July 2015

Brought to you by

THE GRADUATE MARKET

£30,614

(1) AGR (Association of Graduate Recruiters) Graduate Recruitment Survey 2015 Winter Review

(2) Oxford Economics Report 2014

(3) The Graduate Market in 2015, by High Fliers Research

(4) CBI (Confederation of British Industry)

The figures The facts

2.3 million graduates

enrolled in the UK

The time it takes a university

graduate to reach Optimum

Productivity(2)

The amount spent by Association of

Graduate Recruiters members in the

UK on their graduate recruitment

marketing in 2013-2014, with an

average of £2,007 per vacancy(1)

40 weeks

The average cost for

employers to replace a recruit (including the costs of recruitment team,

onboarding, training, to get them up to Optimum Productivity)(2)

Just under

£20.5 million

25% Of companies have

unfilled positions

due to graduates

having a lack of

employable skills(1)

8.1% more entry-level vacancies

than last year(3)

Most important factors in recruiting

school and college leavers(4)

Transformation of Further

Education funding has

resulted in an increased

focus on employability

Universities need

deeper relationships

with employers and to

engage students

effectively in career

education

The majority of Association

of Graduate Recruiters

members run a graduate

development

programme, typically

lasting for 1-2 years,

including on-the-job

training, training away from

the job and studying for a

professional qualification(1)

The substantial increase

in graduate vacancies

for 2015 takes graduate

recruitment beyond the

pre-recession peak in the

graduate job market in

2007 and means that

there will be more

opportunities for this

summer’s university-

leavers than at any time

in the last decade(3)

Almost three-quarters

of the unfilled

graduate vacancies

were at accounting and

professional services

firms, in the public

sector and the Armed

Forces(3)

30%38%

85%

24%63%

44%

14%

HOW GRADUATES BEHAVE

Employability

Students are not thinking about employability for most of

the time whilst at university.

But, when they do start thinking about it, they are often

overwhelmed by too much information.

Feedback and guidance

Students value feedback, guidance and respect those with

real experience/achievements

The structure/guidance/support to help them reflect on

their strengths and interests and to visualise their

ambitions is absent.

For many, this has been lacking throughout their

education, resulting in over 61% of employees(1) feeling

disengaged and uninspired in their work.

Student behavior – Survey outputs Careers education in the UK is

failing our kids, our businesses and

our future prosperity.

Careers Lab, 2014

Careers Lab provides support for businesses to build their

relationships with schools

(1) The engagement levels of British employees, CIPD

(2) ME+ survey

(3) Employer Perspectives Survey 2014, UKCES

From students who took part in the ME+® AGCAS

workshops, the ME+® Careers Lab workshops and FDM

interns.

Outputs show the followings:

Spontaneous

Random

Passive/Avoid taking risks

Alienated/Disengaged

Lack of ambition

Lack of drive

Complacent

Consumerist

Focused

Disciplined

Professional

Prepared for career entry

Preparedness of University/Higher education

leavers for employment

From very poorly prepared to very well prepared(2)

WHAT IS NEEDED

Businesses* have highlighted the skills needed for the 21st Century workplace:

In an increasingly competitive employment market, employers are

looking beyond simple academic achievements when considering

applicants for a job or internship.

Many now expect to see evidence of other skills and achievements

that boost someone’s attractiveness as a potential employee.

Businesses want graduates who not only add value but who have the

skills to help to transform their organisation in the face of continuous

and rapid economic and technological change. All graduates –

whatever their degree discipline – need to be equipped with

employability skills.

In today's business environment of constant change, we believe people

need a structure to support them to be more self-directed and with

that they are more likely to succeed.

* CBI 2014

** Edge foundation, report written by Kevin Lowden, Stuart Hall, Dr Dely Elliot and Jon Lewin

Self-awareness

Self-management

Clarity of vision of

success

Business & customer

awareness

Communication

Team working

Problem solving

Self-confidence

Leadership skills

Employability skills** includes:

CAREERS OWNERSHIP

** Source: Career management, making it work for employees and employers| Radha Chakraborty and Stephanie Rudbeck

Of employees report

that they have to take

ownership of their own

career**

48% Whilst nearly half of the working population in the UK recognise that they need to take

ownership for their career, this is just a start.

Equipping everyone to be self-directed through their career will lead to long-term

success both for themselves and the organisations they work for.

* “The Real Story Behind Career Development: Who is Responsible?” joint research study conducted by EdAssist and the University of Phoenix

The results of this study demonstrate why many workers and organisations fail at career

management – each believes the other should be responsible.

85%

98%

80%

What managers think

Employee’s ownership

Employer’s ownership

Who should identify job

opportunities and career paths?

Who owns the employee’s

professional development?

Who owns the employee’s career

management?

71%

74%

68%

What workers think

Employers should provide

professional development training

Employers should provide

career-advancement mentoring

Workers should continually

update and improve their skills

Workers should be responsible

for building their job-hunting &

career-planning skills

INSPIRING CAREERS WITH ME+®

ME+® puts people in control of their careers and provides a structure to help them.

ME+® inspires, prompts and guides me to understand and fulfil my potential right now,

tomorrow and in the future. Bringing me closer to the objectives of the organisation

I work for and making his relevant to my own opportunities and career choices.

An approach and system that supports people through their ‘career moments’

Engaging

Shaping/tracking

Career management

ME+ checkpoint

ME+ app

Data reporting

Reflecting/choosing

Participating/planning

Progressing/sharing

User experienceToolStage

of ME+® beta testing

users feel more aware

of what's driving them

and what they want to

achieve in their career

91%

PUTTING PEOPLE IN CONTROL

Empowering people to take actions and make

changes they are committed to

A mobile digital app that is accessible 24/7

through multi-channels

Designed to meet and support the needs of

the users:

clarifying ambitions

preparation & planning

Collaboration

reflection & learning

action & follow up

Supports users throughout their careers

Tailored to the organisation’s needs and

personalised by users

Scope

Understand target audience, their

behaviour and create experience vision

Design & produce

Design approach and materials (online

and offline) to deliver experience vision

Pilot

Put in the hands of up to 200 users

Insight

Capture user feedback and analyse user

data

Refresh

Refresh design based on actual user

experience

Deployment planning

Develop communications plan and

schedule

Launch

Roll-out approach and toolkit for target

audience

User data insight

Analyse data to understand actual user

behaviour and capture insights

OUR ME+® DEVELOPMENT & DEPLOYMENT PROCESS

Stakeholder engagement

Key stakeholders identified and workshops, interviews and surveys used to

engage throughout

Scope

Design & produce

Pilot

InsightRefresh

Deployment planning

Launch

User data insight