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Businesses question graduates' readiness for work

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West Midlands businesses are hiring more graduates, but concerns remain over job-readiness of new starters, new analysis shows.

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The findings come after regional analysis of the 2015 CBI/Pearson Education and Skills Survey by Pearson College London, which saw 95 West Midlands businesses take part in the UK-wide survey.

It reveals 26 per cent of West Midlands businesses increased graduate recruitment in the past year, extending the expansion in job opportunities seen in recent years.

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However, many businesses in the region report weaknesses in graduates' general readiness for employment, with 34 per cent reporting shortcoming in self-management and resilience, 22 per cent concerned with graduates' communication skills, and 44 per cent not satisfied with graduates' levels of business and customer awareness.

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Roxanne Stockwell, Principal of Pearson College London, said: "While it is excellent news that graduates are in demand country-wide, it is worrying that firms are finding that many graduates they recruit aren't properly prepared for the world of work. "Universities have a responsibility to ensure that all students leave with the right attitudes and aptitudes that businesses need to succeed.

"Many universities have good links with businesses, but it's time for deeper collaboration – with courses designed in partnership with employers and work placements built in as standard."

West Midlands businesses taking part in the survey say they look first and foremost for graduates with the right attitudes and aptitudes to enable them to be effective in the workplace – nine in ten employers value these above factors such as degree subject.