Yorkshire firms warned about missing out on graduate talent

Companies in Yorkshire have been told that they may be missing out on untapped graduate talent in the region.

Economist and author of a new report from Graduates Yorkshire, Professor Mark Hepworth, noted that there are ten universities in the area churning out around 40,000 graduates a year.

Professor Hepworth pointed out that Kirklees, Wakefield and Calderdale are the worst-performing areas in terms of attracting graduate recruitment.

Leeds, Bradford, Sheffield and Hull are performing much better, he said, with Leeds being a hub of three universities and Sheffield boasting two.

Higher-education institutions are also found in York, Bradford and Huddersfield.

'Business employers, especially small- and medium-sized enterprises, must recruit more graduates from the region's universities and participate more in work-placement schemes,' he commented.

Chief Executive of Graduates Yorkshire, Martin Edmondson, stated graduates are 'crucial' to the economy and 'provide employers with a huge resource that is waiting to be tapped into.'