Companies expect too much from graduates, says AGCAS

Employers' expectations that graduates have all the right skills when they leave university are not realistic, the Association of Graduate Careers Advisory Services (AGCAS) has suggested.

Elspeth Farrar, Communications Director for AGCAS, noted that with many companies expecting to face difficulties recruiting the right staff, there could be a mismatch between what firms expect of university leavers and what skills they actually possess.

In fact, the Association of Graduate Recruiters' winter survey revealed that 67% of organisations are expecting problems with filling all their vacancies.

Companies have 'unrealistic expectations,' Ms Farrar remarked.

'It seems now that companies are expecting students to come out of university work ready,' she said.

Traditionally, graduate recruitment schemes were there to train degree holders in the world of work, Ms Farrar added, with employers developing the skills of their young new recruits.

Furthermore, tight recruitment deadlines have placed pressure on undergraduates who may be more concerned with attaining a first or a 2.1, she concluded.