Businesses are spending heavily on recruiting and developing young talent through direct entry graduate schemes and other early careers programmes, yet 25% of companies have unfilled positions due to graduates having a lack of employable skills. Whilst the transformation in Further Education funding has increased the focus of universities on employability, this is failing to engage a large number of students and provide the personalised support in their moment of need. Many young people are feeling overwhelmed as they take their first steps on their career resulting in high numbers of employees being disengaged and uninspired in their work. So, who's doing anything about it? There's a gaping divide in who owns the problem, with employees looking for their employers to take the lead and provide visibility of their future careers options and businesses looking for individuals to take control. ME+® fills the gap, putting people in control of their own careers and guiding them to achieve their ambitions.

1. July 2015
Brought to you by

2. THE GRADUATE MARKET
£30,614
(1) AGR (Association of Graduate Recruiters) Graduate Recruitment Survey 2015 Winter Review
(2) Oxford Economics Report 2014
(3) The Graduate Market in 2015, by High Fliers Research
(4) CBI (Confederation of British Industry)
The figures The facts
2.3 million
graduates
enrolled in the UK
The time it takes a university
graduate to reach Optimum
Productivity(2)
The amount spent by Association of
Graduate Recruiters members in the
UK on their graduate recruitment
marketing in 2013-2014, with an
average of £2,007 per vacancy(1)
40 weeks
The average cost for
employers to replace a recruit (including the costs of recruitment team,
onboarding, training, to get them up to Optimum Productivity)(2)
Just under
£20.5 million
25%
Of companies have
unfilled positions
due to graduates
having a lack of
employable skills(1)
8.1%
more entry-level vacancies
than last year(3)
Most important factors in recruiting
school and college leavers(4)
Transformation of Further
Education funding has
resulted in an increased
focus on employability
Universities need
deeper relationships
with employers and to
engage students
effectively in career
education
The majority of Association
of Graduate Recruiters
members run a graduate
development
programme, typically
lasting for 1-2 years,
including on-the-job
training, training away from
the job and studying for a
professional qualification(1)
The substantial increase
in graduate vacancies
for 2015 takes graduate
recruitment beyond the
pre-recession peak in the
graduate job market in
2007 and means that
there will be more
opportunities for this
summer’s university-
leavers than at any time
in the last decade(3)
Almost three-quarters
of the unfilled
graduate vacancies
were at accounting and
professional services
firms, in the public
sector and the Armed
Forces(3)
30%
38%
85%
24%
63%
44%
14%

3. HOW GRADUATES BEHAVE
Employability
Students are not thinking about employability for most of
the time whilst at university.
But, when they do start thinking about it, they are often
overwhelmed by too much information.
Feedback and guidance
Students value feedback, guidance and respect those with
real experience/achievements
The structure/guidance/support to help them reflect on
their strengths and interests and to visualise their
ambitions is absent.
For many, this has been lacking throughout their
education, resulting in over 61% of employees(1) feeling
disengaged and uninspired in their work.
Student behavior – Survey outputs
Careers education in the UK is
failing our kids, our businesses and
our future prosperity.
Careers Lab, 2014
Careers Lab provides support for businesses to build their
relationships with schools
(1) The engagement levels of British employees, CIPD
(2) ME+ survey
(3) Employer Perspectives Survey 2014, UKCES
From students who took part in the ME+® AGCAS
workshops, the ME+® Careers Lab workshops and FDM
interns.
Outputs show the followings:
Spontaneous
Random
Passive/Avoid taking risks
Alienated/Disengaged
Lack of ambition
Lack of drive
Complacent
Consumerist
Focused
Disciplined
Professional
Prepared for career entry
Preparedness of University/Higher education
leavers for employment
From very poorly prepared to very well prepared(2)

4. WHAT IS NEEDED
Businesses* have highlighted the skills needed for the 21st Century workplace:
 In an increasingly competitive employment market, employers are
looking beyond simple academic achievements when considering
applicants for a job or internship.
 Many now expect to see evidence of other skills and achievements
that boost someone’s attractiveness as a potential employee.
 Businesses want graduates who not only add value but who have the
skills to help to transform their organisation in the face of continuous
and rapid economic and technological change. All graduates –
whatever their degree discipline – need to be equipped with
employability skills.
 In today's business environment of constant change, we believe people
need a structure to support them to be more self-directed and with
that they are more likely to succeed.
* CBI 2014
** Edge foundation, report written by Kevin Lowden, Stuart Hall, Dr Dely Elliot and Jon Lewin
 Self-awareness
 Self-management
 Clarity of vision of
success
 Business & customer
awareness
 Communication
 Team working
 Problem solving
 Self-confidence
 Leadership skills
Employability skills**
includes:

5. CAREERS OWNERSHIP
** Source: Career management, making it work for employees and employers| Radha Chakraborty and Stephanie Rudbeck
Of employees report
that they have to take
ownership of their own
career**
48%
Whilst nearly half of the working population in the UK recognise that they need to take
ownership for their career, this is just a start.
Equipping everyone to be self-directed through their career will lead to long-term
success both for themselves and the organisations they work for.
* “The Real Story Behind Career Development: Who is Responsible?” joint research study conducted by EdAssist and the University of Phoenix
The results of this study demonstrate why many workers and organisations fail at career
management – each believes the other should be responsible.
85%
98%
80%
What managers think
Employee’s ownership
Employer’s ownership
Who should identify job
opportunities and career paths?
Who owns the employee’s
professional development?
Who owns the employee’s career
management?
71%
74%
68%
What workers think
Employers should provide
professional development training
Employers should provide
career-advancement mentoring
Workers should continually
update and improve their skills
Workers should be responsible
for building their job-hunting &
career-planning skills

6. INSPIRING CAREERS WITH ME+®
ME+® puts people in control of their careers and provides a structure to help them.
ME+® inspires, prompts and guides me to understand and fulfil my potential right now,
tomorrow and in the future. Bringing me closer to the objectives of the organisation
I work for and making his relevant to my own opportunities and career choices.
An approach and system that supports people through their ‘career moments’
Engaging
Shaping/tracking
Career management
ME+ checkpoint
ME+ app
Data reporting
Reflecting/choosing
Participating/planning
Progressing/sharing
User experienceToolStage
of ME+® beta testing
users feel more aware
of what's driving them
and what they want to
achieve in their career
91%

7. PUTTING PEOPLE IN CONTROL
 Empowering people to take actions and make
changes they are committed to
 A mobile digital app that is accessible 24/7
through multi-channels
 Designed to meet and support the needs of
the users:
 clarifying ambitions
 preparation & planning
 Collaboration
 reflection & learning
 action & follow up
 Supports users throughout their careers
 Tailored to the organisation’s needs and
personalised by users

8. Scope
Understand target audience, their
behaviour and create experience vision
Design & produce
Design approach and materials (online
and offline) to deliver experience vision
Pilot
Put in the hands of up to 200 users
Insight
Capture user feedback and analyse user
data
Refresh
Refresh design based on actual user
experience
Deployment planning
Develop communications plan and
schedule
Launch
Roll-out approach and toolkit for target
audience
User data insight
Analyse data to understand actual user
behaviour and capture insights
OUR ME+® DEVELOPMENT & DEPLOYMENT PROCESS
Stakeholder engagement
Key stakeholders identified and workshops, interviews and surveys used to
engage throughout
Scope
Design &
produce
Pilot
InsightRefresh
Deployment
planning
Launch
User data
insight