Graduate vacancies still available, claims expert

Graduate students require easy access to the job market after leaving university, one authority has suggested.

Head of Employment Policy at the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) Neil Carberry remarked young people faced a number of challenges but opportunities were out there.

He said: 'Let's be clear, rising unemployment is only a difference between the number [of] people losing jobs and gaining jobs. There are still plenty of vacancies in the labour market.'

Ensuring graduates had basic employability skills as well as removing 'artificial barriers' to the market such as minimum wages for apprenticeships was fundamentally important, he added.

Mr Carberry also suggested government initiatives, such as the Pathways to Work scheme, could play a role in guiding recent university-leavers into employment.

Alistair Darling stated in the 2009 budget earlier this year that there would be an increased focus on making sure unemployed young people were given adequate aid in securing a job.

This included guaranteed work, placements and training schemes for those aged between 18 and 24 who were out of employment for longer than 12 months.