Seren Wilson: Talent Solutions Director on graduates' lack of confidence in their job prospects

There are calls for more investment for graduates as confidence hits a new low. 

Talent Solutions' annual survey reveals only 19% of university students feel very confident about their job prospects. 

Just over half were concerned about competition for early talent roles, while 40% believe there are fewer roles to apply for. 

Director Seren Wilson told Mike Hosking the Government and industries need to continue to invest in programmes for young people. 

She says we will continue to lose graduates to Australia if they don't. 

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:00):
We got insight from our next batch of university graduates,
who it turns out, not only confident about their job prospects.
This is a study that says one in five twenty
percent are very confident, which I assume means eighty percent
not so confident. Talent Solutions Director Sarah Wilson is with
us on this very good morning to you.

Speaker 2 (00:16):
Good morning.

Speaker 1 (00:17):
Would we say not confident? Why would you not be confident?
If you go? I mean it depends very much. If
you're going to get a med degree or a law degree,
You've got a job for life, basically, haven't you, and
you should be confident.

Speaker 2 (00:27):
Yeah, Look, you're exactly right with the introduction. We do
have over eighty percent of students emerging with little to
no confidence about their job prospects. And look, students are
very dialed in to the current economic climate and understand
the link that when our economy is in flash, then
that has a direct impact on the number of job

(00:48):
opportunities available. So the key message is that we do
need government and industry continuing to invest in programs to
develop our young people. And matter is because if we don't,
we will continue to lose our young people across the
Tasman and that will make our businesses less competitive.

Speaker 1 (01:07):
Do you think with your experience it's any worse than
it has been in any other economic downturn or not?

Speaker 2 (01:15):
Great question. This is the worst level of confidence that
we've seen since we asked the question in twenty seventeen.
We have also seen in this year that unemployment is
the number one concern for students, and that was the
concern back in twenty twenty when we were in COVID.

(01:36):
So look, I think it is certainly worse and we
as a country need to be providing opportunities to graduates
or they will leave.

Speaker 1 (01:46):
Exactly. I think something happened during profoundly happened during COVID,
and a lot of us got sort of down in
the dumps about it, and that would apply I'm assuming
to just young people as well. They see a big,
wide world and a lot of opportunity in it.

Speaker 2 (01:59):
Look absolutely, and I think when organizations are facing cost pressures,
graduate internship programs can find themselves at the top of
the schedule for pruning that. Ultimately, as a country, we
need to be investing in young people otherwise they will
make the choice to go abroad. We know that Australian
salaries are much higher to about ten to fifteen k

(02:23):
higher on average than graduate salaries here, so it's definitely
something that we need to be investing in as a country.

Speaker 1 (02:30):
Like you're insight well, then Sarah appreciate it. Sarah and
Wilson Talent Solutions directly. For more from the mic Asking
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