Personal development training: Graduate skills "problem" identified

There is a significant need for graduates to receive training in communication skills and self-management, the Confederation of British Industry (CBI) claims.

At a London delegation of 19 organisations this week, including McDonald's, the Royal Bank of Scotland and Microsoft, the CBI's head of education alluded to the benefits that personal development training would have on many graduates.

"There is dissatisfaction with soft skills, communication skills, self-management and language," Susan Anderson told attendees.

She added: "They are skills we expect every graduate to have but there are problems."

Ms Anderson's colleague, CBI director general Richard Lambert, used the same occasion to cite survey results highlighting that a quarter of employers are dissatisfied with the "soft skills" of graduate recruits - including their time management and communication skills.

Problem-solving, team-working, personal planning and organising were further attributes he singled out as ripe for development.

Reflecting on the CBI's observations, Liverpool John Moores University student Susie McKerr admitted to the Times that well-honed negotiating skills are a particular attribute she would like to add to her CV.

This would provide a confidence boost in light of the "large number of graduates out there", she concluded.