Graduates should assess jobs market, CIPD advises

Newcomers to the UK employment market should take time to consider which sectors can provide the best job opportunities before making a decision about where to apply, the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) has advised.

CIPD public policy adviser Gerwyn Davies warned that the rise of globalisation has made it even more difficult for graduates to find work, but suggested that the diversification of skills and acquiring new knowledge could lend an advantage.

"We won't see a vast improvement in the employment situation for a while, so school leavers and graduates would do well to take a look at where the skills shortages are," she explained. "These shortages exist in many areas."

Ms Davies added that some areas of the public sector are finding it particularly difficult to recruit sufficient talent, including social workers and nurses.

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Businesspeople looking to improve their own workforce development skills should consider attending the Talent Management and Leadership Development Summit 2010 at London's Aldersgate House in October.

Posted by Ross George