Graduate Recruiters advise getting work experience in 2015
The Association of Graduate Recruiters has advised students invest time into finding work experience and preparing for the working world in 2015.
In a provisional edition of their Manifesto for 2015, the Association of Graduate Recruiters has advised students to find more work experience during their study. After a survey of their members at the end of 2014, the Association of Graduate Recruiters has produced a Manifesto for 2015 outlining their advice and aims for the year ahead. This focuses specifically on what students, employers, universities and the government can do in the year ahead to make the student and graduate recruitment market better.
The organisation is keen that the graduate market continues to grow. Last week, High Fliers Research found that the amount of vacancies that were anticipated for 2015 were the highest for ten years. However, they have noticed that the employers are starting to look for their graduate career plans earlier combining them with apprenticeship programmes.
With regards to their advice and findings for students in 2015, the AGR has remarked that students 'invest time and effort in career related learning and experiences at all stages of their education building their employability skills' as well as to 'Be proactive in getting work related experience whether it's an internship, part-time work, volunteering or work experience.' Their findings also recommended that students also trying looking to SMEs (Small to medium sized enterprises) for career opportunities.
The AGR's provisional Manifesto for 2015 suggested that employers try to offer more opportunities for students to gain work experience, mentioning that work experience longer than a week should really be paid the national minimum wage. It was also suggested that employers try to forge stronger links with universities, getting more employability awareness onto the curriculum.
While the AGR is also calling on the government look at 'strengthening university-business partnerships and underline its commitment by widening the UK's Performance Indicators for HE to include a measure for university engagement with employers and business'.
View the full provisional Manifesto for 2015 here.
By James Howell
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