Small businesses are being told they are missing out on opportunities by not engaging with universities and seeking student talent to work at the companies.
Many students are on ‘sandwich courses’ and as they have just started a new academic year, are currently looking for placements that will start in 2007.
However, Philip Burridge, of recruitment firm Placement Solutions, says that many small companies are making little effort to benefit from this activity.
In many cases, students will be the ones making the approaches and small firms could be overlooked.
This is because that small firms aren’t aware of the benefits that students on placements can bring to a workplace.
Burridge said: “Many employers, particularly amongst the small business sector, are simply unaware of the benefits and value that the placement scheme can offer.
“And yet for many, it gives them the opportunity to benefit from having high calibre, enthusiastic business brains in their organisation at a very affordable level.
“Indeed I would argue that on a pound for pound basis, placement students can offer employers the greatest return in terms of staff costs.”
One firm that has benefited from employing placement students is Menzies Corporate Restructuring, a London-based law firm.
Paul Williams, a partner in the firm, said: “Placement students are intelligent, enthusiastic and keen to learn, and bring real value to our business during the year that they are with us.
“In fact, proof of this comes from the fact that many come back to join us after they have graduated on a permanent basis and so the placement scheme also gives us an extremely cost effective route into graduate recruitment.”
Placement Solutions say that students seek roles in a variety of disciplines, but typically these include accounting/finance, sales, marketing, HR, IT and general management.
© Crimson Business Ltd 2006
