The Graduate Talent Pool measure is in line with the Europe 2020 strategy and in particular with the flagship initiatives “Youth on the Move” and “An agenda for new skills and new jobs”. Hence aims to reduce youth unemployment by simplifying the transition from education to work in line with the wider EU target of achieving a 75% employment rate for the working-age population (20-64 years).

It is also in line with the Employment Guidelines and with several EU instruments such as the ESF implemented under the priority to improve ‘access to employment’ for young people.

In 2010, the employment rate was 73.6% in the UK compared to 68.6% for the EU. However, UK unemployment has increased significantly (to 7.7% in 2009 and 7.9% in 2010) due to the crisis. There is a high unemployment rate among 20-24 year olds - and particularly young graduates. In 2010, 11.7% of graduates in the 20-24 year age category were unemployed, compared to 4.0% of all graduates and 7.6% of the overall UK population.

The employment rate for tertiary educated graduates, while declining, still remains significantly higher than the overall employment rate (84.0% in 2010) although graduates aged 20-24 years have a lower employment rate of (73.0% in 2010) – although this remained higher than the comparable EU average (58.1% in 2011).

The rate of unemployment in the UK dropped slightly to 7.7% in July 2013 (from 7.9% in 2010); official figures also showed the number of people claiming Jobseeker's Allowance fell 32,600 to 1.402 million, its lowest level since February 2009. Out of a total of more than 230,000 full-time graduates from 2011-12 72% were working, or working and studying (-0.1% from 2010); 15% were studying and 9% were unemployed.

The Graduate Training Pool has been important for addressing youth unemployment in the UK – particularly for young graduates – by providing work experience opportunities for young people and support for employers in order to create opportunities that might lead to permanent employment.

The main problem being addressed was the difficulties experienced by young people (aged 20-24), and particularly young graduates, of accessing employment.

The main activities underpinning the measure included: a ‘matching’ service for internship opportunities for new and recent graduates of UK universities and practical work experience; support to employers.

In particular:

• New/recent graduates can use Graduate Talent Pool to find internship opportunities with local employers which match their skills and aspirations. They are supported by both on-site and off-site resources in order to gain work experience and develop employability skills.
• The focus is on high-quality placements and providing a relatively simple online brokerage service for (particularly small) employers and graduates.
• “Internships on offer range from one to twelve months in length, with many employers looking to take on graduates in a permanent capacity at the end of their internship. The most common length of an internship is 2-3 months and the majority of internships on offer are paid at national minimum wage.
• The online brokerage service has provided support for employers in key areas including: attracting the right talent; making the most of an internship; setting internship objectives; employer responsibilities.

Evaluation of the Graduate Talent Pool measure (in 2011) identified in the first six months of the measure around one third of participants gained long-term employment with their employer; although only two fifths of graduates registering with the website undertook a placement.

Key outputs and outcomes from the evaluation identified that in the first six months of the measure:

• 22% of surveyed participants secured and undertook a placement. This is extrapolated to suggest that up to 1,440 placements were offered in this period.
• Over 40% of those who had completed an internship secured long-term employment (around 480 graduates); with the majority (33%) of these secured a long-term job with the internship employer.
• Only two fifths of graduates registering with the website undertook a placement – due to competition for placements; lack of relevant opportunities in the early phase of the scheme; finding work/placements through other channels).
• Overall, the proportion of unemployed new or recent graduates who registered with the Graduate Training Pool measure fell from 52% to around 22% (this included graduates who had completed internships and also unsuccessful applicants).

In 2013, Graduate Talent Pool reached a total registration count of over 100,000 graduates and over 9000 registered employers.