Graduates are increasingly unlikely to find themselves with
a place on a graduate scheme as the number of student graduating vastly
outstrips the number of places available.
Despite an expected increase in the number of graduate
vacancies in 2011 by 3.8% the number of vacancies offered according to the
Association of Graduate Recruiters will be less than 21,000.
The AllAboutCareers.com National
Employability campaign, which is aimed at all undergraduates, hopes to
highlight the reality of the situation; explain the options available to
students and to inform them of their rights when taking part in work
experience.
Jack Denton, a spokesman for careers information website AllAboutCareers.com said, “With so many new graduates each year and
huge backlog of graduates looking for places on graduate schemes it’s really important
for current undergraduates to do all they can to
improve their chances”.
The latest evidence suggests
getting work experience is more important than ever; the latest research
study by Highfliers research stated that, graduates who have had no
previous work experience at all are unlikely to be successful during the
selection process and have little or no chance of receiving a job offer for
their organisations’ graduate programmes. [1]
With youth unemployment at an all time high at 974,000 there has
never been a more important time for such a campaign to bring awareness to the
student populous.
[1] Highfliers,
The Graduate Market 2011 http://www.highfliers.co.uk/download/GMReport11.pdf
p.32
