Particularly in the tech industry, we’re well aware of the need for increased employability initiatives to help young people kickstart their careers and address the skills shortage.

Programmes that introduce young people to business leaders and help them build their professional network are essential. Schemes that enhance employablity through soft-skill training are invaluable. And business and academic collaboration is vital to bridge the gap between school, college or University leavers and employers.

As a supporter of local charity, the Basingstoke Consortium, we’ve participated in a number of employability initiatives. From presenting at workshops to hosting student office visits, we’re passionate about creating career opportunities for young people in our community.

1. The SME Guide to Work Experience

Work experience is an essential employability initative, but if you’re a small business it can be difficult to know how to provide a valuable work placement for a young person. 

From placement structure to support, we share our tips for an oustanding work experience – for you and the placement!

Read it now: The SME Guide to Work Experience

2. Changing peceptions of apprenticeships

It’s time to alter misconceptions of apprenticeships – particularly in the UK Tech Industry, where they could hold the key to solving our chronic skills shortage.

Find out why we’re urging businesses big and small to speak out and share their experiences.

Read it now: Apprenticeships – why is it time to start talking and changing?

3. Solving the skills gap

What can employers do to address the skills shortage facing UK businesses today? From opening their doors to students seeking work experience to supporting employability initiatives in their local communities, we take a closer look.

Read it now: The skills gap – how can employers help?

4. Life after A-Levels?

As opportunities for graduates, school and college leavers continue to evolve, what would be the benefit of bringing a college leaver into your business?

Read it now: What’s next for college leavers?

5. Beyond the CV

So often we come across young people who only reflect their grades on their CV; as employers, we don’t get to see the full picture.

We blog about how young people can use digital to promote their skills, knowledge, volunteering and more.

Read it now: More than a double-sided sheet of A4

6. Supporting young talent with academic collaboration

If you’re a small business, are you concerned about not having the structure or resources in place to support a graduate in their first role?

Find out how woking with your local University could help.

Read it now: Are you ready to support young talent?

7. Why we went back to school

We work closely with local educational charity, the Basingstoke Consortium, to support employability initiatives in our area.

We’ve now held several office visits so that local school students can visit our premises and step into a growing recruitment software company.

Read it now: Empoyability: Hireserve goes back to school

8. Business and academic collaboration

As a business, collaborating with an academic establishment could open doors for you in terms of new talent, recruitment and networking opportunities.

We wrote about our experiences for the National Centre for Universities and Businesses (NCUB)

Read it now: Business and academia – a long term collaboration

 

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About the author

Tristan Potter

Tristan has a decade's worth of experience writing content and copy for organisations across Bristol and the Southwest of England. He has written on a diverse range of topics, including technology, philosophy, politics, and recruitment. His writing has appeared in The Drum, HR Grapevine, and The Guardian, among other publications. He joined Hireserve in March 2022.