It is a time for celebration and congratulations when you finally graduate, however, this celebration is fast becoming short lived due to the greater problems graduates face after leaving university.
In a time of economic crisis, finding a job is hard for everyone, but this is especially true for graduates. However, it seems that there could be light at the end of the tunnel as a new scheme has given more intern routes to jobs for graduates.
The Scottish government has invested £200,000 into a scheme that will hopefully help struggling graduates find a way onto the career ladder.
This money and the ‘adopt-an-intern’ scheme will help to pay for 110 work placements throughout 2012 and 2013. It has already succeeded in helping 193 graduates, with 66% of them gaining permanent employment as a result of their internship.
This scheme has been set up by the Centre for Scottish Public Policy and is designed to help graduates throughout Scotland. This has come about due to revelations emerging that many graduates had to “dumb down” their skills in order to obtain a low-paid job.
Angela Constance, the youth employment minister, said: “Schemes like internships can be the very break that young people need. Interns can develop and learn new skills while gaining vital experience of the modern workplace.”
All interns on this scheme will be paid at least the minimum wage, if not more, for at least three months under the condition that they complete a minimum of 20 hours per week. It could be a great boost for anyone struggling to see the positive side as they wrestle with a highly competitive graduate jobs marketplace.
Are you a recent Scottish graduate who is struggling to find a suitable position? Would you consider an internship while you wait for a permanent position?