A recent PepsiCo (home to market-leading brands Quaker, Walkers, Pepsi and Tropicana) survey of 537 employers has found that two thirds of employers prefer to recruit graduates who have completed an industry placement year over those doing straight degree courses.This new evidence suggests that graduates with a minimum of one year's industry experience as more employable than those without - which seems a little bit obvious to me! This research does scarily prove though that graduates with industry placements are more likely to get jobs.The survey also revealed that the traditional 'gap yah' students take to 'find themselves' and 'experience new cultures' in the year before university is happening far less now - with more and more people seeking a year in industry instead. Only a very low 7% of business leaders rate a gap year as more valuable now than it used to be, preferring students to gain real work experience rather than go travelling.Shelby Thompson, PepsiCo's head of recruitment explained: 'With one in five graduates struggling to find work after university, this research highlights the need for students to be thinking about gaining valuable industry experience outside their university courses. The graduate market is tougher and more competitive than ever before meaning that students must work harder to develop the business skills needed to make them stand out from the crowd. A placement year is a great way to build this experience.Employers said graduates with industry experience did not only have a greater understanding of the workplace, but were better able to communicate professionally and work in a team. With many courses (particularly engineering) offering an optional year in industry, it seems more important than ever for undergrads to take the opportunity of having a year in the workplace before they graduate.
