Graduates lacking 'vital employability skills'

Research suggests that a growing number of British students are lacking the skills and work experience necessary to thrive in graduate jobs, which may encourage young people to consider a gap year abroad to boost their career.

A survey of bosses from top employers such as HSBC and Procter & Gamble, conducted by Young Enterprise, found three-quarters of recruiters believe graduate skills could be better.

When asked to identify which skills were most lacking among young people in the UK, one respondent said there were "too many to list". But a well-planned gap year abroad may be able to help.

Dan Hawes, co-founder of the Graduate Recruitment Bureau, recently urged UK students to incorporate meaningful work experience, which could be completed overseas, into their time at university.

"At the very least, certainly during the vacation and summer time, that is a real opportunity to get some experience that is going to look good on your CV," he advised.

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