A new national service aimed at connecting businesses to
graduate skills and boosting performance in the workplace has
highlighted successful graduate support services in the West
Midlands.
Graduate Talent Pool, a new Government initiative, aims to help
employers create and offer graduate internships.
A guide to the new service, which points to schemes established
at Shell, Microsoft and Price Waterhouse Coopers, also highlights
two successful services developed and funded by Advantage West
Midlands - Graduate Advantage and First Move West Midlands.
Graduate Advantage, operated by Aston University on behalf of
all the universities in the region, offers employers graduate or
undergraduate placements to help bring new skills into their
business. A placement is available for any length of time between
four weeks and 12 months. The service is being extended to offer
more placements/internships.
First Move West Midlands, a directory of graduate jobs in the
region, is also being extended to include smaller businesses
considering offering placements/internships.
Pat Jackson, Director of Skills at Advantage West Midlands,
said: "Internships are a proven way for companies to inject fresh
talent into the workplace and allow graduates to kick start their
careers by gaining the skills and experience they need to get
on.
"Being matched to ambitious and talented graduates who have a
wealth of knowledge in their subject areas is a big incentive for
businesses of any size.
"Putting employers in touch with graduates is good for business
but internships also benefit graduates, giving them transferable
work experience and allowing them to try their hand at a potential
career path and prove themselves to prospective employers.
"Retention of graduates in our region is a major priority
outlined in the West Midlands Economic Strategy and the loss of our
best and brightest talent must be stemmed if we are to close the
output gap, get through the recession and be ready to maximise
opportunities presented by the upturn.
"The West Midlands has invested in a range of graduate
recruitment, retention, development and placement schemes -
including Graduate Advantage - to improve their performance and
improve the chances of them staying in the local economy long
term."
Major employers gathered at a specially organised conference in
London this week to discuss the benefits graduate internships can
bring to businesses and how they can gain access to intelligent and
ambitious individuals through the Graduate Talent Pool.
The Employer Conference, organised by DIUS and the Chartered
Institute of Personnel and Development, encouraged more than 100
employers to sign up to the new internship matching service. More
than 40 employers, including Microsoft, Network Rail and Marks and
Spencer, have already registered interest.
Jackie Orme, Chief Executive at the Chartered Institute of
Personnel and Development, said: "We know times are tough for
business but times are tough for graduates too. Internships
are a great way to meet in the middle. Internships help young
people gain employability skills that will be invaluable in their
future careers. They're also a great way for employers to get
access to enthusiastic graduate talent without having to make the
kind of long-term commitment that is difficult in the current
climate."
The Graduate Talent Pool will offer a rolling programme of
internships from September for 2009 graduates and will add to the
internship programmes and websites in existence. It does not seek
to replace existing schemes offered by businesses. The aim is for
the Graduate Talent Pool to support 5,000 internships.
Graduate Talent Pool also signposts students and businesses to
the regional graduate recruitment systems and networks supported by
Regional Development Agencies.
Information about Graduate Advantage can be found at www.graduateadvantage.co.uk
The Graduate Talent Pool guide can be found at www.dius.gov.uk/graduatetalentpool