Employers 'worried about graduates' lack of skills'
09-07-2008
Employers are concerned about the lack of basic skills young people are leaving university with, the Association of Graduate Recruiters (AGR) has found.
It spoke to more than 200 company bosses and found that 56.4 per cent feel graduates lack "hard skills", such as writing and literacy, while 55 per cent believe they have a shortage of "soft skills", including the ability to communicate effectively.
In addition, a number of respondents in the poll expressed disquiet about graduates' limited maths and IT abilities.
The AGR's report also revealed that graduate salaries are not keeping pace with rising inflation, remaining relatively static between 2007 and 2008.
"Although employers are still hiring, this year's survey shows the smallest rise in graduate salaries in recent years and in most cases employers will offer no more than a cost of living rise next year," Carl Gilleard, the organisation's chief executive, commented.
This follows a recent call from Gordon Brown for companies not to offer pay rises that match the rate of inflation this year.
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