TORONTO, April 23, 2015 /CNW/ -- For all of
the celebrations around graduation season, it can also be a
stressful time for college seniors, as many prepare to enter the
workforce for the very first time. While this year's class will
have ample job prospects, many may find a tougher transition to the
working world than others.
According to a new survey from CareerBuilder.ca, 62 per cent of
companies plan to hire recent college graduates this year; however,
only 1 in 5 employers (19 per cent) believe academic institutions
are adequately preparing students for roles needed within their
organizations. The majority of employers say colleges are preparing
students for "some roles, but not all," and 16 per cent do not
believe they are preparing them adequately at all.
"Though 3 in 5 companies plan to hire recent graduates, the vast
majority of companies do not feel students are adequately prepared
for the work force," says Mark
Bania, Managing Director of CareerBuilder Canada. "This
finding underscores the need for companies to work with educational
institutions to provide the training necessary for growing business
needs."
The national survey was conducted online on behalf of
CareerBuilder.ca of more than 400 employers.
Are new graduates ready?
When asked where academic institutions fall short in preparing
students for the workforce, employers cited the following
concerns:
- Too much emphasis on book learning instead of real world
learning: 61 per cent
- I need workers with a blend of technical skills and soft skills
gained from liberal arts: 38 per cent
- Not enough emphasis on internships: 25 per cent
- Entry-level roles within my organization are more complex
today: 22 per cent
- Technology is changing too quickly for academics to keep up: 18
per cent
- Not enough students are graduating with the degrees my company
needs: 13 per cent
When asked to name which skills they think recent college
graduates lack for the workplace, most of these employers cited
interpersonal or problem-solving skills:
- Interpersonal or people skills: 51 per cent
- Problem-solving skills: 45 per cent
- Teamwork: 41 per cent
- Oral communication: 40 per cent
- Creative thinking: 38 per cent
- Written communication: 35 per cent
- Leadership: 34 per cent
- Project management: 19 per cent
- Research and analysis: 15 per cent
- Maths: 13 per cent
- Computer and Technical: 8 per cent
Which degrees are most in demand?
When it comes to which degrees will lead to the most job
prospects, business degrees top the list, with 31 per cent of
employers naming it the most in-demand degree at their firms.
Computer and information sciences degrees are also in high demand
(20 per cent), followed by health professions and related clinical
sciences (12 per cent) and engineering (12 per cent).
Where are the opportunities?
Customer service (33 per cent) and information technology jobs
(30 percent) top the list of position types employers are primarily
looking toward new graduates to fill. Opportunities also abound in
finance/accounting (24 per cent) and business development (23 per
cent). Sales, marketing and public relations (17 per cent each)
round out the top five job types.
What will these jobs pay?
More than one third of employers (35 per cent) who plan to hire
recent college graduates will offer higher starting salaries than
they did last year. The majority of employers (57 per cent) expect
salaries to stay the same, and 8 per cent expect to offer lower
starting salaries.
Expected starting salaries for recent graduates break down as
follows*:
- Approximately $25,000 or less –
19 per cent
- Approximately $25,000 to $40,000
- 38 per cent
- Approximately $40,000 to $50,000
– 30 per cent
- Approximately $50,000 or higher –
17 per cent
These numbers, however, are not set in stone: The majority of
employers (68 per cent) say they are willing to negotiate salary
when extending job offers to recent graduates.
Where do benefits come in?
The majority of employers (84 per cent) who plan to hire new
college graduates are willing to negotiate or provide new graduates
with various perks. After salary, the most popular perks employers
say they will negotiate are the following:
- Flexible schedules: 45 per cent
- Bonuses: 30 per cent
- Reimbursement for additional schooling: 29 per cent
- Paying for mobile phone: 27 per cent
- Relocation expenses: 17 per cent
- Reimbursement for commuting expenses: 17 per cent
- More holiday days: 17 per cent
- Telecommuting options: 16 per cent
*Percentages may add up to more than 100 due to
rounding.
Methodology
The survey was conducted among 402
employers in Canada. The
interviews were conducted online by Redshift Research in January
& February 2015 using an email
invitation and an online survey. Results of any sample are subject
to sampling variation. The magnitude of the variation is measurable
and is affected by the number of interviews and the level of the
percentages expressing the results. In this particular study, the
chances are 95 in 100 that a survey result does not vary, plus or
minus, by more than 4.4 percentage points from the result that
would be obtained if interviews had been conducted with all persons
in the universe represented by the sample.
About CareerBuilder.ca
CareerBuilder.ca is a leading
job site in Canada. Owned by
Gannett Co., Inc. (NYSE: GCI), the Tribune Company, The McClatchy
Company (NYSE: MNI), CareerBuilder.ca powers the career centers for
more than 250 Canadian partners that reach national, local,
industry and niche audiences. These include leading portals such as
MSN.ca and Macleans.ca. Job seekers visit CareerBuilder.ca every
month to search for opportunities by industry, location, company
and job type, sign up for automatic e-mail job alerts, and get
advice on job hunting and career management. For more information
about CareerBuilder.ca products and services,
visit http://www.careerbuilder.ca.
Media Contact:
Mary
Lorenz
CareerBuilder.ca
(P) +1 773-527-3613
(E) mary.lorenz@careerbuilder.com
SOURCE CareerBuilder.ca