most valuable of all — friendships and contacts that will endure long after the degrees have been awarded.
But a head start in the job market, and a significantly smaller level of debt, also have their attractions: and sixth formers all over the country, not just budding mathematicians, must now do the calculations.
Source: Antonia Bremner, Telegraph.co.uk, Monday 5th December 2011
Sunday 4 December 2011
BCS launches competition to find best IT graduate
IT graduates are being urged to take part in an event that aims to help them stand out in graduate recruitment processes.
'The Graduate', backed by BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT and industry partners, is an event that gives IT students and recent graduates experience with demonstrating soft skills in a mock graduate recruitment process.
All applicants will get feedback on their initial applications and they will also be in with a chance to win an Apple iPad 2, a training course and other prizes.
"The graduate recruitment process is by no means easy. From the application process to the assessment centre, graduates are faced with a variety of tasks and interviews, all of which require a different set of skills and competences. While university prepares graduates academically for the job they are applying for, very few will have ever experienced the interview process.
"The Graduate event equips graduates with a valuable toolkit of skills and importantly, provides the feedback they need to help them develop further," said Jennie Strickland, principal consultant at Capgemini, one of the employers involved with the event.
Other partners of the event include KPMG, University of Leeds, Leeds Metropolitan University, Graduates Yorkshire, GradCore and techmesh. Yorkshire Water is a founding partner of the event.
"Our organisation thrives from having a workforce which generates new ideas and competitive advantages. The Graduate provides a win-win opportunity whereby university students gain valuable experience in preparing for life after graduation and Yorkshire Water is able to showcase our industry-leading graduate trainee programme," said James Lockwood, CTO of Yorkshire Water.
The first stage of the event is a competency-based application form, based on partners' own graduate recruitment processes.
Around 30 of the most successful applicants who make it to the second round will go through interviews, group exercises and psychometric tests in a high-stress environment. They will also do a presentation to the panel.
Last year's winner Alex Vaughan is now employed by Capgemini, although The Graduate chair Chris Cahill, an IT professional at Yorkshire Water, stressed that the event is not a recruitment day. The day does provide an opportunity for students to network with the employers present, however.
Strickland added: "Graduate unemployment figures remain high and events like this are few and far between. I would strongly recommend students to get involved and give themselves the chance to stand out amongst their peers in the interview room."
The deadline for applications is 30 January 2012, with the final to be held on 19 March 2012 at Esholt Hall, in West Yorkshire. Graduates from anywhere in the UK can apply to the event.
Source: Anh Nguyen, computerworlduk.com, Thursday 1st December 2011
'The Graduate', backed by BCS, the Chartered Institute for IT and industry partners, is an event that gives IT students and recent graduates experience with demonstrating soft skills in a mock graduate recruitment process.
All applicants will get feedback on their initial applications and they will also be in with a chance to win an Apple iPad 2, a training course and other prizes.
"The graduate recruitment process is by no means easy. From the application process to the assessment centre, graduates are faced with a variety of tasks and interviews, all of which require a different set of skills and competences. While university prepares graduates academically for the job they are applying for, very few will have ever experienced the interview process.
"The Graduate event equips graduates with a valuable toolkit of skills and importantly, provides the feedback they need to help them develop further," said Jennie Strickland, principal consultant at Capgemini, one of the employers involved with the event.
Other partners of the event include KPMG, University of Leeds, Leeds Metropolitan University, Graduates Yorkshire, GradCore and techmesh. Yorkshire Water is a founding partner of the event.
"Our organisation thrives from having a workforce which generates new ideas and competitive advantages. The Graduate provides a win-win opportunity whereby university students gain valuable experience in preparing for life after graduation and Yorkshire Water is able to showcase our industry-leading graduate trainee programme," said James Lockwood, CTO of Yorkshire Water.
The first stage of the event is a competency-based application form, based on partners' own graduate recruitment processes.
Around 30 of the most successful applicants who make it to the second round will go through interviews, group exercises and psychometric tests in a high-stress environment. They will also do a presentation to the panel.
Last year's winner Alex Vaughan is now employed by Capgemini, although The Graduate chair Chris Cahill, an IT professional at Yorkshire Water, stressed that the event is not a recruitment day. The day does provide an opportunity for students to network with the employers present, however.
Strickland added: "Graduate unemployment figures remain high and events like this are few and far between. I would strongly recommend students to get involved and give themselves the chance to stand out amongst their peers in the interview room."
The deadline for applications is 30 January 2012, with the final to be held on 19 March 2012 at Esholt Hall, in West Yorkshire. Graduates from anywhere in the UK can apply to the event.
Source: Anh Nguyen, computerworlduk.com, Thursday 1st December 2011
Saturday 3 December 2011
More graduate jobs in the coming years
Graduates looking for UK jobs will find it easier in the future.
This is the opinion of Dan Hawes, co-founder of the Graduate Recruitment Bureau, who believes that as economic conditions improve more opportunities will be created.
He also advised people who have just finished their studies to look for jobs in other countries, as many have not yet developed commitments and could find a suitable job outside the UK.
"Graduates need to take a much broader approach to finding work and also plan a lot earlier so they make the most of their time at university to become more employable," Mr Hawes explained.
He believes that the new generation of people who are about to study at university are much more aware of what it takes to find employment.
The Department for Work and Pensions recently unveiled a £1 billion investment that it hopes will create more job opportunities for people aged between 18 and 24.
Source: Uknetguide.co.uk, Saturday 3rd December 2011
This is the opinion of Dan Hawes, co-founder of the Graduate Recruitment Bureau, who believes that as economic conditions improve more opportunities will be created.
He also advised people who have just finished their studies to look for jobs in other countries, as many have not yet developed commitments and could find a suitable job outside the UK.
"Graduates need to take a much broader approach to finding work and also plan a lot earlier so they make the most of their time at university to become more employable," Mr Hawes explained.
He believes that the new generation of people who are about to study at university are much more aware of what it takes to find employment.
The Department for Work and Pensions recently unveiled a £1 billion investment that it hopes will create more job opportunities for people aged between 18 and 24.
Source: Uknetguide.co.uk, Saturday 3rd December 2011
Friday 2 December 2011
Irish firm Presidion to create 20 graduate jobs
SPSS Ireland has rebranded itself under the new name Presidion and will create 20 new graduate jobs in Ireland over the next three years.
The analytics software and services company was established in Dublin in the mid-Nineties and has since become IBM’s biggest partner for predictive analytics. It services more than 500 accounts and thousands of customers in Ireland.
The company will now aim to expand in the UK market and the graduate programme will hire 20 new staff to help achieve the aim.
Graduates with mathematics backgrounds will be offered analytic consulant roles while those with market and business degrees will be given analytic account management roles.
“Presidion exemplifies the type of companies that will be central to Ireland’s economic recovery. It is a company that is at the forefront of innovation, creating the software services of tomorrow, opening new markets, and securing economic growth and jobs,” said John Perry, TD, minister of State for Small Business.
“It is innovation that will drive the productivity growth that will push our economy to new levels and create new jobs for our people. I believe that companies like Presidion are essential for fostering the climate of innovation in Ireland and translating Irish entrepreneurial ambition into market-focused reality.”
Source: David Richardson, Insideireland.ie, Thursday 1st December 2011
The analytics software and services company was established in Dublin in the mid-Nineties and has since become IBM’s biggest partner for predictive analytics. It services more than 500 accounts and thousands of customers in Ireland.
The company will now aim to expand in the UK market and the graduate programme will hire 20 new staff to help achieve the aim.
Graduates with mathematics backgrounds will be offered analytic consulant roles while those with market and business degrees will be given analytic account management roles.
“Presidion exemplifies the type of companies that will be central to Ireland’s economic recovery. It is a company that is at the forefront of innovation, creating the software services of tomorrow, opening new markets, and securing economic growth and jobs,” said John Perry, TD, minister of State for Small Business.
“It is innovation that will drive the productivity growth that will push our economy to new levels and create new jobs for our people. I believe that companies like Presidion are essential for fostering the climate of innovation in Ireland and translating Irish entrepreneurial ambition into market-focused reality.”
Source: David Richardson, Insideireland.ie, Thursday 1st December 2011
Thursday 1 December 2011
Coalition injects £1.4m to boost food and drink skills
After winning a vote of confidence from the Government, the food and drink industry is now able to part-fund a range of skills programmes for the sector.
The programmes will be run in order to support competitiveness, growth and jobs in the food and drink manufacturing sector.
The financial support from the Government is on a 50% basis; where investment is made, businesses and manufacturers are obliged to match the investment in terms of cash, time and in-kind support. It has been described as a milestone-based investment plan for the skills needed in the food and drink sector.
There are three main parts to the new initiative.
Tasty Graduates. This includes the building of a new Centre of Excellence in Food Production Engineering and the introduction of an industry specific degree qualification.
The Blueprint for Excellence is also being launched – food manufacturers will now be required to produce to an industry-wide “gold standard” for the standards and competencies expected of effective workers in specific food industry jobs.
Tasty Jobs. This scheme will enable 600 people who are out of work to partake in pre-employment training programmes. These are designed to ensure that those currently unemployed are not just work-ready but ready to work in the food and drink sector.
“At a time of necessary financial restraint, the case for taxpayer investment in food manufacturing skills against investment in other sectors had to be strong. Payback to the economy and on-going commitment of employers is evident,” commented Jack Matthews, chief executive of Improve, the skills council for the UK food and drink sector.
Angela Coleshill, The Food & Drink Federation’s director of competitiveness said: “With over a third of the workforce due to retire in the next 5 years and the current shortage of technicians and engineers, attracting talent and up skilling our existing workforce will be vital to ensure we have the technicians, managers and leaders of the future.”
Ms Coleshill said that the FDF is working hard to shed the outdated image of the food and drink manufacturing sector, and is ready to launch a careers campaign: ‘Taste Success – A Future in Food’ in order to boost the image of the sector.
“[We hope to show] young people that we are leading the way in regards to scientific and technological innovation, research and development; and FDF’s Graduate Ambition will see us working with universities to develop a new degree course to equip graduates with the skills that the food and drink industry requires,” she added.
Source: Themanufacturer.com, Monday 28th November 2011
The programmes will be run in order to support competitiveness, growth and jobs in the food and drink manufacturing sector.
The financial support from the Government is on a 50% basis; where investment is made, businesses and manufacturers are obliged to match the investment in terms of cash, time and in-kind support. It has been described as a milestone-based investment plan for the skills needed in the food and drink sector.
There are three main parts to the new initiative.
Tasty Graduates. This includes the building of a new Centre of Excellence in Food Production Engineering and the introduction of an industry specific degree qualification.
The Blueprint for Excellence is also being launched – food manufacturers will now be required to produce to an industry-wide “gold standard” for the standards and competencies expected of effective workers in specific food industry jobs.
Tasty Jobs. This scheme will enable 600 people who are out of work to partake in pre-employment training programmes. These are designed to ensure that those currently unemployed are not just work-ready but ready to work in the food and drink sector.
“At a time of necessary financial restraint, the case for taxpayer investment in food manufacturing skills against investment in other sectors had to be strong. Payback to the economy and on-going commitment of employers is evident,” commented Jack Matthews, chief executive of Improve, the skills council for the UK food and drink sector.
Angela Coleshill, The Food & Drink Federation’s director of competitiveness said: “With over a third of the workforce due to retire in the next 5 years and the current shortage of technicians and engineers, attracting talent and up skilling our existing workforce will be vital to ensure we have the technicians, managers and leaders of the future.”
Ms Coleshill said that the FDF is working hard to shed the outdated image of the food and drink manufacturing sector, and is ready to launch a careers campaign: ‘Taste Success – A Future in Food’ in order to boost the image of the sector.
“[We hope to show] young people that we are leading the way in regards to scientific and technological innovation, research and development; and FDF’s Graduate Ambition will see us working with universities to develop a new degree course to equip graduates with the skills that the food and drink industry requires,” she added.
Source: Themanufacturer.com, Monday 28th November 2011
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