Graduates need to 'learn basic soft skills'

The head of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) has advised that graduates need to develop their soft skills, including 'how to get up in the morning' in order to find the right job.

Highlighting recent research that suggested that a quarter of employers do not think the soft skills of graduates, such as managing time and communicating efficiently, are up to scratch.

Richard Lambert, Director General of the CBI, praised a programme run by Liverpool John Moores University which helps train graduates for the workplace.

'Clearly we are not expecting every university in the land to do that - it is horses for courses all the way - but we think soft skills are an important part of education,' he outlined.

Mr Lambert added that 'some universities' are striving more and more to ensure graduates are equipped with the skills valued by employers.

Personnel Today recently conducted a poll which found that employees born in the 1980s, or so-called Generation-Yers, are mostly concerned about salary when considering a new job.