Central London BID launches first of its kind employment service for local university students

InMidtown, the Business Improvement District (BID) for Holborn, Bloomsbury and St Giles, has launched a free Graduate Service, the first of its kind in the UK, which will help graduates from top London universities gain both permanent and seasonal job positions. The recent peak in youth unemployment, with one in five of UK young people out of work, has sparked an immediate need for job opportunity creation.

In the scheme, graduates are paired up with suitable businesses by a job broker to provide speedy and free recruitment opportunities for companies such as Haines & Watts, Bishop & Sewell LLP, Edwin Coe LLP, Saffery Champness and Roubini Global Economic. Undergraduates can use the scheme to find work experience placements, equipping them with the employment skills they need to face the graduate job market.

The scheme hopes to meet the growing demand for graduate jobs in the London area, as only 55 per cent of graduates find work six months after graduating, according to a recent survey by University College London (UCL). The scheme aims to achieve 70 job outcomes by March 2012 and 17 work experience placements with local firms.

Karen Barnard, Head of Careers Service at UCL, says: "The majority of UCL students are keen to enter a graduate job or further study as soon as they complete their course. With just under 10 per cent opting for a gap year or 'time out', competition is fierce and our students realise that. The Careers Service on average sees around 25,000 visitors per year with another 77,000 using our online resources."

Tass Mavrogordato, CEO of InMidtown, says: “This is a win-win scheme for hundreds of central London businesses looking to source and retain top talent and for students who are looking for jobs in a competitive market. This scheme offers our member businesses significant financial savings and brokers new exciting partnerships with top academic institutions, to tackle the growing concern of graduate unemployment.”

InMidtown’s Graduate Service looks to support existing university programmes including the UCL graduate programme, encouraging many of its BID businesses in the district to recruit from the plethora of graduate talent sitting on its doorstep. As the service evolves, it is hoped more member businesses and universities will get on board to support the thriving district.

Job broker, Stephen Smith, will be responsible for brokering opportunities across various businesses within the BID. He said: “The appetite amongst local businesses is growing as many look to recruit from top academic institutions within the district. The offering to graduates will range from summer jobs to professional and senior positions with some of the UK’s top firms, and all within a short walking distance. Ultimately, we hope to nurture the talents of many local graduates, whilst ensuring that the needs of local businesses are not only met but exceeded.”

The Graduate Service will complement the Employment Brokerage programme also run by InMidtown, which has helped many long-term unemployed people from Camden secure job roles.

For details of how to get involved or to see current vacancies, please visit:

http://www.inholborn.org/?q=jobs