Employability & Access to the Professions

1. Employability & Access to the Professions Jonathan Walpole Parity Talent Management 22nd February 2012

2. Parity Talent Management • Designing and delivering Student and Graduate Employability programmes; • Facilitated the employment and early career development of 10,000 graduates; • Sustainable Graduate level opportunities - Employability rate of 96% (Dec 2011); • Works in partnership with FE/HE, Govt Departments, SSCs, CoCs, LEPs, Councils, NAS etc; • Tailors to the real needs of businesses AND the development of students / graduates; • £15,000 average return on placements during 2011.

3. Employability – The Challenge 82% of co’s said Employability Skills are the most important factor when recruiting Graduates (CBI/EDI Education & skills survey 2011); Over 2/3rds of employers want the development of Employability Skills made a top priority (CBI/EDI Education & skills survey 2011); ‘To improve my job opportunities’ – 79% of students - why they went to University (CBI/NUS survey - Working towards your future 2011); 70% of co’s want to see students doing more to prepare themselves to be effective in the workplace (CBI/EDI Education & skills survey 2011); Engagement with local industry and employers.

4. The Impact Student /Graduate: 1 in 5 Graduates from 2010 failed to get a job last year (ONS Jan 2011); 139,240 Graduates from 2010 are Under-Employed (ONS Jan 2011); Burden of payment moved from taxpayer to individual / family. University: Burden of payment will lead to more discerning applicants; Increased choice through evolvement of Studio Schools and UTCs. Economy: ‘66,080 Graduates from last year are not equipped with the employability skills they need for the workplace’ (CBI Report); Skill shortages making succession planning impossible (SSC Report); Impact of UK PLC in the global market place?

5. CBCBI Source: CBI/NUS survey -Working towards your future 2011

6. What are employers saying...? Employers report some notable shortfalls in graduates’ employability skills Vast majority of graduates have many of these capabilities to some extent Employers increasingly will be testing for these skills as part of their selection process

7. HEIs’ response.... Importance of employability varies from HEI to HEI; Regional engagement with employers; Offering high quality work placements or sandwich years within courses; Building work-linked skills into the course design and delivery; Developing a sense of the employability skills expected from graduates; Helping students to demonstrate competencies at interview; Offering formal accreditation of employability skills. ‘Over half the students we surveyed said the importance of employability skills has been explained to them’ ‘Tutors on my course’ - response from 64% of students when asked who had explained the importance Source: CBI / NUS survey – Working towards your future 2011

8. Typical Graduate Programme COMMERCIAL/BUSINESS AND PERSONAL DEVELOPMENT EXPERIENCE FOR THE GRADUATE GRADUATES ARE EMPLOYED BY AND PAID BY SME FOR PERIOD OF PROJECT GRADUATE RECRUITMENT ASSESSMENT & PROFILING INDIVIDUAL COACHING FOR GRADUATE AND COMPANY GRADUATE EMPLOYMENT % INCREASE FOR THE HEI SERIES OF MASTER CLASSES TO ENSURE GRADS ARE ‘WORK READY’ MATCHING PROCESS Graduate Allocation KEY OUTPUT = ACHIEVING BIP OBJECTIVES COMPANY ATTRACTION DEFINE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENT PROJECT WITH COMPANY LOCAL ECONOMIC GROWTH AND TALENT DEVELOPMENT INTEGRATED SUPPORT FOR BUSINESS AND GRADUATE TANGIBLE IMPACT AND MEASURABLE BUSINESS IMPROVEMENTS FINAL PROJECT PRESENTATION AND EVALUATION

9. For more information, please contact: Jonathan Walpole j.walpole@parity.net 07932 598 111 www.parity.net