Article by The Yorkshire Post - featured on Wednesday 3rd June 2015. Read the full article here

YORKSHIRE is failing to make the most of the business talent that is emerging from the region’s universities, according to the CEO of a firm that builds links between graduates and employers.

Martin Edmondson, the chief executive of Gradcore, said the region had to provide more opportunities for ambitious graduates, to ensure they weren’t tempted to move to London.

Research published by the Higher Education Careers Services Unit, shows that the jobs market is picking up for young people in Britain, as early graduate unemployment saw its biggest fall in 15 years in 2014.

The research also reveals that prospects for graduates going into areas hit severely by the recession, have improved significantly in the past year.

Graduates in subjects such as science, technology, engineering, and mathematics are all experiencing lower unemployment rates, the research found.

Mr Edmondson, who is based in Sheffield, told The Yorkshire Post: “The data mirrors what is happening in Yorkshire – we haven’t seen really high graduate unemployment, the issue has been the lack of graduates moving into graduate level jobs.

“Yorkshire isn’t being as productive as it should be. Outside London, we’re the only region that is a net importer of graduate talent.”

“We’ve got lots of talent in the region, we’re just not making the most of it. It is now becoming more competitive to get the good graduates and there are skills shortages in some sectors.”

“It’s all about people buying into Yorkshire and whether we continue to offer opportunities for career progression.”