UNITED KINGDOM

UK: Employers target schools in search for talent

A report published last week has found that growing numbers of top employers are targeting school leavers instead of limiting vacancies to applicants with a degree, writes Graeme Paton for The Telegraph.

The disclosure, in a study by the Association of Graduate Recruiters (AGR), follows claims that thousands of talented teenagers are shunning higher education because of rising student debt and mounting competition for university places. According to figures, more than a quarter of leading businesses now employ staff directly from schools and colleges and a fifth of remaining firms are considering opening up recruitment schemes to this age group.

Carl Gilleard, AGR chief executive, said: "Businesses will continue to recruit graduates but there is a recognition that there are many talented young people who don't go to university, partly because of the growing concern about levels of student debt, and they are looking at ways to bring that talent through the pipeline."
Full report on The Telegraph site