As businesses look for new ways of recruiting talent, Carl Gilleard, CEO of the Association of Graduate Recruiters (AGR) forecasts an increase in school leaver recruitment to complement graduate programmes.
Speaking candidly in the spring edition of Graduate Market Trends,the AGR chief sets out his vision for the future of graduate recruitment, including how closer relationships between business and higher education must be formed and the need for investment in careers services.
Carl says: “Businesses will no doubt start looking for new ways of recruiting talent, for example through school leaver programmes and other vocational schemes. We will see an increase in companies recruiting young people at 18, and even younger, but this will run in parallel to graduate recruitment.
“What employers find attractive is the targeting of young talented people at an early stage, so that they can easily mould them into what they want them to be. There shouldn’t just be one model of recruiting bright young talent to top graduate level jobs.”
Also in GMT is a taster of this year’s Real Prospects survey results. Nearly 9,000 recent graduates reveal what they like about their job. The opportunity to be autonomous, real responsibility and knowing that they are making a contribution are at the top of the list.
GMT editor, Aphrodite Papadatou says: “We’re debating some of the key issues affecting the higher education sector in this edition of GMT, with a feature on the distinction between ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ AS-Level subjects in gaining Russell Group entry, as well as latest Policy Exchange research in higher education funding models. The 1994 Group also explains how its members are dealing with the current period of change. In addition to highlighting the challenges facing our sector, the issue also promises brighter days for the future.”