GradWeb powers BP to Graduate Recruitment Award

GradWeb underlined its reputation as the leading entry-level recruitment and technology specialist as its GradWeb2.0 Applicant Tracking System (ATS) was singled out as the best in the UK by Potentialpark’s analysis.

BP, one of the UK’s leading graduate recruiters, won the prestigious APOLLO (APplying OnLine & LOving it) award from organisers Potentialpark for providing the best online candidate experience in graduate recruitment. Research shows that the majority of jobseekers are frustrated by impersonal and non-transparent online application processes. By improving candidate experience graduate employers are able to increase the success of their recruitment campaigns as well as enriching the appeal of their employer brand.

BP is recruiting 244 graduates in the UK, to join in September 2012, together with over 130 summer and one-year paid interns. GradWeb has worked closely with BP since 2006 providing the GradWeb2.0 recruitment system and response handling services. In delivering a seamless experience for candidates and providing an intuitive interface for graduate recruiters to control and manage candidates, BP benefits from a highly configurable and advanced recruitment system and from the proactive day-to-day support and experience of the GradWeb team.

Commenting on the award Emma Judge, Head of UK Graduate Resourcing at BP said “We are delighted to be able to offer our candidates a top quality applicant experience. BP values each and every one of our candidates and through our partnership with GradWeb we are able to offer undergraduates the support and online capability they deserve.”

Cynthia Bostock, GradWeb’s Managing Director said: "We have been working with the BP team for over 6 years and this award is testament to the hard work that both teams have contributed in developing the online system during this time. The award also underlines the flexibility of GradWeb2.0. Employers are able to customise the system to their own processes, improving candidate experience and the success of their entry-level recruitment campaigns”.

Award organiser Potentialpark has been reviewing and ranking online talent communication for 10 years. Its APOLLO award is now in its second year and ranks the online recruitment systems of 113 UK graduate employers and their suppliers. Based on feedback from a representative number of students and graduates, Potentialpark audits each online recruitment system from a candidate's perspective in 5 main areas: preparation, career search, application form intelligence, candidate relationship and support.

"Our research with graduates shows us that the online application process still causes the biggest frustration when searching and applying for a career. The APOLLO rankings indicate the companies that are best meeting the preferences and priorities of job seekers. This year's deserving winner in the UK was BP." said Torgil Lenning CEO, Potential Park.

Source: Yourindustrynews.com, Tuesday 6th March 2012

University of Cumbria wins bid for more cash

A project aimed at helping graduates find work has been so successful at the University of Cumbria they have been awarded a further £1.7m to continue its work until 2013.

The university has been a lead partner in the North West regional pilot project for the Department of Work and Pensions

It was funded by the European Social Fund and had been running for three years and was due to finish this year.This money means the project can continue and graduates can get additional training in skills they may need to secure a job.

Graduate Eleanor Missen took part in the programme last October and it acted as the catalyst she needed to kick start her career. She says:

“I was struggling to get past interview stage when applying for jobs. I found the two-day "Graduate Career Boost" excellent in identifying my strengths, improving my confidence and helping me to articulate my skills and experience at interview. Only weeks after the event I was successful in getting a permanent job and I have recently secured a temporary promotion to a graduate level role. My career has really taken off. The skills I learned were invaluable, and will be with me for life.”

Source: Itv.com, Thursday 22nd March 2012

Hundreds attend fair to find new opportunities

People of all ages hunting for opportunities crowded into the 10th Worcester News Jobs and Careers Fair at the Guildhall, Worcester.

Stalls ranging from healthcare and engineering to franchise openings and training ideas were lined up in the historic hall to offer a modern way into different kinds of work.

A total of 734 visitors attended throughout the day with a variety of reasons for wanting to find something to offer them a fresh spark.

Steve Martin, of Battenhall, Worcester, was made redundant from his civil service job a few months ago.

“I am looking for any kind of employment,” said the 38-year-old. “In the current job market, it’s important to keep your options open and to get some ideas.”

James Johnson had travelled from Kidderminster to see if he could find a way into mechanics or retail after leaving college last summer.

“I have had a few bits of work but nothing I really wanted to do,” he said. “I’ve found a few stalls here that have given me some ideas.”

Stallholders were also pleased with the way the fair had gone for them.

Sam Thwaites, sales and marketing manager of Bright Assessing, said they had had a number of enquiries from people wanting to start a new role as an NVQ assessor.

“We have had people come from all over the country, from as far as Lincolnshire, to visit us at this fair,” she said.

The Franchising Tabloid, based in Bromsgrove, was also pleased.

“We aim to put people with the right kinds of franchise,” said operations director Phil Tansley. “It’s good to meet people here and talk to them about the options.”

There were also stalls from colleges, the University of Worcester and the Army.

Lynne Harvey, of Kidderminster, was looking for opportunities for her graduate daughter who had been made redundant from an insolvency company. But the 66-year-old was also keeping an eye open for herself.

“I graduated through the Open University last year,” she said. “I’m always looking for something I could do next.”

Organiser Richard Hencher, Worcester News recruitment manager, said the day had been hailed as a success by stallholders and visitors.

Source: Worcesternews.co.uk, Saturday 24th March 2012

Low number of graduates creating skills shortage in the West Midlands

The region’s critical skills shortage has been underlined by new figures revealing the West Midlands has the highest proportion of people in the UK with no qualifications.

The West Midlands is one of the regions with the lowest percentage of graduates at around 28 per cent, according to the Office for National Statistics.

Graduates typically have higher employment rates than non-graduates. At the end of 2011, the employment rate for all graduates in the UK was 86 per cent, compared with 72.3 per cent for non-graduates.

The average hourly earnings for graduates was £15.18 in 2011, compared with £8.92 for non-graduates.

Jerry Blackett, chief executive of Birmingham Chamber of Commerce Group, said: “The Birmingham Chamber has consistently called for skills to be at the top of every government’s agenda.

“A 21st century economy is based on the skills and ingenuity of its people. As we enter an age of unprecedented competition with emerging markets such as China and India it is vital that we re-double our efforts.

“The West Midlands has one of the lowest skills bases in the country but it also has some of the best universities.

“We need to ensure we get the basics right such as literacy and numeracy, which employers tell us is vital to the success of their business but often lacking in employees even at graduate level.”

The number of highly skilled jobs available to graduates differs widely across the country, with a quarter of jobs in the West Midlands in the highest skilled group.

Graduates are more likely to work in high skill jobs and therefore may be more likely to move to London for work, where 34 per cent of jobs are in the highest skilled group, rather than to regions where there are fewer high skilled jobs available.

Mr Blackett added: “We also need to ensure more and more children are studying science, technology, engineering and mathematics at university to ensure that we lead the world in these fields.

“Apprenticeships are also key to the success of our economy.

“Good quality vocational education will ensure that our manufacturers have access to the employees that they need to grow and will also ensure that we have a highly skilled workforce capable of competing in a hostile and competitive world economy.”

The percentage of recent graduates working in lower skilled jobs across the UK has rocketed from 26.7 per cent in 2001 to 35.9 per cent at the end of 2011.

During the recent recession the employment rate for those who graduated in the last six years fell from 90.2 per cent to 86.5 per cent. The employment rate for all graduates fell from 88.5 per cent to 87.2 per cent.

The unemployment rate for new graduates, those who graduated in the last two years, stood at 18.9 per cent at the end of 2011, much higher than the rates for those who graduated two to four years ago, 6.7 per cent, and four to six years ago, 4.4 per cent.

The unemployment rate for everyone in the UK stands at 8.4 per cent.

Source: Cillian O'Brien, Birminghampost.net, Friday 23rd March 2012

New job opportunities for Gaelic graduates

Comunn na Gàidhlig (CnaG) is currently seeking applications from Gaelic-speaking graduates who wish to work in areas of Gaelic development.

CnaG is also looking for organisations engaged in Gaelic development wishing to provide a year-long placement for a graduate.

The Scheme, which is funded by Bòrd na Gàidhlig, allows talented young Gaels take a first step into the workplace, providing them with a year-long placement, enabling them to access a wide range of Gaelic-related career opportunities and to work in a Gaelic environment.

The Scheme provides the graduates with a salary of £17k and they also have the opportunity to attend a 5-day residential personal development course which will be greatly beneficial to them and which will also enhance their CV.

The Scheme also greatly benefits the host organisations, in that they get talented young people full of confidence and enthusiasm, with specific skills enabling the organisations to expand their range of work and services.

The organisations are also given financial support to help with the costs of taking a graduate through the Scheme.

Graduates interested in participating in the Scheme can get further information and an application form at www.cnag.org.uk

Source: Stornawaygazette.co.uk, Tuesday 20th March 2012

Oxford law graduate cleared of role in London riot

An Oxford law graduate accused of throwing bricks at police during last summer's riots walked free from court on Friday after a jury took just half an hour to find him not guilty.

Fahim Alam, 26, was arrested on the second day of the riots, and accused of being part of a 50-strong crowd on Mare Street in Hackney, attacking police with bricks, bottles and fireworks. At one stage, a pitbull-type dog was released from the group and ran at police.

The arrest of the former law student, who also has a masters degree from the London School of Economics, received extensive media coverage at the time, with the story appearing on the front page of several national newspapers.

Alam had finished his first day at a new job in Bethnal Green and was walking to his grandmother's house in Hackney on 8 August, arriving on Mare Street around 6pm when the disorder was already underway.

PC Ben Sparks, from the Territorial Support Group, said he had seen Alam throw a rock and a brick at police who were trying to contain the crowd. The brick hit another officer in the leg, causing him to stumble. Sparks told the court he was "100% sure" that he could positively identify Alam as the man he had seen "draw his arm back and throw a large piece of rock towards me".

Sparks claimed to have spotted Alam in the crowd earlier and watched him constantly for 25 minutes, up until the point of his arrest. He said he had picked out Alam because of the distinctive clothing he was wearing, including a scarf that the officer described as "an Arabic shemagh, used by the military".

Sparks said: "He was the only male wearing a shemagh in the group and being ex-military, I suppose it stood out for me." He later explained that he had been in the TA.

Alam was represented in court by Imran Khan, the solicitor best known for acting for the family of murdered black teenager Stephen Lawrence. Khan challenged Sparks over how he could be sure that Alam was the man he had earlier seen throw the missiles. Khan said that anyone who has read the 'Where's Wally?' children's books will know how difficult it is to keep track of where one individual is in a crowd even on the pages of a book, let alone in a real-life and fast-moving situation such as the police faced on Mare Street.

Khan later accused the prosecution of having "an itchy trigger finger" in relation to riot cases and said his client should never have faced trial. If convicted of violent disorder, Alam could have faced up to two years in prison.

Khan said: "They should have paid greater attention to the weakness of the identification evidence and realised how difficult it was. I have never had a jury come back that quickly with their verdict before, which shows you how weak it was."

Speaking after his acquittal, Alam said being arrested and remanded in custody for six weeks – before being released subject to electronic curfew – had felt like being kidnapped. After initially being held in a police cell for 48 hours, he was then brought to court at 3am, during one of the special riot sittings. He said his experiences highlighted concerns over the way riot cases are treated by courts and he now plans to start a campaign for justice for defendants in this situation.

Alam said he was bemused by PC Sparks description of his neckwear as an "Arabic military scarf". He was, he says, making merely a fashion, rather than political, statement, by wearing it. "How can a shemagh have military connotations when they sell them in places like Topshop and Topman and all those corporate, chain-type shops?" he said.

Source: Fiona Bawdon, Guardian.co.uk, Sunday 25th March 2012

Ilkley dancer wins place at top ballet company

A teenage dancer has won a prestigious contract with one of the world’s top ballet companies.

And now Max Maslen cannot wait to get started with the Birmingham Royal Ballet (BRB) after securing his 12-month deal before even finishing his training at the Central School of Ballet (CSB) in London.

The 18-year-old from Ilkley is currently on a nationwide tour with CSB before he starts his contract at the end of March.

He is also due to graduate with a BA (Hons) in professional dance and performance this summer.

“I am thrilled to be selected by such a prestigious ballet company as BRB. Professional dance training at the top level as offered by CSB is tough, very competitive and hugely demanding physically, but wonderful too,” said Mr Maslen, a former pupil at the Nydza School of Dance & Performing Arts in Bradford, who gained a coveted place at CSB following auditions alongside over 400 other applicants.

“CSB have been enormously supportive and have worked so hard to help me achieve my first professional contract.

“I can’t wait to start at BRB but I am also excited about performing in Yorkshire and at other locations with Ballet Central before I graduate in July.”

Mr Maslen will return to his home county next month, with CSB, to perform at the Stanley & Audrey Burton Theatre, in Leeds, on Saturday, April 28.

Sara Matthew, director of CSB, praised Mr Maslen’s efforts in earning a BRB contract.

“Joining a company of such international renown is a wonderful opportunity for Max,” she said.

“To have reached a professional standard before the completion of his course is a huge achievement.

“In joining Birmingham Royal Ballet Max continues a long history of CSB graduates that have gained jobs with top national and international ballet companies, reflecting the excellence of the teaching faculty here at CSB. We wish him all the best for the future.”

Source: Jonathan Redhead, Ilkleygazette.co.uk, Sunday 25th March 2012

University of Leicester and Holland Alexander in skills training boost

With the graduate job market becoming increasingly competitive, the University of Leicester has launched a new initiative with Holland Alexander to enhance the employability skills of its students.

The Holland Alexander Event Management Challenge gives students invaluable events management and PR experience, and will help them to jump start their future careers.

Director of the Careers Service Bob Athwal said:

“We are delighted to be working closely with Holland Alexander on a number of exciting initiatives to enhance the employability of our students. This challenge represents a fantastic opportunity for students to gain real life experience from one of the region’s leading events management companies.”

Students were required to devise and submit an events proposal to a fictional client: the successful candidates won the opportunity to attend an intensive training day at the Holland Alexander Leicester studios and two candidates will win the chance for on-the-job experience at a future event.

Holland Alexander Director Louise Holland commented:

“We are delighted to be working in close partnership with the University of Leicester this year and giving participants a unique insight into what we expect from graduates entering our business whilst helping them to develop the employability tools to succeed after university."

The initiative follows the recent announcement that the University has introduced a new Award for Industry Awareness through which students can receive specialised training from graduate recruiters at FTSE 100 company, NEXT. Students receive on the job training at NEXT headquarters in Enderby, Leicester, taking part in business case studies and mock interviews by internal graduate recruiters.

The University of Leicester Careers Service offers a wide range of engagement activities to enhance the employability skills and prospects of students. These include careers fairs, skills workshops, The Leicester Award and a diverse range of activities based within the academic Colleges.

Source: Inloughborough.com, Friday 23rd March 2012

Students are worried about finding a job after finishing university

Graduate worries about obtaining a job grow along with their debts as tuition fees rise and graduate vacancies fall.

Students are becoming increasingly worried about their prospects of finding a graduate job when they graduate. The biennial Sodexo University Lifestyle Survey, of over 2,000 students and published in association with the Times Higher Education has found that 56% of students are concerned about finding work then they graduate.

In 2010 this figure was 46%, but with the increase in debt many graduates are worried about mountains of debt and no job at the end. Students are even more concerned about what class of degree they will obtain as many companies start to look for graduates with a 2:1 or above. This is in response to the increase in competition for graduate jobs, with as many as 80 applications per graduate vacancy.

One in four students in the survey highlighted that they wouldn’t have gone to university were they to pay the higher tuition fees been introduced later this year. Peter Taylor, head of universities at Sodexo, commented, ‘Students continue to spend less on socialising and are eating less healthily as a result of financial pressures. These trends are likely to increase when students begin paying higher fees.’

Source: Pareto.co.uk, Thursday 22nd March 2012

Why internships and placements are a popular route to employment

Previously, students looking for part-time work or summer jobs were advised to take any type of role because, at that time, all work experience was considered valuable, and it was viewed as an indication that the student had drive, enthusiasm and a willingness to get on and work.

But those days are over. Career and graduate recruitment experts are now recommending that students build up a portfolio of relevant work experience as early as possible – before they arrive at university, if they get the opportunity.

Students shouldn't be dissuaded from undertaking part-time jobs or underestimate the valuable employability skills that they will undoubtedly gain from them, but should be warned that, when they graduate, that experience alone will probably not be enough to get a job. Many employers will require what they term "relevant work experience" gained either through a suitable placement or internships.

Prospective students therefore need to work out what industry sectors and job roles they might be interested in sooner, rather than later, and then focus on gaining work experience in these areas.

Many universities and business schools are offering programmes with built-in placements and internships. These are proving increasingly popular. Applications for four-year degree programmes at Lancaster University Management School (LUMS), which include an industrial placement, have been soaring and many more students are enquiring about the opportunities for internships.

The latest High Fliers Research into the Graduate Market 2012 reveals that a third of this year's entry-level positions will be filled by graduates who have already worked for the organisation during an internship or placement. This is borne out by evidence from companies such as Centrica whose 10-week summer internship scheme for predominantly penultimate year students has grown from 11 places in 2006 to 75 in 2010. Last year, Centrica filled 38 per cent of their graduate intake from this internship pool. The figure rockets in industries such as investment banking, where as many as 80 per cent of positions are filled by those who have undertaken an internship or placement with the company.

In his recent review into collaboration between business and universities, Sir Tim Wilson recommended internships and work placements as the way for students to improve their employability. His research revealed that students who either completed sandwich courses or had the experience of an internship were more employable after graduation. Wilson said: "I think we're beginning to see internships being used as part of an extended interview process. The evidence that a placement year improves employability opportunities is strong while a lack of work experience appears as a key barrier."

LUMS students go out into industry placements on their third year, but we work with them from year one to ensure they have the skills and knowledge to win a placement. There are no guarantees. They take a 15-hour development programme culminating in an assessment centre and mock interview before even starting to apply for a placement at the end of their first year.

The Office for National Statistics report in graduate recruitment shows the vast increase in the size of the graduate population, an increase of more than 430,000 graduates in the past 10 years from 1,063,000 in 2001 to 1,501,000 in 2011, which means a much more competitive jobs market for graduates than in the past.

Differentiation is therefore the key. It is vital that a student (or prospective student) does everything they can to make themselves stand out from the crowd. For higher education careers services, it also means finding a balance between supporting those on placements, and helping those without such valuable work experience, to secure a graduate position.

Source: Louise Briggs and Rory Daly, Independent.co.uk, Wednesday 21st March 2012

Amey to create 50 jobs

Infrastructure services company Amey today said it is set to create more than 50 jobs for graduates and apprentices in Manchester over the next 12 months. Amey, which specialises in the rail and highways sectors, is moving 100 staff who were previously housed in offices in Manchester, Warrington, Preston and York to a new engineering hub at City Tower in Piccadilly Plaza next month. The move is designed to bring Amey closer to its core clients who operate out of the city, and follows similar consolidation in Birmingham and Crawley. Around 50 graduate and apprenticeship opportunities are planned and Amey aims to forge links with universities across the north west to help fill its vacancies. Chief executive Mel Ewell said: “This move shows Amey’s long-term commitment to the north west region, where we’ll be looking to draw from the labour market rich in expertise, in line with our expansion plans. “Manchester is a vibrant, dynamic city with excellent transport links and we believe it’s the ideal place for our north west hub.” Amey, which maintains street lighting across Manchester, has signed a 10-year lease to occupy two floors at City Tower. The new base will house information management and security teams, as well as Amey's rail asset management team, which inspects the region’s railway stations, bridges and tunnels as part of a £250m nationwide contract with Network Rail. Amey, which has a turnover around £1.5bn, employs more than 11,000 people nationwide.

Source: Menmedia.co.uk, Wednesday 21st March 2012

Five top paying careers

If the time has arrived to begin thinking about what profession to embark upon, or perhaps you’re getting restless and want a change of career, you can be faced with a difficult decision to make. Some people strive for a job with creativity, others want a job with little responsibility. However, if wealth is your main career aspiration, it’s simple – a high paid job will fulfil your ambition.

For some of us, success and salary go hand-in-hand and having a sky scraper wage is the main benchmark of achievement. If you dream of having a mansion, a collection of sports cars or perhaps just a mountainous savings account, here are five suggestions on where to start looking for the perfect path to prosperity. But beware, high salaries come at a price – these careers are no walk in the park.

Head of major organisation

The CEO/Managing Director of a company is usually responsible for over 500 people. They plan, direct and co-ordinate resources for many operations around their company, and the average salary for a CEO is £112,157.

Chief Executive Officers are often described as entrepreneurs. They’re good at communicating, highly motivated and work towards their clear visions of a more productive business.

Philip Clarke is the current Chief Executive of Tesco’s. He has spent his entire career working for the supermarket chain, after joining as a graduate trainee following his degree in Economics. He has worked his way through many roles, including store manager and product buyer. Clarke is proof that hard work pays off, so if you can see yourself high up in a company, working your way up is the best route to go.

Medical practitioner

This umbrella-term includes professions such as surgeon, doctor and physicians. Working in the medical field requires further education, perseverance and a strong passion for the work you’re doing. Medical professionals can earn an average of £82,962 per annum.

Senior national government official

Working in politics, whether it’s within Government or the Shadow Cabinet is a grand aspiration, but there has to be someone running the country!

To offer a shining example of how it’s done, before becoming Prime Minister, David Cameron worked in business and Government. He was educated at Eton College and then Oxford University, studying Philosophy, Politics and Economics and graduated with a first class honours degree. He subsequently worked for the Conservative Party Research Department and then as a Special Adviser in Government. Following this, he spent seven years at Carlton Communications, one of the UK's top media companies, and served on the management board.

A senior post in Government can earn you around £78,182 a year, but beware, Private Eye magazine recently calculated that MPs are four times more likely to go to jail than members of the public!

Aircraft pilot

Becoming an aircraft pilot requires a great passion for flying, as this is a career choice twinned with heavy responsibility and commitment. Rigorous training courses have to be passed with flying colours at regular intervals in order to maintain the relevant license to fly. And that’s after the initial competitiveness that exists when getting a place in a pilot training scheme.

Pilots can earn around £74,442.

Dental practitioner

Becoming a dentist may seem like a slightly odd career choice, but has flexible hours and an average annual salary of £60,098. To qualify as a dentist requires a dental course, which usually lasts five years and leads to a bachelor's degree.

Source: Thisisbristol.co.uk, Monday 19th March 2012

Recruitment firm still putting people first

Award-winning Bradford businesswoman Jane Vincent is expanding her operations after spotting a gap in the market for her recruitment firm’s services at a time when local employers seem to be seeking more full-time staff.

Jane, who spearheads the Positive Bradford campaign, has expanded Candelisa People, which she launched at the height of the recession in 2009, into Ilkley – creating jobs for two unemployed graduates in the process.

She has made her move at a time when demand for permanent staff looks to be picking up and believes the Ilkley office of Candelisa People which has a turnover of around £2.5 million, will be able to plug into untapped demand for its services in Wharfedale and neighbouring areas.

Jane, who was named businesswoman of the year in the 2011 T&A Bradford Means Business awards, said: “Previous recruitment agencies in the Ilkley area have closed and I believe there is demand for such services there. I expect most of the demand to come from the commercial sector for people such as PAs, receptionists and other admin staff. I believe that opening our new office will provide an ideal springboard for Candelisa People to grow.”

The Bradford office on North Parade had seen demand for permanent staff increase significantly since the beginning of the year.

“Demand for permanent staff in January and February has been as strong as at any time since we started, with employers in sectors such as engineering and industrial roles, call centres and human resources looking for people. It’s probably too early to say that we are in a recovery, but our experience shows that things are certainly improving,” said Jane.

Candelisa People’s new office is staffed by Bradford University graduate Sam Dilliway and Canadian-born graduate Jessica Nicholls.

Jane said: “Sam and Jessica both impressed me and I wanted to give them a chance to prove themselves.

“They have started up the Ilkley operation and we are providing full support and putting them through a training programme while they also gain experience.

“It’s a great chance for them to prove themselves.

“Sam helped with last year’s Positive Bradford event as a volunteer and showed what he is capable of and I’m delighted to be providing him with a chance. Jessica came to us as a job-seeking candidate after returning from Canada and I was impressed enough to take her on.”

Candelisa people has moved into offices in the Wells Road business centre owned by property company Candelisa – which shares a name but has no operational connection with the recruitment business. Candelisa property director Guy Taylor is Godfather to Jane Vincent’s daughter and invested in her business when it launched.

Candelisa People’s new office was officially opened by local MP Kris Hopkins at an event attended by around 170 guests, including the Lord Mayor of Bradford Coun Naveeda Ikram.

Source: Chris Holland, Thetelegraphandargus.co.uk, Monday 19th March 2012

Ed Miliband's youth unemployment speech – Live magazine panel

The Labour leader has promised to find jobs for unemployed young people, announcing a policy whereby anyone aged 18-24 and out of work for a year will be required to do a minimum of 25 hours a week of paid work on a six-month government scheme, or lose their right to benefits. Below, writers from Live magazine respond to his proposals.

For this young person, the scheme is far from inspiring – Kamilla Baiden

The prospect of providing quality training, a minimum wage and a guaranteed job for six months to the long-term unemployed is welcome news. Finally a scheme where unemployed young people are "guaranteed" a job – a paid job too. No more working for free in Poundland, no more folding clothes in Primark, here is a quality opportunity young people will actually want to do.

Or is it?  The proposed scheme is inspiring and produces a glimmer of hope for the 49,000 Neets, but what about graduates? People who have studied in order to get a career-based job? What about the long-term unemployed graduate, who has studied for three years and undertaken countless hours of unpaid work experience? How can a scheme that doesn't offer high-quality jobs appeal to them, or to any young person wanting to establish a lifelong career?

For this young person, the scheme is far from inspiring. It should be getting companies and organisations that we actually want to work for to create positions for young people from all walks of life. This would produce a generation proud of their jobs and their careers. People who want to work and who would then inspire future generations to aim for career-based jobs that raise aspirations and are much more appealing than the dole or any other benefits.

Labour lies gagging on outdated ideas – Robbie Wojciechowski

It's funny that Ed, someone who's so vocal about the youth's political disillusionment, is as much the vision of his own nightmare as he is a politician who fails to engage this country's youth. "However big an injustice seems, it's not too big for politics to overcome," he said, starting today's youth conference.

He said this to a room of people who in the past year have been lied to by politicians more times than his face has been compared to that of a fictional cartoon character. Ed's ignorance is charming; his jokes are plucky, but his personality is akin to that of stale bread.

Labour already lies gagging on outdated ideas and traditional party ideology. And Ed's not someone who's going to change any of that. Voters may see him as the face of politics' young authoritarians, but the fact is, the policies he lays out today are just ideas we'll never see put into action. Ed's pledges for the youth might look good as part of a PR campaign, but the future of politics lies in the hands of those who sit in the conference room asking the questions. Not Labour. 

His 'real jobs guarantee' isn't a guarantee at all – Omar Shahid

Ed Miliband's plans to reduce youth unemployment are radical, bold and necessary, but are flawed on many levels. Politicians fight to win votes and attract news-grabbing headlines, their impact on real issues facing society is minimal.

Miliband believes we can increase employment among the youth through a bank bonus tax. If bankers were already greedy enough to take extortionate bonuses, what's stopping them from demanding stock options, or asking for an increased salary as opposed to getting a bonus? Where will the money to fund employment come from then? Labour already plan on lowering tuition fees from a maximum of £9,000 to £6,000, so there will be less money there.

Jobs can only be created if certain criteria are met. The government needs to stop depressing people with a negative economic outlook; literacy and education rates need to be improved; young people need to be inspired to create a future; the youth should have mentors from the real world and we need to denounce the "get rich quick" culture endemic in our society popularised by reality TV.

I applaud Miliband's passion, his desire to connect with the youth – he hasn't allowed political machinations to distract him from his radical agenda. His limitations as an orator, however, shouldn't detract from his ideology, which I agree with. However, there is one problem: his "real jobs guarantee" isn't actually a guarantee at all.

Source: Guardian.co.uk, Friday 16th March 2012

Graduate recruitment can be more efficient says Talent Q

Recruiters can improve the speed and efficiency of their graduate selection process and save money by rethinking the way they sift and select candidates, according to Talent Q, the talent assessment specialist.

The company is calling for organisations to 'front-load' their hiring process with job-relevant assessments, in order to put a higher proportion of appropriate candidates through to an assessment centre and avoid the costly mistake of short-listing the wrong people.

"Large companies need to find suitable candidates from tens of thousands of applicants," said Steve O'Dell, CEO of Talent Q UK. "Those that aren't making use of the combination of technology and assessment need to rethink their selection process now. The old assumptions that assessments are expensive and difficult to implement don't hold true anymore. Assessments offer an objective and valid way to screen out unsuitable applicants, allowing only those who closely match the specific competencies of the role to proceed."

According to Talent Q, some graduate assessment centres have a 6:1 ratio, which means that for every six people being assessed, one gets recruited. Other centres operate with a more cost effective ratio of 2:1.

"Robust assessment will reveal the best candidates, enabling you to run more productive assessment centres," said Steve O'Dell. "Best practice is to be clear about the requirements of the role at the outset and to deploy the right mix of assessments. At Talent Q, we're seeing a rise in the number of organisations using our adaptive ability tests to screen their graduate candidates. These 'adapt' in complexity according to the ability of candidates as they progress through the assessment and produce quicker and more accurate results. Personality questionnaires should also be deployed because aspects of personality can have a considerable bearing on whether or not an individual will be successful at work."

Talent Q stresses that psychometric assessments must be linked to the right technology if organisations are to effectively process the thousands of graduate applications they receive.

"Smart recruitment functionality can streamline the hiring process," said Steve O'Dell. "By using the right technology in combination with cutting-edge assessments, organisations can not only make their graduate recruitment process better, faster and cheaper, they can also enhance the candidate experience and the employer brand."

Source: Theglobalrecruiter.com, Friday 16th March 2012

Postgraduate degrees: pursue your passion, as well as your ambition

Against a backdrop of falling applications, fewer degree programmes on offer and funding cuts to arts organisations, it would be easy for aspiring humanities students to toss aside the poetry in search of something more vocational. Yet there are many benefits to investing time, and inevitably money, in a humanities course such as history, English literature, media studies or art. Graduates can expect to leave with valuable professional skills, as well as a broad education.

"The humanities provide a rich source of personal development, informing and expanding the mind, enhancing its powers of thought and understanding and giving the individual a perceptive, educated insight into the human condition," says Professor A C Grayling, who is master of the New College of the Humanities in London. "This gives great advantages in practical ways, not least in respect of careers."

Those practical advantages are clear to prospective employers, says Carl Gilleard, chief executive of the Association of Graduate Recruiters. "Humanities degrees are worthwhile as they help students develop critical thinking skills, which are valued by employers," he explains. Studying something you enjoy isn't a death knell for your prospects, either. "There is still something to be said for students studying a subject that they find fascinating and informative in-depth," he says.

Matthew Green would agree. A third-year music student at Cardiff University, his priority was getting a place on a good course at a good university, doing something he enjoyed. "The career path didn't really come into it. But I think humanities subjects give you flexibility through a wide range of skills such as research, teamwork and management, which are useful in a range of jobs."

That was certainly the experience of Jesse Quinones. The London Metropolitan University graduate completed a BA in theatre studies and an MA in audio-visual production before setting up an independent production company. "There are a lot of ways that you can apply a humanities degree to everyday life," says Quinones. "You learn to communicate, to write efficiently, to think outside of the box – all skills that will benefit you."

However, while Quinones went on to work in a field related to his programme of study, humanities graduates also enjoy a certain degree of flexibility in terms of where they go on to work that graduates from other disciplines might not share, suggests Professor Martin Kayman, head of the Cardiff School of English, Communication and Philosophy at Cardiff University. "Humanities courses have long been regarded as a valuable preparation for a wide range of professions and occupations, and remain so in comparison with courses in subject areas that are directly tied to particular professions, which can be more vulnerable to the fluctuations of the job market," he says.

Working in an unrelated field doesn't mean your humanities degree wasn't worthwhile, argues Professor David Morley, a trained zoologist who is now the director of the writing programme at the University of Warwick, which offers a degree in English literature and creative writing. "Ambition in creativity can take many forms in the world," he says. "The reality is most students of creative writing do not go on to become writers, just as most students of, say, biology, physics or mathematics do not become research leaders in their fields. That does not mean those graduates are not flourishing or fulfilled."

In Morley's view there's no such thing as an unrelated field. "The world is not about 'fields', it is far more complex. Everything connects to everything else." He says creative writing students gain commercial acumen in learning about business, publishing and building communities and audiences. People on the writing programme are encouraged to move across disciplines and expand their understanding, developing what Morley calls a "worldly-wise profile" of qualifications.

Looking beyond the confines of their course is an idea all humanities students can embrace to add value to their degrees, suggests Gilleard. "Many graduate jobs do not require a specific degree, so it is important that students also focus on developing work skills through extra-curricular activities. When employers are recruiting people today, it's not just a good degree that they are looking for, it is also the breadth of experience and transferable skills that candidates are able to bring to the role."

Ollie Todd, a history graduate from the University of York now studying for the graduate diploma in law, believes choosing their preferred subject and getting involved outside the lecture hall will also help students enjoy their studies. "You get more than a degree from university. It's about engaging with university life, doing extra-curricular stuff. Don't put yourself on a course that you feel you should do. I know people who have done that and they've switched courses... It becomes a lot more expensive. If you're on the right course you'll get more out of it."

It is also possible to find humanities courses with professional skills built in, so students can study the subject they love with an additional vocational boost. New College of Humanities graduates are offered a professional skills programme, while language students at the University of Surrey can opt for Bachelors degrees in French, Spanish or German that include a year working abroad, rather than studying in an overseas institution. "A degree with a professional focus is definitely a benefit," says senior placement tutor Marga Menéndez-López. "Students who have never worked before mature over the course of a placement. It's going to make them attractive to employers."

However, while this is ideal for some students, it doesn't follow that courses without a programmed professional element should be overlooked. "We're well aware that creative disciplines such as art, media and design are often dismissed by some commentators as soft options or, at worst, a waste of time," says Michael Upton, academic leader at the Sir John Cass Department of Art, Media and Design at London Metropolitan University. He points out that the creative industries account for 10 per cent of the UK's exports and that, in the future, the industry will need trained practitioners who "understand the global, social and ethical context, and the responsibilities that go with that". He adds: "More generally, creative people are needed in all sorts of organisations to stimulate innovation and growth in the economy or become entrepreneurs."

Stephen Isherwood, head of graduate recruitment at Ernst & Young, agrees. "We find that many humanities graduates have inquisitive, problem-solving minds and their people skills make them very successful in our organisation," he explains. "It's important to us that our graduates have been taught how to think, not what to think."

It's perhaps this last quality – the focus on nurturing an enquiring mind, whether that mind goes on to write a Nobel prize-winning novel or work in an investment bank – that gives humanities courses their continuing relevance. Humanities degrees can give students an education that prepares them for careers as diverse as law, politics, media or financial services and beyond, says Grayling, with the bonus, defiantly unfashionable in the current climate, of "being deeply enriching for individuals". Graduates are adaptable, retrainable and ready for new developments, he says, because they are "equipped with the one great skill that meets every eventuality: the ability to think".

Source: Russ Thorne, Independent.co.uk, Thursday 15th March 2012

My hardest job: class 9B for an hour

In a career of assignments, this felt like the most daunting of all. To teach modern history, specifically the origins of the Cold War, to class 9B at Rivers Academy in Feltham, West London. The form comprised 26 14-year-olds of mixed gender, ethnicity and ability. Some were very bright, some had particular learning difficulties, several did not possess English as a first language.

My mind went back to my own schooldays, to our third year secondary (which is what Year 9 is in old-fashioned language) and how we gave the teachers hell. Not all of them. But a sprinkling was made to endure a toxic brew of tricks and open cheek and defiance.

Fourteen was a difficult age. We weren't yet doing the exam courses but we were big enough to throw our weight around. And that was an all-boys grammar where we'd been streamed. At Rivers, I was going to be confronted by a bit of everything.

In a moment of madness, I'd agreed to take the lesson as part of Teach First Week. I'd come across Teach First when the son of a friend eschewed plunging into a City career in favour of tackling pupils at a comp in Deptford.

Teach First is a charity, now in its 10th year, that encourages high-calibre graduates to go into education in disadvantaged schools before following another job path. They commit to two years in the classroom, often with the support of their future employer. They gain invaluable experience, they get to "put something back", and schools that ordinarily might not expect to recruit such high-fliers benefit as well.

Today, Teach First has 2,050 graduates placed in schools across England. They include 900 who have indicated their intention to remain as teachers after their two-year stint is completed. With jobs scarce and the City no longer in vogue, no less than 8 per cent of last year's Oxbridge graduates applied to Teach First.

But even so, hearing about the organisation and the good it does from a friend is one thing – why do it, why subject yourself to the possible torture of 9B? Well, both my parents were schoolteachers – my father taught geography, PE and careers in a secondary mod then a comp, my mother worked in a special-needs school. I grew up hearing their tales of the classroom (and staff room) and have always wondered if I could do it. And I've got five children of my own and realise I never fully appreciate just what the teacher must endure.

So I joined yachtswoman Dame Ellen MacArthur, Marks & Spencer chairman Robert Swannell, TV's Adrian Chiles, footballer Gary McAllister and ex-hostage Terry Waite, in taking part in this year's Teach First Week to help promote the body. According to the blurb, we would be stepping out of our "professional comfort zones and for a short time, experience the excitement, trepidation, thrill and also the rewards of teaching".

They can say that again – the trepidation part, that is. I've spoken many times in public; I've appeared on live TV and radio; I've been quizzed by Lord Leveson's Inquiry; and I've been a defendant in a contempt of court case (we won). But nothing compared with the prospect of Rivers and 9B. I had a vague notion of doing a Robin Williams and coming over all Dead Poets Society. However, that was Hollywood, this was Feltham on a Monday morning.

In fact, as you may have guessed, I had nothing to fear. What I found was a committed, disciplined (astonishingly so, compared to my memory of Barrow-in-Furness Grammar School for Boys) 1,200-strong school, led by a principal, Paula Kenning, bristling with purpose as well as displaying compassion. In her short stint in charge, Kenning has raised the game, insisting on high standards of dress (one of her first acts was to introduce a new uniform and order sixth-formers to look smart) and behaviour.

The school has a motto – "Aspiration Ambition Achievement". First results are encouraging: in 2011, 84 per cent of Rivers' Year 11 gained five or more GCSEs at A* to C, in English and maths 50 per cent achieved this standard. At A level, 66 per cent of all grades were A* to C and 21 per cent of all A levels were grades A* or A.

There's no denying, though, that Rivers is a challenging place. It's not over-blessed with resources; many of the school buildings clearly belong to an establishment that used to cater for pupils up to 15 (the old Longford Community School) rather than 18; and Feltham is not one of London's wealthier districts. But there's a spirit there, as exemplified by Kenning and her colleagues. And the pupils.

I managed it thanks to throwing caution to the wind and just being myself, and to Tom Stephens. He's a recent LSE graduate, now a Teach First history teacher at Rivers. Confronted with how to get across the growing tension between the USSR and USA more than six decades ago in a meaningful manner it was Tom who suggested playing to my post as editor of The Independent. People expect newspapers to take an angle, to have a view, he said. So why not adopt one here and get the children to think about it and see if they agree?

His suggestion was that I should lay the blame on Stalin, that it was the Soviet dictator's aggression and expansionism that provoked the Cold War. This I did. They filed in, ever so politely, and we did a quiz, recapping on what they had learned last time. Tom said it was a good method of settling them down and focussing them on the subject.

I explained that at The Independent we liked to form our own view – and ours accused Stalin (not our considerededitorial line, I hasten to add). I gave them the reasons why that was the case. They broke up in pairs to go round the classroom to find cards pinned up explaining how each country in Eastern Europe came to be inside the Iron Curtain and under his rule.

Tom proposed a "bonus" question for those who finished the task soonest – to ask them if they agreed with the notion that terror was the most important weapon at Stalin's disposal? Of course, the early finishers tended to be those who were most interested and in all likelihood, most able. This was a ruse to keep them engaged. Then they reassembled and we went through the answers. It was heart-warming – different hands shooting up, keen to describe the fates of Poland, Hungary and the eastern bloc members.

A new exercise, Tom's idea, to sort nine cards, each describing a cause of the Cold War, into different piles: one showing the USSR was responsible; the other the USA. They were animated and keen, discussing which card belonged to which group. My recollection of third form history, of a teacher reading verbatim from a textbook or writing on the blackboard while we took copious notes, seemed light years away.

Without warning, a siren sounded for the end of class. I handed them over to the next teacher and left. They were all smiling. It was an amazing experience. I've no idea if they really learned anything but for those 50 minutes they seemed to. For a teacher this was one form, one lesson. How they do it day after day is beyond me.

I realised that I could also do it. I loved every moment. I've always suspected, ever since childhood, that I'd liked to be a teacher. I still would. Perhaps Teach First should begin an offshoot for older would-be teachers and I would sign up: Teach Last.

Source: Chris Blackhurst, Independent.co.uk, Thursday 15th March 2012

Grad schemes still available in banks

While recent university graduates are among the most well-educated and skilled individuals in the workforce, they are facing a job market that is also more competitive than it has been in well over a decade. One of the top “dream jobs”, according to a UK graduate careers survey, is a career in investment banking, and with the average entry-level salary for graduates sitting at around £22,600, the allure of high-paying jobs with investment firms or high street banks is easy to understand. But those higher salaries come with a price: graduates who can’t demonstrate their value to the company – and demonstrate it quickly – often find themselves jobless in a short time.

The first step to getting a job with an investment firm or bank is graduating from one of the top-tier universities. Degrees from Oxford, Cambridge, and Imperial College London will almost assuredly be considered; those from the London School of Economics, University College London, and Warwick University are now considered “second tier” by recruitment teams from several investment banks. With the recession appearing to ease, though, recruitment teams are once again appearing at job fairs at colleges and universities throughout the UK and abroad. PwC, for example, has begun to increase its presence at these fairs in anticipation of growth in the months and years ahead.

Along with good grades and college experience, a previous internship, summer job, or part-time job at an investment bank is a definite plus. One report shows that just over half of all entry-level jobs with high street banks and investment firms will be filled by people who already have some work experience with the company in question.

While recruiting by investment banks has been cut back across the board, banks like Barclays Capital and RBS are still attending the careers fairs and accepting resumes from qualified students. On the other hand, many others are cutting jobs and therefore not attending many, if any, careers fairs. HSBC is planning to cut 30,000 jobs and UBS AG is cutting five percent of its workforce, the bulk of which will come from its investment banking division. Companies looking toward substantial cuts are, understandably, not heavily involved in the recruiting process as they have many experienced, well-qualified people that they are having to let go.

One advantage to be found in concentrating on the investment banking world for graduates is that investment banking is a global enterprise; those who don’t find jobs in the UK, but are willing to relocate, can often find employment in their chosen field abroad. For example, BNP Paribas has been actively recruiting new investment banking employees for its Buenos Aires, Chicago, Sao Paulo, Hong Kong and other offices. Employees who speak multiple languages are highly sought-after, with compensation to match. Morgan Stanley actively looks for interns and summer hires as a way of “pre-screening” applicants for full-time positions after graduation. These graduate schemes, when available, are a golden opportunity and many students strive to take advantage of them when they are offered.

Source: Worldfinance.com, Wednesday 14th March 2012

Drop in graduate job applications

One in five new graduates is out of work, while many more are being forced to take jobs that do not require a degree, according to official figures.

But one North Staffordshire recruitment firm says it has more than a dozen good-quality graduate jobs available – and no-one to fill them.

The roles range from export sales (with the opportunity of overseas travel), engineering, production, marketing and finance, and offer starting salaries of up to £23,200.

But Claire Thomas, managing director of Brampton Recruitment in Newcastle, says graduate applications have fallen significantly this year.

She said: "We just don't seem to be getting the volume of graduates this year. By now we have normally even placed people who are still waiting to do exams.

"It could be because the media is giving them the perception that positions aren't there so they are not looking for them.

"I would say the volume of applications from graduates is down by as much as 50 per cent.

"We have obviously seen an increase in the number of people coming to us, but the percentage of those that are graduates is down."

It comes after data published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) last week revealed that the unemployment rate for new graduates stood at 18.9 per cent in the final three months of 2011.

The figures also showed a rise in the proportion of recent graduates who are taking up lower-skilled jobs after leaving university.

In the final three months of last year, one in three people (35.9 per cent) who completed their degree in the last six years was working in a role that was suitable for a school-leaver.

That is up from around one in four (26.7 per cent) who were employed in lower-skilled jobs in 2001.

But the report added that graduates typically have higher employment rates than non-graduates.

In the final quarter of 2011, 86 per cent of all graduates were in work, compared with 72.3 per cent of those without a degree.

The typical hourly wage for all graduates aged 21 to 64 throughout 2011 was £15.18.

In comparison, non-graduates earned an average of £8.92.

TUC general secretary Brendan Barber said: "The recession has hit the job prospects of recent graduates but they are still nearly 20 per cent more likely to be in work than people without degrees.

"A lack of high-quality jobs has forced more graduates into lower-skilled jobs over the last decade.

"Raising the skills of UK workers must be accompanied with an industrial strategy focused on boosting high-value industries such as manufacturing.

"Otherwise public investment in education and the talents of UK graduates will be wasted."

Liam Burns, president of the National Union of Students (NUS), said the ONS figures made grim reading.

He said: "At a time of record youth unemployment, it is more important than ever that there are opportunities to develop the education and skills we need for economic recovery.

"These figures will understandably make grim reading for many students and graduates who see their opportunities limited, but the expansion of higher education and long-term investment in our future is infinitely preferable to a growing dole queue and a higher benefits bill."

Source: Thisisstaffordshire.co.uk, Monday 12th March 2012

Uni academy to boost graduates' job chances

Swansea University will this week launch an academy to increase job opportunities for students once they graduate.

The Employability Academy will focus on increasing the number of graduates securing graduate employment and work placements.

More than 90 per cent of Swansea University students are in work or further study six months after graduating.

Business, Enterprise, Technology and Science Minister Edwina Hart will launch the academy at the university on Thursday.

She said: "In these difficult times it is vital that young people have a can-do attitude so they can adapt to new challenges and be motivated to succeed.

"This new academy is not only designed to enhance the employment opportunities of young people but to widen their experiences, which is to be welcomed."

Swansea University vice- chancellor Professor Richard B Davies said: "We want to ensure that Swansea graduates are given a head start in developing and pursuing the most rewarding careers.

"This is the challenge which the academy will address."

Professor Hilary Lappin-Scott, pro vice-chancellor, will be heading the academy.

He said: "The Swansea Employability Academy will also encourage students to create opportunities through enterprise by developing entrepreneurial skills and providing exciting start-up opportunities."

Project manager Judith James said work placement opportunities were already available through the academy in the Arctic and at the CERN research labs in Switzerland.

She said: "A workplace challenge need not be international, it could be with a small company within the region, but it will be exciting and relevant so that the student can build an excellent CV."

Simon Gibson OBE, chief executive of the Terry Matthews- founded firm Wesley Clover, will address the launch event.

Source: Thisissouthwales.co.uk, Monday 12th March 2012

Do graduate job hunters sell themselves short when applying for graduate jobs?

One in five graduates haven’t applied for graduate jobs as they feel they have no chance for success.

According to a recent survey many graduates are not applying for graduate jobs as they feel they have no chance for success. The findings from the survey were presented at last weeks TARGETjobs breakfast news event in London, which looked at recruitment trends and issues for graduate employers.

The survey of more than 5,000 undergraduates on the targetjobs.co.uk database found that they hadn’t applied for graduate jobs because they have other plans (39%), to busy (28%), didn’t think they would be successful (19%), they graduate job didn’t look attractive (14%).

Around 36% of graduates get a place on a graduate training scheme according to a presentation by Marcus Body, head of research at Work Group. Just 2% of graduates managed to secure a fast track graduate programme, with the rest of the graduates (64%) entering jobs that aren’t part of a graduate training programme/scheme. Many graduates start applying for graduate schemes early as these are the best graduate jobs that can offer structured training, higher pay and a better career path.

Source: Pareto.co.uk, Friday 9th March 2012

Can't find a graduate job? Look to Canada

The UK jobs market is an unwelcoming prospect for students preparing to graduate this summer, which is one reason why many are planning to spend the coming year travelling and working in Canada. The Canadian High Commission has just released 5,350 places for this year's International Experience Canada (IEC) working holiday initiative and it has already received an unprecedented number of applications.

The chief attraction is that, unlike in Britain, there are plenty of jobs available in Canada for those prepared to be flexible. "There is a big call for skilled labour in hospitality and construction in the western provinces, Alberta and British Colombia and in Toronto and the ski resorts," says Gordon Campbell, Canada's High commissioner to the UK. "We are one of the economies in the western world that is currently very strong."

Fiona Brown spent a year in Toronto after graduating with an English and History degree from Edinburgh and says that the experience determined her career path.

She says: "I was unsure what career I wanted so decided to take a year out and hopefully get a sense of direction."

After a few weeks of temping with an agency she found a permanent £7-an-hour job in a bookshop and volunteered with a charity that supports isolated older people.

"I was matched with a woman who has cerebral palsy and enjoyed the regular visits so much that I applied to do an MA in social work at Warwick University," Brown adds.

She organised her trip through the overseas work specialist BUNAC which, for a £254 fee, helps applicants obtain visas and assists with flights, accommodation, job hunting and general support throughout their year there. "We have two resource centres in Toronto and Vancouver which help people search for jobs and we issue a handbook beforehand and an orientation course on arrival which give advice on living and working in Canada," says marketing manager Holly Brooks.

"People can choose to fly out with a group of other people on the Work Canada programme so they can get to know each other, they can be accommodated together in the hostels we use and we organise social events to help them make friends once they're there."

Those hoping to launch themselves as high fliers in the Canadian financial sector may be disappointed. The IEC visas are for a year only and geared towards more casual work combined with travel. "Jobs in retail are the easiest to get, although there is demand for more high skilled people," says Brooks. "So long as you're flexible about what kind of work you'll accept, it's unlikely that you won't find a job within the first three weeks."

This year's increased demand means that visa applications to the Canadian High Commission may take longer than the usual eight weeks to process.

When Fiona Brown completes her MA this summer she intends to apply for a work visa and return to Canada for good.

She says: "I love the whole lifestyle there. Everyone is so friendly and they're fascinated by the British accent which made me stand out in the group interview for the bookshop job.

"I went out there because I thought it would be an adventure, but that year gave me a sense of my future."

Source: Anna Tims, Guardian.co.uk, Friday 9th March 2012

Graduates struggling to get graduate jobs

Today’s ONS release will make pretty grim reading for students and recent graduates. It shows that the unemployment rate among recent graduates — those who graduated in the last six years — stands at 9.1 per cent, higher than the overall unemployment rate of 8.4 per cent. It’s even worse for those who graduated in the last two years — the unemployment rate among them is 18.9 per cent, up from 10 per cent before the recession.

But there’s an even more worrying trend among those recent graduates who do find employment. In 2001, three-quarters of them were in ‘higher skill’ jobs — those requiring more than GCSEs. Now, less than two-thirds of them are:

So what does this mean? Well, ten years ago 67 per cent of graduates foundgraduate-level jobs. Now just 55 per cent do. It’s a stark reminder that Labour’s push to get as many people as possible to go to university didn’t benefit all those who did.

Source: Jonathan Jones, Spectator.co.uk, Tuesday 6th March 2012

Norfolk council seeking unemployed graduates for the government’s Get Britain Working scheme

Working up to 30 hours a week at County Hall for no extra cash might not sound like an appealing prospect.

But Norfolk County Council is trying to entice up to 50 unemployed graduates to complete placements and find a way into work.

This is authority’s attempt at implementing the government’s Get Britain Working programme.

The criteria for candidates is simple, although the concept unpopular.

If you are unemployed, a graduate, aged 24 or under, claiming Jobseeker’s Allowance and have little or no work experience, then you are eligible to apply.

In return, participants continue to receive their benefits, with the Department for Work and Pensions covering travel and childcare costs.

This has raised fears that people have been made to do the same jobs as full-time or part-time workers for less money. Protests against private companies involved in the programme, such as Tesco, have taken place while Sainsbury’s, Waterstones and Matalan have reviewed their involvement or opted-out in recent weeks.

But with unemployment numbers increasing across Norfolk, Waveney and Fenland, the government hopes the programme can increase people’s skills and make them more attractive to employers.

Roles in environment and waste and economic development are now being advertised by Norfolk County Council.

They will last between two to eight weeks, although there is no guarantee of any job at the end of a placement.

Those who perform well will be placed on the council’s temporary staff register and everyone receives a reference for future job applications.

John Birchall, senior media and public affairs officer, said: “People on these placements may carry out useful tasks as an essential part of work experience, but overall these placements require the support of staff and managers – including induction and mentoring, supportive feedback, end of placement interviews and references.

“Although this represents an extra commitment for staff and managers, who have existing work responsibilities, we hope that they, as well as those on placements, benefit from the experience.”

The authority says the project will not cost it anything.

And Ian Mackie, deputy leader at the council, said graduates had already expressed an interest in being involved.

Jonathan Dunning, Unison branch secretary for Norfolk, said he was not happy with the general principle of the government’s work experience programme, but was satisfied with the council’s approach to it.

He said: “The county council consulted us on this and gave us the main assurance – which was lacking in the early stages of the Tesco debate – that the participants would not be doing the jobs that are done by paid staff.

“It will be very much a learning process in the workplace – not taking a job away from people.”

Mr Dunning said the council previously ran a “successful” apprenticeship project, in which people were placed in real jobs and paid the going rate.

He said in some instances this led to permanent employment.

Mr Dunning added: “Although we are comfortable with how the county council is managing the current scheme, there has been a recognition that it’s no replacement for apprenticeships.”

The council has announced £3m to create more apprenticeships for young people in Norfolk. It is expected small and medium-sized businesses will be able to subsidise apprentice wages by bidding for cash from a fund.

But for the work experience programme, the prospect of people walking into jobs at councils is much lower.

Government cash cuts have left the public sector making drastic reductions in staff numbers.

An estimated 360 job positions will be lost at Norfolk County Council in 2012/13.

This is part of the authority’s work to cut £135m from its budget by 2014, with several hundred workers already affected in 2011/12.

By the end of December, 443 redundancies had been made, equating to 322 full-time equivalent posts. A further 236 staff had been redeployed.

Norwich City Council says it has no plans to join the government-backed work experience scheme.

But Norwich North MP Chloe Smith said she was fully behind plans to get young people used to the world of work.

The Conservative said she gained work experience aged 15 helping at National Trust property Oxburgh Hall, near Swaffham and at the EDP when she was 16.

She also did jobs while studying at the University of York.

The 29-year-old said: “Everything helps in the current employment market. Any measure of experience that a young person can gain stands them in good stead.

“No young person should turn down the chance to gain experience and no local employers –public or private – should shy away from giving people these opportunities.”

Richard Bridgman, chairman of engineering firm Warren Services, in Thetford, said he had enjoyed a lot of success with the Get Britain Working scheme.

He said: “We’ve had 10 youngsters do eight weeks work experience and from that 10 we have given three full-time jobs. The others have left us with better CVs.

“I think it’s a very good thing, though half don’t get jobs, and it’s not all positive. We go to quite a lot of trouble to buy them all the kit such as shoes; I had one guy who did two days and then just cleared off. There are positives and negatives but I’m all for it.”

Other businesses say they are attempting to find ways of helping youngsters learn what jobs they would like to do.

Rob Whitwood, managing director of North Walsham-based Inspired Change, said his company was in the process of designing a work experience site.

This will aim to act as a database for schools, allowing pupils to find out which businesses were willing to accept them.

Mr Whitwood, who is also vice chairman of the Federation of Small Businesses in North Norfolk, said it could break the cycle of schools using the same nearby businesses – even if they were not the best match for a child.

He said: “When I talk to graduates about their CVs, they haven’t got a lot of work experience and they haven’t done a lot of things.

“Traditionally CVs are in chronological order. What I say to them is you don’t have any 
work experience, so don’t flag that up.

“Look at what an employer is after and think about the attributes and skills they need and write it 
around that.”

Source: Richard Wheeler, Eveningnews24.co.uk, Thursday 8th March 2012