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Social mobility strategy

April 5th, 2011

Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg announced the launch of the Government’s social mobility strategy today.

Stating that no-one should get an unfair advantage purely because of “who they know”, the Liberal Democrat leader criticised Labour’s record in improving social mobility as he outlined how the Coalition intends to make Britain more meritocratic.

Clegg says that “fairness is one of the fundamental values of the Coalition Government”, with this new strategy aiming to create fair access to jobs and ensure that everyone has the opportunity to fulfil their potential. As a result, the Deputy Prime Minister says the scheme will make career progression less dependent on “who your father’s friends are”.

In advance of the strategy’s launch, Clegg says “We want a society in which success is based on what you know, not who you know or which family you are born into. So our social mobility drive is aimed at helping the majority of people to move up the rungs of the ladder of opportunity.”

A major part of the policy focuses on making work experience and internships a driving force in widening access to professions. The Coalition believes practical experience can provide young people with valuable opportunities and skills, as well as increasing their understanding of an industry. Most importantly, obtaining an internship can really boost employment chances.

They recognise, however, that internships can often be the preserve of those with existing connection within an industry. This is particularly true of popular sectors such as journalism, law and banking. The strategy aims to open up internships to everyone, not just the “well-connected”.

Employers and businesses will be encouraged to make their employment methods more transparent and offer internships on merit rather than through informal channels. They will also be expected to provide some kind of financial support to interns, with reasonable out of pocket expense to be reimbursed as a minimum. Both these measures match Inspiring Interns’ own commitment to fair internships. We advertise all our vacancies widely, so that it is not just those ‘in the know’ who can apply for our schemes, and our remuneration policy is one of lunch and travel expenses as a minimum.

We welcome the Government’s social mobility strategy and their support for fair and open internships. With ever increasing numbers of graduates entering a hugely competitive job market it has become crucial for university leavers to have meaningful work experience. Securing this experience should be about what you know, not who you know.

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Young, ambitious and innovative: the age of the self-starter

March 17th, 2011

With new unemployment figures for young people at the highest since records began, prospects are looking bleak. However, the recession seems to be having a noticeable impact on a growing number of twentysomethings exploring more innovative ways of making a living. Research by Enterprise UK has revealed that young people are becoming growingly passionate about business and are becoming more entrepreneurial in their outlook. The statistics revealed that 51% of those asked in the survey would like to be their own boss.

In a time when university students are no longer guaranteed a job after graduation and 2.5 million are unemployed, young people are looking to set up their own businesses. Tom Bewick, the chief executive of Enterprise UK says; “One of the features of a recession is that it is a good time to be an entrepreneur. The compact that has existed for the last 20 or 30 years – this idea of doing well at school, then going to university, getting a degree and almost being guaranteed a job – is no longer the case.”

A survey by Hiscox Insurance found that four in 10 London undergraduates were either managing their own businesses or setting up companies while still at university. One of these ambitious individuals includes 19 year old Gérard Jones, who founded a highly successful football coaching academy while still studying for his degree.

A growing number are taking the idea to start their own business from entrepreneurial and business shows such as; Dragons’ Den and The Apprentice. Figures show that 1 in 4 young people in the UK said they had learned more about business from Dragons’ Den than anything else.

David Cameron has already named the next decade as “the age of the entrepreneur” and according to government records, the number of self-employed graduates has leapt 46% in the last six years.  The government is supporting startup businesses, launching the new enterprise allowance scheme in October 2010.  This provides guidance and financial support to unemployed people aspiring to set up their own business.

Have you set up your own business? Get in touch if you would be interesting in telling us your story.

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Undergraduates worry as unemployment peaks

March 16th, 2011

UK unemployment has risen by 27,000 to 2.53 million, the highest since 1994.

The unemployment rate for 16-24 year olds is up by 0.8% to 20.6%, which equates to a hefty 974,000, while unemployment amongst 18-24 year olds is also at an all-time high at 18.3%.  Inevitably, three out of four students worry they will be out of work when they graduate this year.

A survey by PathMotion has found that over 40% of undergraduates also fear their degree has no relevance to the world of the work, making it harder for them to make their first mark in the world of work.

A tough job market and competition for vacancies is exacerbated by those coming towards the end of their careers that have been forced to stave off retirement to compensate for their unexpectedly low pension packages.  The ONS has stated that the number of over-65 year olds remaining in work has increased to a record high of 900,000.

Depressingly, whilst average earnings (including bonuses) in January have increased by 2.3% over the previous year, inflation runs at 4%.

How have you been affected by the job market?  Get in touch and let us know what you are doing to fight back against rising unemployment.

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Sheen seeks winning intern with tiger blood

March 8th, 2011

Unemployed actor Charlie Sheen is seeking a summer intern to join ‘Team Sheen’ to organise his social media presence and develop the social network of Hollywood’s most trending celebrity.

Yesterday the most-watched Twitter celebrity tweeted, “do you have #TigerBlood? Are you all about #Winning? Can you #PlanBetter than anyone else? If so, we want you on #TeamSheen as our social media #TigerBloodIntern!”

Following one of the most famous media meltdowns of all time, actor Charlie Sheen is looking for a social media savvy individual to help manage his online behaviour.

Sheen, one of America’s highest-paid actors on television was recently sacked from the top rating show Two and a Half Men. The troubled star was ousted after a frenzy of US media reports on Sheen’s controversial personal life including drugs and alcohol abuse.

Sheen, earning nearly $2 million an episode, had his contract cut short because of his erratic behaviour and goddess-loving lifestyle. The 45-year-old has since criticised the show’s producers and has used the media to attack his former bosses.

Sheen’s rants and philosophies have been particularly popular on Twitter where he generated a number of trending topics. The unemployed actor broke the Guinness World Record for gaining the most fans in the shortest length of time. Within 25 hours and 17 minutes of creating his Twitter account Sheen picked up a million followers.

In an earlier report, Sheen is said to have signed a deal to join 5,000 other celebrities, from Paris Hilton to Snoop Dogg, to deliver product endorsements on the social networking website.

Apparently, the most suitable intern for this position would have to be hard-working, self-motivated, creative, resourceful and a social media savvy individual to work closely with Charlie Sheen in leveraging his social network. The #TigerBloodIntern is to monitor day-to-day activities on the major social media platforms, prepare for exciting online projects and increase Charlie’s base of followers.

So if you are looking for an eight week summer internship and you have a winning attitude, tiger blood in your veins, high tolerance levels and a tendency to make terrible decisions, be sure to apply before the deadline this Friday. Just don’t say we didn’t warn you.

NB: Inspiring Interns does not endorse the Charlie Sheen internship from hell.

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Ashley, don’t shoot the intern!

February 28th, 2011

Shame his aim is not as good from the penalty spot…

The Chelsea left-back recently missed a penalty against Everton but last Sunday managed to shoot an intern from five feet away.

Police are launching an investigation into Ashley Cole’s accidental shooting of a Chelsea intern with an airgun while larking about at Chelsea’s training ground.

Surrey police are investigating into whether the Blues player should face criminal charges after he shot and wounded 21-year-old Tom Cowan. Mr Cowan is a Loughborough University sports science student doing a year’s internship with the West London club.

The incident happened last Sunday when Cole, arrived for training, with a box containing the weapon, complete with a muzzle and night-scope. He removed the .22 gun from the box, apparently did not realise it was loaded and fired at Tom Cowan, who was just five feet away.

Cowan was treated by the club’s medical staff and given two days off to recover.

Employers take note, please don’t shoot your intern!

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Jobless youngsters to be offered training

February 7th, 2011

The Government has disclosed further developments in their plans to offer training and volunteering opportunities to jobless people, it was reported today.  The scheme will particularly benefit young people and boost their chances of finding work.

Ministers are keen to strengthen partnerships with the voluntary sector to help disadvantaged groups and communities. Work and pensions secretary Iain Duncan Smith, who is behind the plans, announced that youth charity The Prince’s Trust and other charities will set up stalls in Jobcentre Plus offices to help jobseekers find a volunteering or training place.

The plans come after the latest youth unemployment figures leapt by 32,000 to 951,000 in the three months to November, the highest since records began in 1992.

Iain Duncan Smith said: “I am delighted that this partnership with The Prince’s Trust and local voluntary sector organisations across the country will mean thousands of volunteering opportunities for jobseekers. For some it will be a chance to get some valuable experience and gain skills after years without work.”

Chief executive of The Prince’s Trust, Martina Milburn said: “With youth unemployment at a record high, it is now more important than ever to help young people into jobs. This partnership will help us reach thousands more disadvantaged young people, giving them the skills and confidence to break out of long-term unemployment and poverty.”

“Transforming these young lives will have a huge impact on their families and communities as well as on Britain’s economy.”

This scheme is a step in the right direction from the Government and is an opportunity for young people to get support and training which will help boost their chances of full time employment. The partnership with charities like The Prince’s Trust will hopefully reach more jobless young people, providing them with valuable experience and ultimately enhancing their employability skills.

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Graduate unemployment figures highest in over a decade

January 27th, 2011

One in five of those who have left university in the past year are unable to find work within six months, it was reported yesterday.

According to the Office for National Statistics graduate unemployment doubled in the third quarter of 2010 compared to pre-recession and soared to its highest level since the mid-90s.

The data suggests graduates have been hit hardest by the economic downturn. It emerged unemployment amongst university leavers increased faster than the jobless rate in the UK as a whole. The figures showed that graduate unemployment rose from 10.6% to 20% compared to the 5.2% to 7.9% total rise of UK unemployment.

The report will be seen as the latest setback to the Government’s plans to stabilise public finances. Liam Byrne, the shadow work and pensions secretary, said: This is grim news for Britain’s graduates. We have to stop this becoming a lost generation. The Government needs to change course to create more growth and jobs.

The report comes one month after government voted to triple the cap on student tuition fees. Student leaders fear that the rise in tuition plus the latest figures will deter more young people from higher education.

In response to the statistics Aaron Porter, president of the National Union of Students, said: Graduates are encountering an exceptionally hostile jobs market and the Government persists with policies that put the burden of the country’s debt on the young.

Sally Hunt, general secretary of the University and College Union, said: Today’s graduate unemployment figures are further bad news for students and young people.

Those who do make it through university are going to face a difficult job market without support, but saddled with record levels of debt.

However it is not all bad news. This report follows recent research suggesting a rise in graduate opportunities took place towards the end of the year. The Association of Graduate Recruiters yesterday reported an 8.9% annual increase in graduate jobs. The improving jobs market was driven by a surge of vacancies at the end of last year, says the survey, with a forecast of a further 3.8% increase for this year.

Carl Gilleard, chief executive of the AGR, says, This is good news the graduate job market is finally picking up, however the fact salaries are predicted to remain the same and fewer employers are offering financial incentives, is evidence demand for jobs still greatly outstrips supply.

With such a demand for jobs and with statistics of 45 applicants for every graduate job in 2011, graduates need extra on their CV to give themselves a better chance of securing a career they want.

Chris Grayling MP, Minister of Employment, says the priority should be creating financial stability, and that a new government work experience scheme would help make young people more employable

At Inspiring we believe an internship can be the perfect stepping stone between university and life afterwards. An internship will give you valuable experience; key skills; and the potential to build up a network of contacts in your chosen industry. As a result graduates will face a far better chance of a securing a job they want and starting their career

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Benefits and Work Experience for Unemployed

January 24th, 2011

Employment Minister Chris Grayling announced today that jobseekers aged between 18 and 21 who wish to partake in job-related work experience will be permitted to do so for eight weeks while continuing to receive unemployment benefits. The current limit is two weeks.

It is a move that may be viewed as a reply to Labour claims that the coalition has abandoned young people by slashing the Education Maintenance Allowance, raising university tuition fees and ending the Future Jobs Fund.  However, accompanying the announcement, shocking figures were released showing that 260,000 young people are growing up in homes where no one has ever worked.  Further figures show that there are 600,000 young people who have never worked since leaving school or college.

In an effort to tackle the problems represented by these statistics, Grayling stated that the new scheme will give young people the chance to get valuable experience in a business for up to two months, which will make a real difference to their confidence, their employability and their prospects.

Under the new scheme those aged between 18 and 21 will be matched by Jobcentre Plus with employers looking for people to do work experience.  Leading employers backing the work experience extension include Homebase, Hilton Hotels, McDonalds, ISS Facilities Management, Chums, De Vere Hotels and Carillion.

Clearly the opportunity to gain work experience with such firms will greatly enhance any candidate core employability skills and to this end the changes represent a good start from the Government in terms of supporting work experience prospects.  However, it seems that said opportunities will be relatively limited to those within the specific age bracket who have not pursued higher education.  We would like to see the scheme extended to graduates who suffer from similar problems when it comes to gaining that all important work experience in order to kick start a career.  We tend to find that job centres are not geared towards dealing with graduates specific situation of having received three years of higher education but perhaps lacking certain work place skills employers seek.  In this case we feel that an internship is the perfect solution, giving graduates the opportunity to develop skills, increase employability and create a career.

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Young people hit hardest in the latest UK unemployment figures

January 19th, 2011

According to figures released today, unemployment soared by 49,000 in the three months prior to November, with the total now standing at 2.5 million. There are also record numbers of young people out of work.

The bleak figures revealed that employment levels have fallen, redundancies have increased and the number of people classed as economically inactive has reached 9.3 million.

Employment is falling at its fastest rate since the recession and analysts expect the unemployment total to continue on rising in 2011. They believe it is partly due to the public sector spending cuts designed to cut the budget deficit.

The demographic hit hardest by the tough jobs market is 16 to 24 year olds, with the unemployment rate in this age group hitting 20.3%.  One in five young people are now out of work, after a rise of 32,000 to 951,000 without jobs, the highest figure since records began in 1992.

Martina Milburn, chief executive of youth charity The Prince’s Trust, explains, Britain is now perilously close to seeing one million young people struggling to find work.

With this record number of youth unemployment in the UK, TUC general secretary Brendan Barber argues, With more than a fifth of young people out of work, we face a real danger of losing another generation of young people to unemployment and wasted ambition.

Experts agree the UK economy is not growing fast enough to bring down unemployment and that a radical approach by the government is needed.  Barber believes, With the worst of the cuts still to come, this government risks making high joblessness a permanent feature of our economy. It must change course before it too late.

His call for change is echoed by Inspiring Interns.  The job market remains competitive for graduates, as it does for everyone; graduates therefore need to equip themselves with valuable skills to boost their employment chances. At Inspiring Interns we feel internships are an important route for young people to get into the job market. A meaningful internship will not only boost the economy but create great opportunities for small businesses and most importantly get young people into work.

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Work placements could boost marks for students

January 5th, 2011

Some UK universities are discussing ways to reward work experience gained in the job market, it was reported yesterday.

Several institutions, including the University of Leicester, University College London and Durham University are considering awarding undergraduates extra marks to their degree if they can show corporate skills or work experience gained within the workplace.

Undergraduates on all Leicester’s courses could earn credits for showing they can run workshops or make a good presentation, University College London’s career unit is in discussions with senior managers over how to accredit employment skills and Durham is considering awarding marks for work experience.

Pro-vice-chancellor for education at Durham, Professor Anthony Forster said the university was discussing awarding students with academic credit, for student employment or short-term community and work-based placements that have involved the application or development of academic knowledge and skills.

Vocationally-orientated undergraduate degrees, such as engineering, have long included compulsory work placements.  However, awarding credits for work experience for academic courses such as English Literature is thought to be a new development.

With the cost of a degree set to rise from £3,290 to £9,000 a year, an increasing number of students will soon pick a course based on whether they think it will prepare them for the job market.

But the Universities involved in these discussions have been criticised over their plans. They have been accused of short-term thinking and dumbing down the courses.

James Ladyman, a professor of philosophy at Bristol University, said the move risked focusing too much on the requirements of employers in the corporate sector. He argues that, Incorporating corporate skills into the curriculum is short-term thinking, the point about education is that it equips you for the long-term. He accuses some Universities of short-sightedness and said learning to think was the skill graduates most needed in order to succeed in the workplace.  He also explains that focusing too much on the cash value of a course would deter international students, who come to Britain to learn under leading academics rather than take corporate skills courses.

To stand out in the oversubscribed job market it is important for students and graduates to fully prepare themselves; Inspiring Interns believes these plans give students an opportunity to gain practical work experience in a field related to their studies.  In an increasingly competitive job market it is necessary for Universities to help students develop valuable skills that will impress possible employers.

Do you think the inclusion of work placements as part of degrees will help graduates tackle the world of work?

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