Partner Article

Work experience more important than qualifications say employers.

New research has sown that employers often value work experience over qualifications when choosing employees.

More than half of employers in the Ambition AXA study stressed the importance of finding relevant work experience before starting employment, with more than one in ten believing it to be vital in order to secure a job.

When asked what they valued most in a potential employee, employers ranked character and personality as the most important factors when differentiating between candidates.

Vocational qualifications and A levels came in at the bottom of the scale.

The top reasons behind these views were cited as candidate differentiation, life skills, and less meaningful qualifications, with almost 60 % of employers believing that graduates are ill equipped to enter the workplace.

The study also explains why employers do not view the rising costs of university as a particularly relevant issue. When asked, the majority said they were not really concerned by tuition prices and 15% stated they do not rely on university qualifications at all.

Catherine Marchant, Director of Young Enterprise, said: “Finding work is increasingly tough these days, and what we’re seeing is that employers are after a more rounded ‘package.’

“They’re increasingly looking for staff who have experience in the workplace, and the right attitude towards business - rather than their academic qualifications alone.

“This bodes well for the ambitious: those who show passion and dedication for something, and are willing to work hard for it - getting work experience in the field.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Ruth Mitchell .