JOBLESS GRADUATES - One remedy may be to provide employers with the opportunity of working with universities to design a course around what employers and potential students actually need, as well as placement opportunities and internships to provide students to gain the necessary experience during university to help them once they graduate.......

Universities must have more industry links to improve graduate employability

Graduates must be provided with industry links at university as many are struggling during the current job market

As a remedy to the amount of graduates unemployed, universities must supply industry links to provide a remedy according to James Kirkbride the vice-rector and director of the London School of Business & Finance.

Many in higher education believe that tuition fee prices have put the spotlight on universities to show a positive employability record on their degree programmes. With so many asking the worth of a degree qualification, universities are under a lot of pressure to provide a quality, and meaningful experience to students.

Statistics from the Office for National Statistics have indicated that the value to be gained from completing a degree, where an analysis of graduate salaries showed that in the final quarter of 2010 employees earnt 85% more than those who left school after GCSE’s. Yet 15% of graduates earn less than the average for those who quit school at 16 which suggests that universities have a lot of work to do to improve graduate employability.

There are also suggestions that 28% of UK graduates who left university in 2007 are still not in full-time work three and a half years later. This means that universities must provide a careers service which can improve a graduate’s employability, offering advice as well as links to graduate jobs.

Universities have always provided careers advice, but only when universities begin to have a dialogue with corporate partners will the university be able to deliver results of graduate employability. One remedy may be to provide employers with the opportunity of working with universities to design a course around what employers and potential students actually need, as well as placement opportunities and internships to provide students to gain the necessary experience during university to help them once they graduate.

With universities having to supply statistic brochures to entice students in the new higher education market, graduate jobs and employability statistics are going to be one of the most important factors. Showing graduates the ‘power’ of your network is key to attracting graduates and providing graduates with jobs