Rank: New forum user 
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I am looking for feedback on people’s experience with graduates. I am going on maternity leave early in the New Year so we will be taking someone on at Battersea Power Station. We are looking at options and considering a graduate that we can train up and keep in the company so I wanted to know how people have found taking on graduates within the construction industry. We are also considering experienced safety professional and people who are looking to move into the field. There is an H&S Manager on site so they would be closely developed just not sure if a graduate is the way to go. People’s feedback would be great. Thanks Gemma Gemma.bland07@gmail.com
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Rank: Super forum user 
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We have an annual intake of about 20 graduates so I have experience of mentoring them.
I generalise, but they are not much use for at least 6 months, then they start to show their worth or leave.
Be aware you have a 24 year old "school leaver" with no life experiences.
From what you are saying, I'd go for someone who is hungry to get into H&S; a clear demonstration of this is someone who has funded Nebosh cert off their own back.
There are lots of folks like that posting here every day.
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Rank: Super forum user 
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As a previous graduate- originally looking to work in the border agency before it was disbanded, I ended up self funding all of my health and safety qualifications except 1- currently self funding my diploma- I graduated in 2011 with a very good degree and got into my first health and safety position in May of this year (Almost 3 years after graduating). Take people on their worth- some graduates are no use- but that can be said for alot of people who may have worked in health and safety for 20 years. Advertise the job and work with what you get. I wish more companies I applied for were interested in the fact I put myself through my qualifications in an attempt to get some experience in the field rather than instantly chuck out my applications. Hopefully you will find someone with real passion and drive to learn and do the best they can.
Good Luck!
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Rank: Super forum user 
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jodieclark1510 wrote:As a previous graduate- originally looking to work in the border agency before it was disbanded, I ended up self funding all of my health and safety qualifications except 1- currently self funding my diploma- I graduated in 2011 with a very good degree and got into my first health and safety position in May of this year (Almost 3 years after graduating). Take people on their worth- some graduates are no use- but that can be said for alot of people who may have worked in health and safety for 20 years. Advertise the job and work with what you get. I wish more companies I applied for were interested in the fact I put myself through my qualifications in an attempt to get some experience in the field rather than instantly chuck out my applications. Hopefully you will find someone with real passion and drive to learn and do the best they can.
Good Luck! ..i'd be interested to know what specifically was meant by the term ' some graduates are no use'. Are you talking about graduates of safety degrees or graduates in general - with that kind of comment i think you should clarify. All graduates have something going for them - if you employ a media graduate for a safety job I think its the HR department who 'are no use'. Agreed, there will be some safety graduates who (like myself at 23 with an MSc in Safety) will be slightly green behind the ears - but I am certainly not of 'no use'. It needs to be remembered that everyone has to start out somewhere - graduate or non-graduate is irrelevant. If you're good enough, show your worth and have a desire to learn you'll suceed, the process works both ways however.
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Rank: Super forum user
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Graduates in general- The OP never specifically asked about safety graduates so i took it on that basis. There are plenty of people that go to university because they think it is three years of fun and they will walk straight into good jobs when it's not always the case and they think the world should be handed to them on a plate. Being a criminology graduate I have had to work hard to convert into safety, it was no walk in the park. If you read further into my comment I also said there are plenty of people who can work in a position for years and still not be that great- are they the best person for the job? We have all met someone we believe is a jobsworth somewhere along the line. I'm not being offensive- I did also say take people on their worth- as I also mentioned I haven't walked straight into a job after finishing uni with a degree- I have had a fair share of turn downs due to lack of experience though I've got the bits of paper to say I've done something. If every company is like that there would be no point most people going to university to study most degrees because you don't get alot of experience at the end of the day. I think the point was do they advertise exclusively for a greaduate or in general- I have said leave it open
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Rank: Super forum user
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Apologies to anyone I have offended
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Rank: Super forum user 
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jodieclark1510 wrote:Apologies to anyone I have offended It doesn't matter - you only offended the Graduates :) - JOKE!!! Originally Posted by: JayPownall if you employ a media graduate for a safety job I think its the HR department who ' 
I fully agree with this statement - I wanted to add - I have met CMIOSH holders who would be 'of no use' in some jobs.
We are all individuals - with individual skill sets and recruiting is an art - a graduate will have advantages and disadvantages to a seasoned practitioner... which is best?... Much like risk assessing wasps - there is no correct answer IMHO.
If they are well supervised I would suggest graduates are great at project work and can be developed and grown (often very quickly - whilst I agree with 6 month statement - I think this is true for most new starters) - a seasoned practitioner on the other hand might hit the ground running - or disagree with your style, culture and methods and be set on changing the way things are done....
These are not absolutes of course - just food for thought.
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Rank: Super forum user
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teh_boy- I offend everyone- I suppose even myself as a graduate but ho hum.
And as you say you have met people of no use- which is life- we all know them somewhere- it's weeding them out to find the right person and they could come from anywhere- graduate, seasoned practitioner- even a random job centre applicant. So I would leave the position as open to all to get the best pool to fish in as it were. IME you have to take a chance on people it is not always black and white. I've waited for my break for 3 years- others walk straight in. Does that make me worse than others? I don't think so personally- just the right place and time was later than others, and earlier than some.
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Rank: Super forum user
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Most of ours are engineering grads.
You are not called an engineer here until you have CEng
Its their lack of life experience that holds them back initially.
I'm an old git approaching retirement, and am constantly amazed how these folks arrive with 1st class honours degrees but have never held a spanner.
"Righty tighty, lefty loosely" is part of their early inductions ;-)))
Give me a tradesman with 5 years on the tools & a NEBOSH cert any day.
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Rank: Super forum user
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..to clarify I am not offended in the slightest - I welcome the discussion. Just reiterating the point that graduate or non-graduate you can have lemons working for you. It shouldn't make a difference what you have i.e. Nebosh Dip vs MSc/BSc - if you're good enough then so be it. I think whats also being overlooked is that regardless of quals - some people are just not cut out for a safety role - but are too proud to either admit it or may find it difficult to switch careers. People can go on all the training in the world and have all the quals and years of experience - doesn't mean they're any good....am so glad i don't work in HR as I don't think i'd last very long!
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