WIDENING ACCESS TO THE PROFESSIONS

1
WIDENING ACCESS TO THE PROFESSIONS   Carl
Gilleard Chief Executive Association of Graduate
Recruiters
2
WHAT DO EMPLOYERS LOOK FOR IN GRADUATES?

• Everything
• and more!

3
A GOOD DEGREE

4
SKILLS

5
Experience is not what happens to you its what
you do with what happens to you Aldous Huxley

6
PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES

7
Mindset Matters

8
A GOOD JOB APPLICATION

9
What should employers NOT look for?

•  
• graduates from a particular institution
• graduates from the same mould
• UCAS tariff points

10
The challenges for recruiters of graduates

•   
• 80 plus applications chasing each vacancy
• The inadequacies of the degree classification
  system
• Too many institutions, too few resources
• Candidates not doing themselves justice
• Candidates who are not mobile
• How to identify potential as well as achievement

11
What can employers do to improve diversity?

• Monitor each stage of recruitment process to
  ensure no hidden barriers
• Constantly review recruitment practice and
  performance
• Ensure recruiters are properly trained
• Clear messages from the top
• Buy in from the line
• Be willing to try different approaches

12
Examples of what employers do

• Sign up to the Governments Business Compact
  opening doors
• Help schools to raise aspirations
• Mentoring
• Open opportunities to all
• Open up access to internships
• Pay interns
• Recruit fairly using processes that exclude
  biodata
• Sponsorship/ Bursaries

13
Towards a level playing field

•  
• 18 year old entry programme to professional quals
  and degree (Accountancy)
• Widening participation GAP Year in business (IT)
• Recruitment site aimed at parents (Construction)
• Internship programme taking parental earnings
  into account (Bank)
• Briefing sessions on application/assessment
  procedures (Public sector)

14
Elephant in the Room

15
Elephants in the room

• Risk averse recruitment
• Collapse of guidance services
• Growth in internships leading to jobs
• Growth of school leaver programmes????
• Tuition fees????
• Will participation levels fall?
• Who will opt out?
• Choice of courses and institutions on financial
  grounds
• Shorter degrees
• Working at the expenses of the complete experience

16
The key to unlocking potential- Taking Personal
responsibility