Breaking into the job market after university can be daunting at any time. This year, securing a graduate job is an even tougher challenge given the current economic crisis.  Students are faced with decisions to start earning now and take on non-graduate jobs or take the risk of working unpaid with the hope of breaking into their chosen profession. The Government’s solution is to offer graduates three-month minimum wage internships, which have been met with mixed reactions by Kingston students. Is a degree today worth the time, effort and money or is work experience the key to an employer’s heart?

The government has announced plans to launch a National Internship Scheme this summer aimed at putting more graduates in work.
Microsoft and Barclays have already signed up to the £140 million scheme and other major companies from the public sector have been asked to get involved.

Speaking to the Daily Telegraph, John Denham, the Secretary of State for Universities and Skills, said that following the internships the graduates would be “more employable and some of them will get jobs. Employers won’t want to let good people go.”

However, not everyone has as much faith in the government scheme. The Assistant Editor for The Independent on Sunday, David Randall said: “We have no interest in employing graduates.

“With the expansion of fees students may expect their degree is worth something. I’m afraid not. A degree does not constitute a meal ticket into the industry and I have seen many graduates shocked by this.”

In a Kingston University survey only 9% of Kingston students felt confident that they would find a graduate job.

Zahra M’Rabet, 3rd year English Literature student, said: “With all that’s happening at the moment I don’t think I’ll find a graduate job. So many of my friends who graduated last year have already been made redundant which is worrying.”

Due to the difficulty in securing a graduate job, many graduates are settling for jobs that require no higher education.
Margaret Dane, Chief Executive of the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services, said:

 “Graduates should be assured that all sensible recruiters will try to attract the best talent they can, scouting a wide range of higher education institutions across the UK.”

She added: “Many employers are still in touch with universities around the country, advertising the opportunities they do have to a wide range of institutions.”

With unemployment already approaching 2 million, some experts predict that 3 million people, 1 in 10 in the workforce, could be out of work by 2010.

John Wandsworth, from the Centre for Economic Performance, LSE, argues that having a degree is still important to employers:

“While the supply of graduates has risen, economists agree that demand for graduates has been rising faster. The recession is unlikely to change this need for skills and so people with skills - graduates included - will be in a much better position than those without."

In these new government internships, graduates will be paid to gain work experience for a period of three months but the pay will only be marginally above the average student loan. The maximum annual student loan is currently £2,835.

The Kingston survey suggested that 64% of students are determined to stay career focussed and would rather opt for work experience in their chosen field combined with part-time jobs, than take non-graduate jobs. Out of a sample of 100 Kingston students, 73% said they would be interested in doing an internship, a clear indication that the government is finally in tune with student needs.

However, third year Journalism and English Literature student, Emily Eldridge, is not convinced: “These internships are beneficial for the government and for employees but not for us. This is not representative of what we need and not stable enough. To be any good at all they should be a year.” 

Liberal Democrat leader, Nick Clegg, is also sceptical of the plan, saying internships for graduates does nothing to address the fear of long-term unemployment and will not lead to a single new job.

Stephen Reed, a third year psychology student, said: “This is ridiculous. We have already been conned into believing that if we did a degree we would be more employable and now we’re being told we may not be able to find work after graduation.”

While Kingston students like the idea and support of government internships as a way of gaining experience, the three month period and basic pay is limiting. Students are also worried that this is only a ‘quick fix’ and does not offer long-term job security.

So what have you got to look forward to us a KU graduate? It’s not all doom and gloom as the media seem to suggest. A university degree provides you with life-long employment skills. In order to compete with the old and wise in this shrinking job market, you must have plenty of experience under your belt. 

Anne-Marie Martin, Director of the Careers Group at the University of London, agrees that experience is everything:

"Some students are considering travelling or doing a postgraduate qualification, but the recession could still be in full swing this time next year. Graduates should try to find work this year."
 

For more information, check out the university career service: www.kingston.ac.uk/careers