Competition aims to improve the employability of graduates
07-02-2007
A competition which mimics the world of work is underway in a bid to give graduates the employability skills and entrepreneurial flair that employers are looking for.
Yomping the Nations 2007, developed by the business strategy consultants the Working Knowledge Group in partnership with Cambridge University, began on Monday at Queen Mary University in London.
The competition will see teams of students work alongside a group of national and local business experts in a series of workshops designed to develop key professional skills, including decision making, strategic planning and communication.
Each team in the competition has to develop, plan and present a business strategy for a scenario only given to them on the day.
James Lott, the director of the Working Knowledge Group and a successful entrepreneur himself said: "In a survey published in late January, 43 per cent of employers polled by the Association of Graduate Recruiters said they had unfilled graduate vacancies, against less than a third in 2005.
"According to the AGR, the underlying reason is that 'employers feel there is an inadequate supply of applicants of sufficient calibre," he added.
The grand final of the competition will take place over two days in March, with the winning team pocketing £3,500 in cash.
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