WIDENING ACCESS TO THE PROFESSIONS

 

Carl GilleardChief Executive

Association of Graduate Recruiters

WHAT DO EMPLOYERS LOOK FOR IN GRADUATES?

Everything……………………… and more!

A GOOD DEGREE

SKILLS

“Experience is not what happens to you; it’s

what you do with what happens to you”

Aldous Huxley

PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

Mindset Matters

A GOOD JOB APPLICATION

 graduates from a particular institution

graduates from the same mould

UCAS tariff points

What should employers NOT look for?

  80 plus applications chasing each vacancy

The inadequacies of the degree classification system

Too many institutions, too few resources

Candidates not doing themselves justice

Candidates who are not mobile

How to identify potential as well as achievement

The challenges for recruiters of graduates

Monitor each stage of recruitment process to ensure no hidden barriers

Constantly review recruitment practice and performance

Ensure recruiters are properly trained

Clear messages from the top 

Buy in from the line

Be willing to try different approaches

What can employers do to improve diversity?

Sign up to the Government’s Business Compact – opening doors

Help schools to raise aspirations

Mentoring

Open opportunities to all

Open up access to internships

Pay interns

Recruit fairly using processes that exclude biodata

Sponsorship/ Bursaries

Examples of what employers do

 18 year old entry programme to professional quals and degree (Accountancy)

Widening participation GAP Year in business (IT)

Recruitment site aimed at parents (Construction)

Internship programme taking parental earnings into account (Bank)

Briefing sessions on application/assessment procedures (Public sector)

Towards a level playing field

Elephant in the Room

Risk averse recruitment

Collapse of guidance services

Growth in internships leading to jobs

Growth of school leaver programmes????

Tuition fees????

• Will participation levels fall?

• Who will opt out?

• Choice of courses and institutions on financial grounds

• Shorter degrees

• Working at the expenses of the complete experience

Elephants in the room

The key to unlocking potential-

Taking Personal responsibility