# Improving graduates' careers advice will help charities' recruitment

- Link: https://fundraising.co.uk/2003/09/17/improving-graduates039-careers-advice-will-help-charities039-recruitment/
- Published: 2003-09-17T23:00:00+01:00
- Author: Howard Lake

Charities’ recruitment difficulties could be eased by improved careers advice for

 

graduates, argues NCVO.
The National Council for Voluntary Organisations (NCVO) 
is concerned that

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careers officers, schools, universities and parents are failing to promote charity
work as a viable career option to school leavers and graduates.

 

 

The umbrella body’s criticisms have been prompted by a recent report from the Voluntary
Sector National Training Organisation (VSNTO) which shows that 70% of voluntary 
organisations suffer recruitment problems due to a lack of interest in the positions
they advertise.

 

 

Despite more graduates now expressing a desire to work in the public sector

 

than the private sector, just 6% plan to apply for jobs with charities (Mori). NCVO
has claimed that young people are receiving misleading advice about the nature of
the modern UK voluntary sector due to careers advisers’ and parents’ out of date
perceptions.

 

 

Many voluntary organisations believe that recruitment is hampered by potential candidates
misperception of working in the sector. The majority of organisations reporting 
difficulties in recruitment said this was primarily because they get few or no applications,
this problem being closely followed by a lack of suitably experienced, skilled or
qualified candidates. NCVO

 

believes that the voluntary sector itself, with support from the Government, must
address this problem directly.

 

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