Partner Article

Graduate Schemes: Bridging the Skills Gap

There have been a number of businesses complaining about graduates lately. The gist of the argument is that they aren’t adequately prepared for work in the real world and, in the tech industry, I agree, there is a bit of a disconnect. But this presents a real problem. How are these graduates, coming out of university with thousands of pounds worth of debt on their shoulders, going to bridge that gap if they can’t catch a break?

Yes, there are lots of apprenticeships available but these schemes aren’t right for graduates; they don’t quite fit. That’s the beauty of graduate schemes; they help a business to develop that raw talent and give them the experience they desperately need. It is our responsibility as entrepreneurs, as business people, to step up and give graduates the opportunities that they have to fight so hard for at the moment. I’m no academic, I have always gone my own way and the entrepreneurial streak runs deep, but I understand that these graduates have spent years at university precisely because they believed it would yield opportunity. They ought to have the chance to prove their worth in the working world.

I look at my own team at UKFast and I can pick out four of my best performers, people who have been with us for around five years now, who approached me as graduates eager to prove their salt. I’m glad I didn’t underestimate them because now, one of them is a director and the other three are top notch senior managers and salespeople. They’ve grown and developed with the company and this is something I like to be a part of. I love watching how peoples’ journeys progress as part of our team.

I’ve just invested a significant amount of money in the creation of a UKFast graduate scheme. We’ve already taken on ten graduates and we’re going to be taking on forty more. The scheme allows us to create a bespoke business model that helps them and gives them real training with real salaries.

We’ve designed it to cover all aspects of the business, including sales, which, in my mind, is one of the best places to get to grips with the brand. More companies need to get on board with graduate schemes and invest in the potential that these young people possess. It’s a chance to tailor their development to suit your business and the industry it exists within, and it pays them a respectable salary. It’s a win-win situation and, in my opinion, one of the best ways to bridge the much bemoaned skills gap!

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Lawrence Jones .