MILAN – Companies aren’t hiring (26%), turnovers are frozen (25%), too little experience (16%). These are the biggest problems identified by young graduates and students when it comes to entering the labour market. As many as 56% of them don’t think a degree alone is sufficient to find a job. This has emerged from a study supported by Sanpellegrino Group as part of the Sanpellegrino Campus Dissertation Prize, which carried out an online survey of 11,011 Italian graduates and university students.
CHALLENGES FOR YOUNG PEOPLE – 25% of young people blame the lack of jobs on sluggish turnover, a perception that is even more prevalent amongst university students (31%). Whilst 36% of graduates say the biggest challenge is the high cost of work (12%), low appetite for risk and innovation (12%) and a disparity between demand and supply of work (12%).
BETTER IN ITALY – In spite of all these problems, only 24% of young Italians would go abroad. 16% of graduates want to stay in Italy, to make a place for themselves and build a future in what they consider to be their country, whereas two students in ten (20%) are sceptical and think that other countries are in similar situations to Italy.
YOUNG PEOPLE AND BUSINESSES - 22% of graduates think that the structure of the Italian economy is the biggest difficulty, as it can no longer find place for a work force with higher education. Students say the experience they build up during frequent job changes isn't recognised (20%), they deplore the inadequacy of training processes (18%), the lack of ties that put them in contact with businesses (18%) and contracts that don’t always lead to employment (18%).
THE ROLE OF BUSINESSES – As many as 45% of respondents would like to see businesses put more of an emphasis on merit, something felt more strongly by students (39%), and work harder to include new talent in company plans, a very important issue for new graduates (19%).
A DIFFICULT FUTURE – In spite of this, as many as one graduate in three (33%) and 37% of students can’t picture where they’ll be in 10 years, mainly because the
current climate is preventing them from making long-term plans. Only 9% of graduates and 6% of university students see themselves as becoming completely fulfilled, although even they have some doubts.
