In this episode of the Work in Progress podcast, discussion focused on the widening gap between university and the graduate marketplace and it became clear that the challenges facing both sides of the market are increasing.
Some key challenges that emerged from the discussion were:
- Traditional pathways are becoming less and less common – students want a squiggly career and employers want ever-changing skills
- There is a significant mismatch between the skills employers value and the skills graduates feel they need - as our latest research revealed students rank industry experience as most important while employers rank it least, and vice versa for resilience (Bright Network “What do graduates want?” Research 2024)
- GenAI is further worsening the disconnect between employers and studtents. Students are struggling to make their applications stand out while employers are removing the human element of recruitment through automated screening and a lack of individualised feedback
Amongst the debate around these challenges, insights were shared on how organisations can take accountability and look to solve some of these challenges, including:
- Nurturing non-traditional pathways to bridge the skills gap and support students from all backgrounds
- Innovating and evolving the ways key skills are measured to get the best out of candidates – over-reliance on assessment centres was called out specifically as being an area some diverse candidates struggle with
- Hire for learning agility and adaptability – the landscape will continue to move fast, so now more than ever, hiring for potential is key
Thanks to the Matrix Podcast for inviting us along!