Graduates 'are a long-term investment'

Following the announcement that BT is to close its graduate recruitment scheme, an expert has said that businesses must be patient with graduates and that they are a long-term investment.

In the midst of growing concerns about the graduate jobs market, Chris Morrall, recruitment management specialist at Talent Transitions, said: "There are benefits to hiring a graduate, and if people are seeing and realising those benefits then it shouldn't be the start of other things to come."

He also suggested that graduates who "run a society and get involved in a community...stand a better chance of being employed".

BT stated yesterday (August 24th) that it will be reviewing the status of its graduate programme on an ongoing basis, and the career development opf its current graduates would not be hindered.

The latest figures released by the Office for National Statistics on August 12th found the unemployment level at 2.43 million, up 220,000 on the previous three months and up 750,000 on the year.