Business Articles

14th December 2005 - Derbyshire businesses offered 900 million reasons to employ graduates

New graduate employment service aims to increase region's turnover by up to £900 million

Monday 28th November saw Theresa McDermott, Director of Chamber Services at Derbyshire Chamber of Commerce join Diana Gilhespy, Executive Director, Regeneration at the East Midlands Development Agency (emda) to launch the graddtobusiness initiative at the Gateway Centre, Derbyshire County Cricket Club.


Pictured above:
Theresa McDermott, Director of Chamber Services at Derbyshire Chamber of Commerce left, Diana Gilhespy, Executive Director, Regeneration at the East Midlands Development Agency right.

www.graddtobusiness.org.uk is an online resource developed specifically to help small and medium sized firms in Derby and across Derbyshire to make the most of the skilled workforce currently being produced by universities and colleges across the East Midlands.

Retaining a skilled graduate workforce is seen to be key to increasing productivity and raising GDP in the East Midlands. However, according to research *, the region is a net exporter of graduates with a workforce containing 100,000 fewer graduates working in graduate level jobs than the national average. Independent estimates currently suggest that this shortfall could be costing businesses in Derby and across the region nearly £1bn in potential turnover **.

This is all set to change with the launch of the graddtobusiness initiative, developed by Nottingham-based Step Enterprise Limited and backed by £1million from emda over the next three years. At the centre of the programme is a regional web portal for employers, graduates, undergraduates and stakeholders to market the opportunities available for approved placement services and graduate vacancies.

"I am pleased to be able to support the work being undertaken by graddtobusiness as I know that many people leaving our local University of Derby leave the area to find employment despite having had a really good experience of living in Derby and Derbyshire and wishing to start a career in the area," explained Bob Laxton, MP Derby North. "A more effective method of bringing businesses and graduates together for the benefit of both parties is most welcome and I wish graddtobusiness every success."

The site, at www.graddtobusiness.org.uk provides a single information point and brokerage to the range of programmes available to small and medium sized firms in Derby and the rest of Derbyshire, making the transfer of higher level skills and knowledge into local businesses a more affordable and low risk proposition. On launch the site will offer firms access to fifteen separate graduate and undergraduate placement programmes including emda's own Get On With Graduates (GOWG) as well as Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP), Shell Step and Year in Industry (YINI) with more expected in the future.

In addition, www.graddtobusiness.org.uk offers Derbyshire businesses a free service advertising any graduate job opportunities and placements they may have to the 75,000 students in Higher Education across the East Midlands.

"We very much welcome the launch of this new initiative," added Phil Hope, Skills Minister at the DfES. "We see effective partnerships between employers, graduates and HE institutions as vital to ensure that our graduates of the future have the skills that employers need. This initiative will offer students the opportunity to gain invaluable work experience in a diverse and fast changing work environment, which will benefit themselves, the workforce, the community and the economy. We also see huge benefits to the employers of the region, being able to access students with the skills and innovation that will help businesses thrive and prosper."

"Teamsolve strives to recruit, train and keep the best of the best," explained Kim Lumber at Teamsolve, a leading Oracle Solutions Provider based in Derby. "High calibre graduates with the right skills do make a difference with their enthusiasm and drive to bring fresh ideas. These people now are a critical part of our team and continually contribute to the success of our company."

Sally Bassett, Enterprise Development Manager at emda said; "If we are to achieve our target of top 20 region in Europe by 2010 we need to help build the capability of our workforce and ensure employers are able to recruit people with the skills they need. The new graddtobusiness scheme provides East Midlands companies with access to a valuable source of academic excellence whilst also helping graduates gain valuable experience."

Step Enterprise Ltd will be undertaking a widespread marketing campaign to support the launch and drive ongoing involvement in the graddtobusiness scheme from both students and businesses across the region.

Graduate and undergraduate communication will involve graddtobusiness representation at all the key graduate careers fairs in the region together with an ongoing presence on all campus' across the East Midlands including student unions, bookshops and halls of residence.

On a national level, graddtobusiness will use an advertising campaign in the key annual graduate publications - Graduate Prospects and Real World - to target students from the national graduate population who are studying outside the East Midlands area.

In addition, the brand will working closely with professional bodies and employer networks to target businesses across the region.

* Higher Education in the East Midlands. An evidence base of supply and demand. Price Waterhouse Coopers. April 2004
** Graduate Placement Evaluation Study, Sue Otter. March 2005