Mayor launches new website from The Careers Group to help graduates find work

Photo ©: James O Jenkins

The Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, today launched a brand new employment and careers website for Londoners, ‘Helping Graduates into Work’ , which has been developed in partnership with The Careers Group, University of London.

The content and technical build of the website were provided by The Careers Group, University of London, which this year celebrates a 100 years of providing careers advice. The site, initially aimed at the 100,000 graduates in London who will be looking for work this summer, offers an extremely wide range of information and advice to graduates wishing to enter the London labour market.

A unique feature on the site enables graduates to enter their degree subject and access a range of job and career ideas and names of employers who typically recruit in that area and the salaries they pay. In addition, the site offers extensive advice on finding and applying for work, preparing CVs, and attending interviews, as well as providing information on job fairs in London, internship schemes and the many other post graduate opportunities that are available.

Photo ©: James O Jenkins

The Mayor said:

“There is no denying it’s tough out there, but I am reliably informed that there are still plenty of graduate opportunities to be had if you know where to look. That is why, with the excellent support of The Careers Group, we have developed this key initiative from our economic recovery plan – a careers site with clear sign posts to the uniquely diverse range of work opportunities that exist in this city.

“London will lead the way out of this recession but our longer term prosperity depends on nurturing the extraordinary pool of talent we have on our doorstep. Much of that talent emerges every summer from London’s renowned universities, and we cannot afford to see our graduates’ futures blighted by unemployment as they leave study. With a lack of opportunities in the capital, many may leave for good and that would be a disaster.

“London is undoubtedly the place to be for young people and graduates and my clear message is that we want you, we need you and I will work endlessly to keep you here, in the world’s greatest city.”

Anne-Marie Martin, Director of The Careers Group, University of London said:

“The portal helps graduates expand their career thinking, an essential pre-requisite in these difficult economic times. It has been a truly collaborative project bringing together information and expertise from the Mayor’s Office and from across the Higher Education sector in London, an activity that the University of London, through The Careers Group, has been proud to facilitate.”

‘Helping graduates into work’ is the first phase of efforts to help Londoners through the economic downturn and the website will soon be expanded with advice and information targeted at other groups of Londoners to help them find work and training opportunities.

Notes:

1. The new website’s address is: www.london.gov.uk/graduates 

2. 100,000 graduates are expected to enter the London labour market this year and half of these student job hunters have little confidence that they will find a graduate position. The most recent survey of the top 100 recruiters showed vacancies down 13.5% on 2008 and the Association of Graduate Recruiters report this month that one in four graduate vacancies have disappeared. However, there is much anecdotal information that there are still many graduate opportunities in London, but graduates are not applying believing there are none. Tesco, for example, have taken on 45 London based graduates this year alone.

3. Since 1909, The Careers Group, University of London has provided the careers services at Birkbeck College, Courtauld Institute of Art, Goldsmiths College, Institute of cancer research, Institute of Education, King’s College London, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, Queen Mary University of London, Royal Holloway University of London, Royal Veterinary College, Saint Georges University of London, School of Advanced Study, School of Oriental and African Studies, School of Pharmacy and University College London – delivering crucial employability and careers support to more than 100,000 students per year.

For further information contact:Anne-Marie Martin
Director
The Careers Group, University of London
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7863 6002
Email: Anne-marie.Martin@careers.lon.ac.uk 

Reference:

University of London, (n.d.). Mayor launches new website from The Careers Group to help graduates find work. Available at: <http://www.london.ac.uk/1348.html> [Accessed 25 April 2013].