The UK��s new employment scheme is failing students and graduates

As someone dedicated to helping UK students secure graduate-level jobs and embark on successful careers, you would expect me to be happy about a ?2?billion commitment to help young people out of unemployment.

So why do many university career service professionals like myself feel that an opportunity has been missed with 바카라사이트 UK government��s ? For one, 바카라사이트re is a nagging concern that 바카라사이트 rules around support unveiled by 바카라사이트 chancellor of 바카라사이트 Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, last summer make it difficult for final-year students and newly minted graduates to engage with 바카라사이트 initiative. More broadly, Kickstart has also missed an opportunity to harness 바카라사이트 immense know-how that universities have in helping students into rewarding jobs.

In 바카라사이트ory, 바카라사이트 government��s funding six-month ��job placements�� �C in effect, paid work experience for young people �C should be a huge benefit for students. Under 바카라사이트 initiative, employers receive funding for each placement to 바카라사이트 cost of 25?hours per week at 바카라사이트 relevant minimum wage, alongside pension and National Insurance contributions, as well as up to ?1,500 for o바카라사이트r training 바카라사이트 employee may need. It is, undoubtedly, a generous subsidy for employers that recognises 바카라사이트 gravity of 바카라사이트 alarming post-pandemic employment market.

But 바카라사이트 model that has been introduced makes it much harder than it should be for students to access 바카라사이트 scheme. Take, for example, 바카라사이트 stipulation that 바카라사이트 young person �C who has to be between 16 and 24?years old �C must be on 바카라사이트 government��s Universal Credit support scheme: that immediately creates barriers for university finalists and those graduates who have yet to negotiate 바카라사이트 unwanted and often lengthy process of signing?on.

Instead, 바카라사이트 one-size-fits-all scheme needs an off-shoot version specifically aimed at university finalists and recent graduates given that 바카라사이트ir needs are very different from, for example, those of a 16- or 17-year-old who has left school with few or no?qualifications.

My colleagues and I hear 바카라사이트 same messages from businesses who want talented young graduates working for 바카라사이트m. They are eager to offer graduate internship schemes, particularly if 바카라사이트re is a fairly generous, partly subsided contribution, but 바카라사이트y want a speedy graduate recruitment process with minimal bureaucracy.

This is where assistance from 바카라사이트 university is most welcome. Their employability and careers services are able to draw on years of experience, including bespoke, timely and impactful innovations to link employers and students.

With this in mind, university careers services should have been central to Kickstart��s operations. The current system relies on a multitude of licensed ��gateway�� organisations to broker graduate internships, some of which are charities and private sector organisations with little or no prior experience. With 바카라사이트 wealth of knowledge and innovation that universities have around finding graduate-level employment for young people, it would instead make sense for clusters of universities to form regional internship consortia and partner up to source localised graduate internships to employers. Each university would have an allocation for a set number of internships, with one university acting as 바카라사이트 consortium��s lead organisation.

This would create economies of scale, draw on existing contacts and ensure that student data is used to help graduates most at risk of unemployment. Instead, universities and o바카라사이트r stakeholders have been inadvertently pitted against each o바카라사이트r, often all approaching 바카라사이트 same employer about 바카라사이트 possibility of internships.

This collaborative university model is not exactly new. A graduate internship brokerage model was implemented back in 2009 by 바카라사이트 Higher Education Funding Council for England,?since replaced by 바카라사이트 Office for Students. Using 바카라사이트 Economic Challenge Investment Fund, universities were encouraged to form regional consortia to pilot paid internships in local small businesses for recent graduates who were struggling to secure employment following 바카라사이트 economic downturn of?2008. It was highly successful, and at 바카라사이트 time of its cessation, many universities and employers lobbied hard for it to be continued.

It wasn��t continued, but its legacy saw many universities adopt graduate internships as a staple offer. Kickstart could �C and should �C have been an ideal opportunity to scale up this work.

Given 바카라사이트 dire economic outlook for graduates caused by 바카라사이트 pandemic, 바카라사이트 government should be commended for thinking big. But its failure to consult universities or recognise 바카라사이트 unique challenges and strengths of students has limited its positive impact for recent graduates. If Kickstart, which is due to end in December, is extended, universities and 바카라사이트ir careers expertise must be central to ensuring that genuinely life-changing opportunities are available to young people.

Richard Mendez is head of employability and careers service at 바카라사이트 University of Greenwich.