GRADUATES and school leavers must look at their attitude and take a proactive approach to finding a job, according to employers.
More than 50 employers, politicians and educators attended the event yesterday, which looked at the current state of the job market for young people.
Lifelong learning manager Alun Williams (pictured) said they had been expecting only a dozen people.
‘It shows the interest and concern among employers about the current climate.’
Pro Vice Chancellor of the University of Winchester, Christopher Turner, spoke to the audience about how degrees were still important in giving graduates the skills they needed for work.
Then Mr Williams asked employers what they felt about the current job market.
Many had seen a sharp rise in the number of graduates applying for jobs.
Butterfield Bank head of personnel services Kim Spaargaren said there was strong competition for the jobs available.
‘We have seen a lot more applications and they have been coming in a lot earlier. We have already had a few for next year.’
She said the applicants needed to have a good attitude if they wanted to get a job.
‘Applicants need to have experience of different careers and to have learnt from work experience.
‘They also need to be proactive in their learning.’
Director of Orchard PR, Steve Falla, has been advertising two posts and has had 10 applicants.
‘We have had 10 CVs in three weeks, which is very different to previous years.’
He believed this would be good for his company.
‘It gives us a wider pool of applicants to choose from, and I have been impressed with some of the skill sets.’
Employers were also keen to work more closely with students to encourage them to learn more about jobs in the island. Many of them have volunteered younger members of staff to go and speak to school leavers to explain about their companies.
Businesses were also keen for more students to do work experience to improve their skills.
Mr Williams said he had taken details of many of companies who attended, and planned to work over the summer to try and improve the communication between schools, young people and businesses.
Article posted on 26th June, 2009 - 2.29pm
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