Students………..they are not what they were………………!

A growing number of British students do not graduate from school with adequate or basic skills to join the workforce, a survey of bosses has found.

 

The survey of some of the country’s biggest businesses found three in four bosses believe graduate skills are poor.The poll, of firms including HSBC, Santander, KPMG and Procter & Gamble, found widespread concern over the quality of potential recruits.

Researchers found that thousands of young people arrive at interviews without the “vital employability skills” required by employers such as having a suitable grasp of English, being punctual and having a general “can do” attitude.

In a recent article published on line by www.targetjobs.co.uk they suggested that students should be looking to develop a range of skills that will put them “one step ahead” in the fiercely competetitive job market.

 

• Problem solving: the mark of an independent employee

 

• Time management: being ahead of the game

 

• Commercial awareness: it’s how the industry fits together

 

• Communication: the skill that sustains information flow

 

• Teamwork: it’s high on the graduate recruiters’ wish list

 

• Essential skills and competencies: be on top of the basics

 

• Emotional intelligence: what it takes to work with others

 

• Creativity: graduate recruiters like fresh thinking

 

• Computer skills: how to meet graduate recruiters’ expectations

 

• Team management: prove you’re a bit more than an entry-level hire

 

• Customer care: the hard business skill with a soft edge

 

I know from personal involvement that many universities are trying to address the “employability issue” and many careers advisers in conjunction with academic colleagues have developed extensive career management modules which, in some cases have been integrated into academic programmes and are formally assessed.

It is also fair to say that some students do not see the value of such modules and see them as an imposition on their time when they could be studying their chosen academic subject. This is occasionally exacerbated by some academic tutors who do not see it as their job to prepare students for the “world or work”……indeed one once commented to me “I came into academic life to teach my subject, not spend time trying to find jobs for students”

Fortunately, most academics support the employability programmes and this can only be a positive contribution to preparing students for transition to the next phase of their career development.