FDM Group combats assertion that graduates are unfit for work

FDM Group combats assertion that graduates are unfit for work

A recent study, commissioned by the Young Enterprise charity, revealed that three in four bosses believe graduates do not possess the skills needed to enter the world of work.
 
The research indicated that thousands of young people currently attend job interviews without the “vital employability skills” needed to secure a graduate role.
 
The surveyed employers pointed to a distinct lack of “commercial awareness,” “technical skills” and “interpersonal skills” as a cause for concern amongst this latest generation of graduates.
 
The UK’s largest IT graduate employer, FDM Group, is renowned for its two-year graduate programme, which supports graduates in their quest to bridge the gap between university and employment.
 
FDM Group Recruitment Manager, Madeleine Field, said, “As a graduate recruiter that has kick-started the careers of over 3,000 jobseekers, we are fully aware of the struggles graduates are facing. Within the IT industry in particular, the majority of employers expect graduates to possess the technical skills needed to hit the ground running. Due to the business focused nature of most IT roles, strong interpersonal skills and commercial experience are also often required.”
 
The FDM Academy offers its graduate trainees 12-16 weeks of technical training in six core service areas, providing graduates with the practical skills needed to embark on a career in IT.
 
However despite this strong emphasis on industry centred education, FDM trainees are not permitted to touch a computer for the first week of their training as they undergo intensive soft skills training.
 
FDM IT Consultant, Tyrone Cutajar, said, “The soft skill aspects to the FDM training course have improved my confidence and developed the interpersonal skills needed to succeed in interviews and the industry in general.”
 
Once training is complete, FDM also offers graduates a fast-track route into employment and an opportunity for them to prove themselves by placing them within one or more of its 200 blue chip clients for a minimum of two years.
 
Contrary to this latest research, feedback from the company’s clients surrounding graduates has been phenomenal due to the structure of the competitive programme.
 
Head of Education Services at Misys said, “I’ve been working closely with FDM on several enablement initiatives and have been impressed with the calibre of Consultants FDM supplied. They are dedicated and have the exact qualities we are looking for.”
 
The UK’s ‘Best Technical Graduate Recruiter’ of 2010 looks forward to positively altering the opinions of many more employers by leading 1,000 graduates into the IT industry in 2011.
 
For more information on the FDM Academy programme please visit: www.fdmacademy.com