Graduates: you're all rubbish, say employers
An organisation representing small and medium-sized businesses has slated graduates as being "mediocre" following a survey of 4,000 employers.
The Chairman of the Forum of Private Business (FPB) described its survey as showing that the "basic educational and social skills of graduates – who should be the educational cream of our younger generation – are mediocre when it comes to them being prepared for earning a living."
People quoted by the FPB variously described graduates as lacking communication skills, responsibility, hunger, loyalty, understanding, manners and courtesy. One respondent said that graduates from Canada and Australia "put their UK university educated colleagues to shame", while another said: "Graduates are not qualified for anything except getting drunk and not turning up for work."
The way the FPB is spinning the survey, it is certainly damning: more than half think graduates' numeracy and literacy are average or poor; just under half think the same of their oral skills; and 39% gave that verdict on graduates' general courtesy.
But as with any statistics, there is more than one way of looking at them:
| The FPB says: | We say: | And: | |
| Literacy | |||
| V. poor: 2.1% Poor: 22.1% Average: 33.7% Good: 35.8% V. good: 6.3% | "More than half of employers...regard graduates they employed as either 'average' to 'poor' in terms of numeracy and literacy." | Hang on, "either 'average' to 'poor'"? Did a graduate write that? | Over three quarters of employers say graduates' literacy is average or better. Do people go to university to learn how to read and write, anyway? |
| Verbal communication skills | |||
| V. poor: 4.3% Poor: 12% Average: 29.3% Good: 38% V. good: 16.4% | "...just under half rated their oral skills too as 'average' to 'poor'." | You've made the same mistake again. Would you like a graduate to proofread that? | Almost 55% said graduates had a good or very good standard of verbal communication. Sir. Please. |
| Ability to properly address a letter | |||
| V. Poor: 3.2% Poor: 25.3% Average: 44.2% Good: 22.1% V. Good: 5.3% | "72% graded graduates as either 'average' or 'poor' when assessing their ability to address a letter properly." | That's better. Is there a degree in post office studies I can switch to? | Addressing a letter? What does it take to be "very good", an OS grid reference? |
Even with this author's limited secretarial skills and ability to take a telephone message (and he hasn't graduated yet), one thing immediately comes to mind from looking at the survey: there is no comparison with non-graduates. It's therefore quite possible that people who haven't been to university are even worse at properly addressing letters and the FPB's members don't think much of any of their employees.
For what it's worth, we can turn to the Guardian for reaction from assorted organisations: in summary, the TUC, NUS and Universities UK were all none too pleased. It also has a nice quote from an FPB spokesman on the subject of its members: "They are just being realistic. They call a spade a spade."
And what do we call the FPB and its members? Nothing discourteous, obviously. Only 10.6% of graduates are less than average in that area, and none are "very poor".
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