How employers can address STEM graduate unemployment

Employers are crying out for graduates with vital science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) skills.

However, the reality is, despite an increased focus on STEM education, many STEM graduates are still unemployed six months after graduating, according to a recent CIPD report.

But, how can employers ensure talented STEM graduates, who are essential to the labour market, are developing the essential employability skills?

Speaking to HR Grapevine, Dr David Docherty, CEO of the National Centre for Universities and Business (NCUB), and Chairman of Placer, explains: “It is vital that we urgently improve work experience opportunities for all graduates, particularly those in STEM, to support young people as they move from education into the workplace. Students need to be gaining work-ready skills concurrently with academic study, enabling them to apply the knowledge gained in education, to the workplace. One critical part of the solution is improved access to quality work experience for undergraduates so that talented STEM students can enter the labour market more quickly.