Employers Get Support For Graduate Jobs

A new pilot scheme in Scotalnd to support graduate recruitment and business growth has been launched by the Minister for Youth Employment Angela Constance.

Businesses with fewer than 50 employees in Ayrshire, Lanarkshire, Renfrewshire and Dumfries and Galloway can now receive up to £3,000 to take on a graduate in a permanent post.

Up to 100 graduates unable to find a job will be supported by the £505,000 pilot in its first year. Scottish Chambers of Commerce, who are running the scheme with Scottish Government funding, will also put the investment towards a number of careers fairs to highlight employment opportunities at small businesses to undergraduates.

Ms Constance also published a final version of the Scottish Government’s Youth Employment Strategy today. She said: “We are committed to tackling youth unemployment across the board and have already put substantial funding into improving the prospects of our young people.

“In times of economic difficulty, it is young people who can suffer the most. When job opportunities are scarce, employers tend to turn to people with more experience.

“While this week’s figures on graduate destinations showed that 90.4 per cent from Scottish institutions found work or furthered their study, we are aware that many have been unable to find a permanent post.

“Today’s announcement will open up new opportunities for graduates, and will also enable many of our smaller firms to harness the potential of our talented young people and build up their businesses using their skills and ability.”

Liz Cameron, Chief Executive of Scottish Chambers of Commerce, said: “This is an exciting opportunity for Scottish businesses to play a key role in getting graduates into the workplace and reaping the benefits of the significant investment we have already made in their education and skills development. Graduates are key to developing Scotland’s knowledge-based economy and can play a vital role in businesses of all shapes and sizes, particularly in our small and micro businesses where their talents can make a huge difference to competitiveness and growth potential.”

(GK)