Rapid changes are taking place in the UK university system, not least in the number of young people opting for higher education. Enrolment rose 31 per cent during the 1980s and has now seen an increase of around 75 per cent since 1980. Similarly dramatic changes are taking place in the world of work. Companies are downsizing, delayering and outsourcing at a rate which has created great uncertainty about the kinds of careers which now exist for graduates.A recent research report by Whiteway Research for the Association of Graduate Recruiters (AGR) has tried to make sense of some of these changes. The expansion of graduate numbers leads to one inescapable conclusion: this huge number of graduates will not be absorbed by traditional graduate recruiters. Instead, graduates will find themselves in non-traditional roles. In particular, they will need to unearth opportunities in small-and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs).This article addresses the SME issue in two ways. First, graduates will need new skills to survive the future world of work, especially within smaller businesses. Second, particular barriers exist which prevent an easy transition from university into SMEs. The article highlights examples of initiatives which are facilitating this transition through information, a regional focus and a business needs-centred (rather than graduate placement-centred) approach.
Skills for graduates in the twenty-first centuryIn order to predict the skills which graduates will need in the future, it is not sufficient to consult employers. The far-reaching changes which are taking place need an assessment which focuses on the skills needed by individuals rather than those demanded by a particular type of work.The research for AGR, therefore, focused on the changes taking place in organizations and their implications for careers. This indicated some of the skills which will be needed.
New routes to employmentGraduate training schemes still exist but traditional positions will not absorb the growing numbers of new graduates. Reduced
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