The government’s plans to encourage internships for unemployed graduates has generated some comment
http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2009/jan/10/graduate-employment-crisis-rescue-package Much of the discussion has emphasised the disappointment of the unemployed or underemployed alumni, such as here http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/education/article5488978.ece while this focus on disappointed graduates is understandable, it was my experience in the last recession (I was teaching at a university and was known as a soft touch for a good reference for people I didn’t know), that many graduates once employed in an organisation, even on a temporary contract, would then move onto permanent better paid positions with those same organisations. So, I wouldn’t be surprised if these internships prove to be useful and also that some people who would never otherwise have considered a job in retailing end up pursuing it as a rewarding career. However, from memory, it was the school leavers with low or no qualifications who were the real long term losers in the recession. Work creation schemes and temporary jobs just didn’t seem to serve this group in the same way as they did for graduates. For them, temporary jobs are just that, temporary low paid employment. These young people never really joined the workforce; instead they become a new cohort in the army of the long-term unemployed. Despite the debt, it’s still worth going to university.
2 comments:
This is considerable blight on our education system. Having worked in a number of customer service roles I saw about 50% of the work force were graduates with few hopes; this was mainly because they had become dis-heartened about trying...there reasons for not getting a job. Lack of skills. Companies want pre-qualified graduates; bottom line is if you don't know how to sell yourself, have low confidence and a poorly framed future (1st generation families experience in particular) you are almost guaranteed to fall at the first hurdle..the application form.
Really interesting. I think temporary work and work experience can be the key to gaining confidence and moving into a rewarding career, but it's much more difficult to come by if you're from a low-income family and have no contacts. Also, working for free (in an internship) might not be an option. I know that Islington Council run a brilliant scheme called Career Start, which finds work placements (some paid) for care leavers and has had some inspiring results.
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