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Tuesday 14 Sep 2010

DEGREES MUST MATCH BUSINESS NEEDS, SAYS NETWORK RAIL (NOTTS)

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Network Rail today warned Britain risked a generation of graduates no more employable than school leavers unless universities and business worked better together to deliver a programme relevant and practical for the commercial world.

As the company launches its graduate scheme for 2011, it warns that whilst applications are up, there is a worrying trend of candidates with little or no awareness of how business operates, and in some cases, engineering graduates with a surprising lack of understanding of the basics.

Iain Coucher, Network Rail chief executive, said: “A successful railway is vital to Britain’s economic growth and prosperity. To deliver this we must continue to hire top graduate talent. The partnerships we have with a number of universities produce many graduates ready for work and who will make a genuine contribution, yet we’re also seeing a worrying increase in graduate candidates who have little more to offer than school leavers. Many have seemingly coasted through university without getting any sort of a grasp of the realities of business.”

“In these tough and competitive times, students must do more to make themselves ready for work. Universities and businesses must play their part in shaping learning that will be meaningful, practical and valuable to prospective employers.  If we continue to simply churn out ever increasing numbers of graduates rather than produce quality, rounded individuals, the talent pool on which British business relies will be a rather diluted one.”

Network Rail has launched a pilot programme where a group of six graduates will act as envoys for the company and a link to their former universities. They will help to arrange for expert engineers from the company to speak in lectures, or provide information on the industry that may be useful for students.

Richard Kerrigan, an engineering graduate at Network Rail from Nottingham University, offered his advice on how to improve their job prospects: “It is important to use the opportunities at university to improve your job prospects.  Becoming involved with societies is not just a way to socialise but also a chance to develop and demonstrate competencies such as leadership, responsibility and teamwork.  It is often a good subject to talk about in an interview, especially if the society is related to your course or the job you are applying for.

“It is also important to make use of the summer break to try to gain some invaluable work experience.  This will give you the chance to relate the theory into industry.  In addition to developing your skills and earning some extra income, a work placement also presents the chance to become familiar with a particular industry or company.”

Network Rail also conducted a survey of around 300 graduates who have entered the Network Rail scheme in recent years. It found:

• Half (50%) already had an understanding of the career options open to them before university 
• As students, they got careers advice from a number of sources with 76% choosing the internet, 71% university and 58% friends. Less than half (37%) got advice from careers advisers.
• Less than one in five (16%) believe their university course prepared them for employment, with three quarters (76%) believing it only did so in some ways
• Three quarters (75%) undertook some work experience or voluntary work during or after their course, with 91% of these believing that it made them more attractive to potential employers.