Leading employers worry graduates lack 'hard skills'
Thu 10 Jul 2008
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Leading employers are worried that graduates lack the 'hard skills' required to make it in the workplace, a new survey has revealed. The Association of Graduate Recruiters (AGR) found more than half (56 per cent) of the 200 companies it polled are concerned university leavers have poor literacy skills. A further 55 per cent expressed concern graduates lacked 'softer' communication skills, which they consider poses a serious threat to their business. Furthermore, graduate employers (43.1 per cent) said they were worried recent university leavers lacked leadership skills. The AGR bi-annual survey is the largest independent poll of its kind. It is completed by companies that recruit for part time jobs as well as legal, sales and commercial jobs. It also revealed many employers are now only prepared to offer pay rises that cover the added cost of living. "I think employers feel that the salaries are quite respectable anyway and basically they are counting the pennies and they don't see a great necessity to increase salaries," noted Carl Gilleard, chief executive.
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