Books. Work Experience: An Employers' Guide to Success

Citation

(2003), "Books. Work Experience: An Employers' Guide to Success", Education + Training, Vol. 45 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/et.2003.00445bad.002

Books. Work Experience: An Employers' Guide to Success

Work Experience: An Employers' Guide to Success

Asssociation for Graduate Recruiters

With the Government, business, universities and students increasingly recognizing the importance of good work-experience placements, the Association of Graduate Recruiters (AGR) has published Work Experience: An Employers' Guide to Success, which aims to help employers to set up and run successful work-experience programmes. The guide outlines the case for employers becoming more involved in work experience by providing an overview of the business benefits that student-placement programmes can offer. These include bringing in new ideas and leading-edge thinking, the opportunity to identify the best potential future recruits and the chance to enhance the organization's reputation on corporate social responsibility

The guide offers advice on issues including:

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  setting up and running work-experience programmes;

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  establishing useful links with universities;

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  attracting and assessing quality applications; and

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  supporting students during placements.

The guide reflects the effects of the expansion of higher education, as graduate recruiters increasingly differentiate between rising numbers of candidates by looking at graduates' non-academic skills and experience of the world of work.

With students becoming increasingly discerning in their choice of work experience, employers must compete for the best placement students. Much of the advice is aimed at helping employers to attract top student talent. The AGR is also sharing its expertise directly with students. The guide's launch follows the recent publication of If Only I'd Known, which details advice from employers on how students can use their time at university to get ready for a graduate career.

Carl Gilleard, AGR chief executive, comments: "It is well known that employers place a high value on graduates who have had relevant work experience. More work-experience opportunities are needed to meet the demand from higher education. We hope that this practical guide will convince employers of the merits of work experience and provide them with the wherewithal, confidence and understanding to develop high-quality placements."