Member Article

South West Firm offers Graduates Head Start

GRADUATES are being given a lift onto the career ladder as a South West firm launches its first ever graduate recruitment drive.

The UK’s top 100 employers slashed graduate vacancies by almost a quarter between 2007 and 2009 as the recession hit, with further reductions year on year.

Now, as the economy shows increasing signs of recovery, the Association of Graduate Recruiters (AGR), suggests graduate vacancies in 2015 could exceed their pre-crisis peak.

In a recent bi-annual survey, it suggests there could be an 11.9% rise in vacancies in 2015, and Regency Purchasing Group says it could help aid this market recovery.

The Weston-super-Mare based firm, which supplies food and drink to the leisure and hospitality industry, including London Zoo and Subway, has already recruited 10 employees in the last year.

Now it is launching a new graduate recruitment drive as part of its continued growth, with plans to employ up to a dozen graduates within the next two years.

RPG Managing Director, Alex Demetriou, says he believes the new recruitment drive will help reduce graduate unemployment levels and create the next generation of staff.

He said: “Huge proportions of graduates cannot find work, particularly because the larger national businesses have cut their graduate schemes, causing tough competition for vacancies.

“Whilst we have been actively growing and recruiting for the past few years, we have tended to opt for experience, but all this will now change under our new graduate recruitment drive.

“As a local employer it is our responsibility to create a balance of experience and youth, after all graduates are the future success of the UK’s economy and we need to give them a chance.

“If we can help boost graduate vacancies to help reach the predicted levels, this can only be good news and could help us to become the employer of choice for graduates in the industry.

“Every employer knows that a great deal of time and money is invested in training graduates, but equally they bring fresh ideas and enthusiasm into businesses, so we are hoping our scheme will be a huge success.”

Graduate roles on offer include a Data Analyst and Supply Chain Coordinator, who would assist with the management of RPG’s suppliers and contract negotiations.

The Graduate Recruitment Drive is a further extension of Regency’s commitment to growth after doubling its workforce in 2014 to celebrate its 25th year in business.

For further information on the Graduate Recruitment Scheme, contact Regency on 01934 646134 or visit www.regencypurchasing.co.uk

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