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Engaging with SMEs in Scotland Rosalyn Claase – 1 June, 2011

Engaging with SMEs in Scotland Rosalyn Claase – 1 June, 2011. Agenda. Who are we?. What are our aims?. How it Works. Engaging with Employers. Building Graduate Employability. Placements Success Stories. Impact.

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Engaging with SMEs in Scotland Rosalyn Claase – 1 June, 2011

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  1. Engaging with SMEs in Scotland Rosalyn Claase – 1 June, 2011

  2. Agenda Who are we? What are our aims? How it Works Engaging with Employers Building Graduate Employability Placements Success Stories Impact The TalentScotland Graduate Placement Programme is a multi-partner programme supported by TalentScotland, Scottish Enterprise , Highlands & Islands Enterprise, Scottish Government, Association of Graduates Careers Advisory Services, Skills Development Scotland and the Scottish Funding Council

  3. Who are we? • The TalentScotland Graduate Placement Programme was launched in October 2010 by the then Minister for Skills and Lifelong Learning, Keith Brown, at the Scottish Graduate Fair in Glasgow • We are a multi-partner programme supported by TalentScotland, Scottish Enterprise (SE), Highlands & Islands Enterprise (HIE), Scottish Government, Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services (AGCAS), Skills Development Scotland (SDS) and the Scottish Funding Council (SFC) • Crucially this programme brings together universities and economic development agencies. The TalentScotland Graduate Placement Programme is a multi-partner programme supported by TalentScotland, Scottish Enterprise , Highlands & Islands Enterprise, Scottish Government, Association of Graduates Careers Advisory Services, Skills Development Scotland and the Scottish Funding Council

  4. What are our aims? • Our aims are two-fold and mutually dependent: • To enable Scottish businesses and social enterprises to improve their efficiency and competitiveness by accessing some of the brightest Scottish and international graduates to work on a structured and managed business development or technical project • To build graduate employability and employment prospects by opening up the ‘hidden labour market’ to graduates and give them access to tangible, real world work experience and graduate training. The TalentScotland Graduate Placement Programme is a multi-partner programme supported by TalentScotland, Scottish Enterprise , Highlands & Islands Enterprise, Scottish Government, Association of Graduates Careers Advisory Services, Skills Development Scotland and the Scottish Funding Council

  5. What are our aims? How Businesses and Graduates Benefit For Business • to improve business performance • to enable businesses to grow, develop and improve competitiveness and productivity by accessing graduates for specific, quantifiable and measurable business development and technical projects • to enable businesses to export by providing access to overseas students as per the SNI product • to tackle higher level skills gaps within businesses and assist in recruitment and retention of higher level skills (especially in rural areas and the HIE area) • to enable organisations to innovate by undertaking projects which are additional to the current operation of their business or social enterprise • to strengthen links between businesses in the private and social enterprise sector and universities • For Graduates • to address concerns over graduate under- and unemployment • to increase knowledge transfer by using skills and abilities of graduates in the workplace • to develop graduates’ employability, by providing high quality industry experience • to further employment skills by incorporating specially developed training on employability and innovation as a mandatory part of the placement. The TalentScotland Graduate Placement Programme is a multi-partner programme supported by TalentScotland, Scottish Enterprise , Highlands & Islands Enterprise, Scottish Government, Association of Graduates Careers Advisory Services, Skills Development Scotland and the Scottish Funding Council

  6. How it Works • The programme places recent UK and International graduates and postgraduates into fixed term placements into all sorts of industries, all kinds of functions, based all across Scotland • Projects must be quantifiable and measureable and demonstrate an impact on business performance • Projects can last from 3-12 months • Host company is responsible for paying the placement graduate’s salary (min rate of £14k per annum pro rata) • Graduate receives min two days offsite training during their placement The TalentScotland Graduate Placement Programme is a multi-partner programme supported by TalentScotland, Scottish Enterprise , Highlands & Islands Enterprise, Scottish Government, Association of Graduates Careers Advisory Services, Skills Development Scotland and the Scottish Funding Council

  7. How it Works Company states interest in programme and we establish whether they have a viable placement opportunity that we can promote We work with the company to pull together a detailed job description Employer responsible for conducting interviews and issuing contract to successful candidate We advertise the placement through variety of channels, receive the applications, conduct pre-screen and send over a short list to the employer for review Training team will contact graduate with specific logistics about training programme At which point we also contact the successful graduate with congratulations, induction information, evaluation survey and information about training The TalentScotland Graduate Placement Programme is a multi-partner programme supported by TalentScotland, Scottish Enterprise , Highlands & Islands Enterprise, Scottish Government, Association of Graduates Careers Advisory Services, Skills Development Scotland and the Scottish Funding Council

  8. How it Works – Candidate Attraction and Brand Building Social and Digital Media University Careers Services Broadcast and Print Events The TalentScotland Graduate Placement Programme is a multi-partner programme supported by TalentScotland, Scottish Enterprise , Highlands & Islands Enterprise, Scottish Government, Association of Graduates Careers Advisory Services, Skills Development Scotland and the Scottish Funding Council

  9. Engaging with Employers We are engaging with employers through a variety of channels • In HIE, all companies must be Account Managed (NB financing implications) • Elsewhere in Scotland we reach employers through: • Scottish Enterprise relationships • Business Gateway • Trade and Industry Bodies eg Federation of Small Businesses, Chambers of Commerce • Networking opportunities eg Trade Fairs and small business networking forums • Our website • University relationships The TalentScotland Graduate Placement Programme is a multi-partner programme supported by TalentScotland, Scottish Enterprise , Highlands & Islands Enterprise, Scottish Government, Association of Graduates Careers Advisory Services, Skills Development Scotland and the Scottish Funding Council

  10. The benefits… Full time dedicated resource for the length of the project Could be used to undertake projects that have been on hold Help scope out projects that the management team have been wanting to look at Fixed term resource not full time employee Free recruitment service undertaken by TSGPP Project Officer Access to the latest graduate skills, knowledge & enthusiasm Appointed graduate benefits from training at no cost to company And the challenges… For some employers even the minimum salary of £14k pro-rated per annum is too much of a financial commitment due to economic uncertainty In SE, no financial contribution to the graduate’s salary Why take on someone with little to no work experience when they could hire (at greater cost) a consultant or someone with more experience Do SMEs really see or understand the benefit of the training…? Engaging with Employers – the benefits and the challenges The TalentScotland Graduate Placement Programme is a multi-partner programme supported by TalentScotland, Scottish Enterprise , Highlands & Islands Enterprise, Scottish Government, Association of Graduates Careers Advisory Services, Skills Development Scotland and the Scottish Funding Council

  11. Engaging with Employers – what they’re looking for… Quality of output Enthusiasm for role Strong work ethic Some work experience… Commercial acumen Latest technical skills ? Research methodology Relevancy of skills Ability to work autonomously Common Sense Excellent communication The TalentScotland Graduate Placement Programme is a multi-partner programme supported by TalentScotland, Scottish Enterprise , Highlands & Islands Enterprise, Scottish Government, Association of Graduates Careers Advisory Services, Skills Development Scotland and the Scottish Funding Council

  12. Building Graduate Employability Programme participants will: • Gain tangible, real-world work experience in a high growth organisation • Be part of a growing company’s success story • Enhance their CV and professional skill set • Build relationships with professionals in their industry sector and beyond • And benefit from bespoke business training during the programme… The TalentScotland Graduate Placement Programme is a multi-partner programme supported by TalentScotland, Scottish Enterprise , Highlands & Islands Enterprise, Scottish Government, Association of Graduates Careers Advisory Services, Skills Development Scotland and the Scottish Funding Council

  13. Building Graduate Employability – Focus on Training and Development The TalentScotland Graduate Placement Programme is a multi-partner programme supported by TalentScotland, Scottish Enterprise , Highlands & Islands Enterprise, Scottish Government, Association of Graduates Careers Advisory Services, Skills Development Scotland and the Scottish Funding Council

  14. Building Graduate Employability – Focus on Training and Development As part of the programme, the graduate will benefit from a minimum of two days, maximum of five days, residential training, designed and delivered by the Hunter Centre for Entrepreneurship at Strathclyde University and Aberdeen Business School at Robert Gordon University: • Designed to enhance graduates’ own potential and personal development as well as contributing to their businesses • Develops practical enterprise, innovation, entrepreneurial and business development skills • Enables and encourages graduates to apply these skills in the workplace in order to help SMEs and Social Enterprise fulfil their growth potential • Facilitates networking and knowledge sharing amongst the graduate cohort • Builds confidence in the graduates to complement their practical experience in the placement. The TalentScotland Graduate Placement Programme is a multi-partner programme supported by TalentScotland, Scottish Enterprise , Highlands & Islands Enterprise, Scottish Government, Association of Graduates Careers Advisory Services, Skills Development Scotland and the Scottish Funding Council

  15. Placement Success Stories Paul West University of Strathclyde Economics Graduate Business Development Placement with Glasgow Chiropractic ‘Get an in depth look at everything that’s going on in the organisation’… ‘Big picture thinking and questioning why things are done the way they are…’ ‘Need to manage time better… and build relationships…’ The TalentScotland Graduate Placement Programme is a multi-partner programme supported by TalentScotland, Scottish Enterprise , Highlands & Islands Enterprise, Scottish Government, Association of Graduates Careers Advisory Services, Skills Development Scotland and the Scottish Funding Council

  16. But what’s the Impact? And how can we measure it? • Retention of graduates post placement • Already have at least two graduates who have been kept on longer term • Evaluation of Employers at end of placement • Have the planned outcomes been met? • Has there been business / revenue growth and innovation? • Has there been skills and knowledge transfer? • Evaluation of Graduates at end of placement • Has there been skills and knowledge transfer? • To what extent have they benefited from the training? • To what extent have they benefited from the placement? • Training Surveys before and after training to the graduate • How to evaluate tangible impact of the training on the employer? The TalentScotland Graduate Placement Programme is a multi-partner programme supported by TalentScotland, Scottish Enterprise , Highlands & Islands Enterprise, Scottish Government, Association of Graduates Careers Advisory Services, Skills Development Scotland and the Scottish Funding Council

  17. Questions Any Questions? Rosalyn.claase@strath.ac.uk 0141 548 3677 www.talentscotland.com/gppgraduates The TalentScotland Graduate Placement Programme is a multi-partner programme supported by TalentScotland, Scottish Enterprise , Highlands & Islands Enterprise, Scottish Government, Association of Graduates Careers Advisory Services, Skills Development Scotland and the Scottish Funding Council

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