Equipping Young People For The World Of Work

As the world begins to recover from the Covid-19 pandemic, many people are considering their future career paths. And, for those entering the world of work for the first time, the rebounding employment market offers an ideal time to get a foot on the ladder.

Leading Aberdeen recruitment specialist TMM Recruitment is successfully working with young people, equipping them with the necessary practical skills and resources to support their move into first-time employment.

World Youth Skills Day - a United Nations initiative - takes place annually on July 15 ^th, and focuses on promoting dialogue between young people, technical and vocational education, training institutions, and employers. Its purpose is to spotlight the importance of transferrable skills and real work experience.

In line with this, TMM Recruitment is supporting young people entering the accountancy and finance profession, offering practical advice to help them identify and highlight the key skills and attributes they already possess.

Many young people are concerned about their lack of work experience and worry about how best to highlight and articulate their skills to an employer.

Craig Low, TMM recruiter said: "As the employment market rebounds I've been working on many more entry-level roles, really good jobs for people starting out in their career or who have limited job-relevant experience, including students and graduates. However, the flip side to this is that many young people are concerned about their lack of work experience and worry about how best to highlight and articulate their skills to an employer in an application or interview situation.

"We spoke to accountancy students at North East Scotland College ( NESCol), with many of our key messages focusing on the importance of practical skills and attributes such as arriving to work on time, a good work ethic, the right attitude, and positive energy – all traits that employers value as they consider their future talent pipeline. Employers are definitely shifting focus, with many now looking at these practical skills during the interview process as they support young people through work-based learning that is both recognised and certified.

Craig Low and Finn Semmler

"Demonstrating these qualities goes a long way to supporting the onboarding and integration process, allowing the young person to settle into their new place of work more seamlessly - it is a two-way process benefiting both parties."

Craig continued: "In addition, employers are also considering what they can do to make themselves more accessible to young people during the recruitment process. By advertising roles as entry positions or by simplifying job adverts, they are appealing to a different demographic and broadening their pool of candidates.

"An increasing number of young people are looking to join organisations committed to sustainability and community causes. These are key areas where employers could benefit from the forward-thinking and ethical views of young people as they positively influence their strategies."

By advertising roles as entry positions or by simplifying job adverts, they are appealing to a different demographic and broadening their pool of candidates.

Career and practical education should not be underestimated; access to quality technical and vocational training is so important as industry moves beyond traditional hiring practices in a bid to combat skills shortages.

Leanne Cruickshank, accountancy lecturer at NESCol, said: "Preparing students for the world of work is integral to all of our courses, and gaining industry insight is valuable. We're grateful to TMM Recruitment for sharing their knowledge and expertise with the next generation of accountancy professionals as they start out on their career journey."

Finn Semmler, former NESCol accountancy student was supported by TMM Recruitment. Speaking about his experience he said: "After leaving school in my fifth year to study accountancy (HNC) at NESCol I began to realise the diversity and opportunity in the financial industry. I registered my interest with TMM Recruitment because of the relationships they have with employers, to gain support with my job search, and to develop my awareness of how my knowledge and capabilities would be suitable for entry-level positions.

I registered my interest with TMM Recruitment because of the relationships they have with employers, to gain support with my job search, and to develop my awareness of how my knowledge and capabilities would be suitable for entry-level positions.

"Craig helped me develop my CV and interviewing skills and filtered through selected roles and opportunities to fit what I was looking for. I know this made all the difference for me because I was offered a position at an E&P company after my first interview. The job is going really well. I'm learning so much and have really appreciated the time senior personnel, including the Chief Operations Officer, have set aside to welcome me. Working within this fantastic environment has helped me realise my enthusiasm for this profession and how much I can gain and develop as part of the organisation, gaining valuable insights for my future career."