Call for post-grad schemes
The National Union of Students (NUS) has called for the Scottish Government to create a post-graduate apprenticeship scheme to target unemployment among university leavers. The NUS has stated that also those with degrees are more likely to be employed that those without, they are more likely to be working in job unrelated to their university study. It has been warned that this can demoralise young people and affect their later job prospects due to lack of relevant experience.
The NUS also put forward the idea that paid internships, funding for business start-ups and Government procurement could also help to reduce the number of unemployed graduates.
The NUS said: “The role for the Government in promoting postgraduate apprenticeships would be threefold. Firstly, to provide funding for the post-graduate fee support and living cost loans; secondly, to help link graduate employees to post-graduate study of relevance to them and their employer, and thirdly to act as a catalyst to encourage employers to offer job-share opportunities for graduate level jobs.”
