Network Rail raises concerns over British graduates

As the company launches its graduate scheme for 2011, it warns that while applications are up, there is a worrying trend of candidates with little or no awareness of how business operates, and in some cases, engineering graduates with a lack of understanding of ’the basics’.

Iain Coucher, Network Rail chief executive, said: ‘A successful railway is vital to Britain’s economic growth and prosperity. To deliver this we must continue to hire top graduate talent. The partnerships we have with a number of universities produce many graduates ready for work and who will make a genuine contribution, yet we’re also seeing a worrying increase in graduate candidates who have little more to offer than school leavers. Many have seemingly coasted through university without getting any sort of a grasp of the realities of business.

‘Students must do more to make themselves ready for work. Universities and businesses must play their part in shaping learning that will be meaningful, practical and valuable to prospective employers. If we continue to simply churn out ever increasing numbers of graduates rather than produce quality, rounded individuals, the talent pool on which British business relies will be a rather diluted one.’