The AGR Manifesto 2015 contains a series of recommendations including tackling unpaid internships and making work experience provision more appealing to employers by offering tax incentives.
AGR chief executive Stephen Isherwood said the manifesto reflects the views of more than 300 major employers, which recruit more than 21,500 students a year in the UK.
“We’re urging all political parties to consider the recommendations in our manifesto; adopting them will help to ensure the UK can continue to produce exceptional work-ready students and bring huge benefits to the economy,” he said.
The manifesto includes a call for the embedding of employability skills into every level of education, an increase in high-quality work experience, and stronger partnerships between schools, universities and employers.
A survey of AGR employer members found 1,400 unfilled vacancies and employers struggling to find the talent to meet their business needs.
Isherwood said: “We believe there is a need to be working harder as a country to develop young people for the world of employment. The government, employers, schools, universities, and students themselves all need to do their bit to inspire young people and help them achieve their potential.
“This means better careers advice and enterprise education in schools and universities, as well as more meaningful paid work experience to expose young people to the working world.”
