Do school leavers make better contractors than university graduates?

18% of employers in the UK think that school leavers are better employees than university graduates.

A recent study by the Adecco Group in the UK has discovered that employers are dissatisfied with the quality of graduates leaving our universities. There are widespread concerns that university students are leaving education totally unprepared for the world of work.

53% of the employers questioned said graduates have unrealistic expectations when it comes to working life, and 36% think the education system fails to provide the skills young people need to get a job in a British business. 25% of employers reported that graduates lack basic literacy and numeracy skills.

A large proportion of graduates appear to agree with these sentiments. 46% of them said their degree did not equip them with the skills necessary to enter work.

Employers now seem to be acting on these concerns and some of the UK's largest companies are now focusing on hiring school leavers. University fees are set to increase dramatically this year and a lot of young people are keen to 'earn and learn'.

Accountancy firm KPMG hired 90 young people through its School Leavers Programme last year, and PwC took on 100 for the HEADstart scheme. Santander hires about 30 school leavers each year for its Flying Start programme.

50% of employers think these schemes plug the critical skills gap, whilst 46% say they help align recruits into the company culture.

Chris Moore, the MD of Adecco Group Solutions, explained that the UK has one of the best education systems in the world but in order to bring value to Britain, it must produce a talented graduate workforce. Employers believe that is not happening under the current system.

He went on say that communications techniques and financial acumen have to form a core part of the curriculum. Employers are looking for candidates with soft skills as well as academic excellence.