Advice has been offered to school leavers by the Recruitment and Employment Confederation (REC). Many students now consider contracting and freelancing as possible work opportunities and the REC has said that students who recently received their GCSE examination results now have to concentrate on acquiring the necessary skills in demand by employers.

The REC’s Chief Executive, Kevin Green has said that school leavers and students should remain realistic when looking for their first job. With many spending cuts and job losses in the public sector, the economy is facing a period of uncertainty with job shortages in many areas. Although freelancers are in demand, students will want to concentrate on future training opportunities to gain the necessary skills. Green also said:

“Never before has proper guidance and support been so crucial in helping young people identify where the jobs of tomorrow are going to be, so that they can start planning their future education and training in areas where there are recognised skills shortages or in evolving markets.”

Feedback given to REC from professional recruiters has highlighted that students should take any kind of work, including voluntary work or charity work to show prospective employers that they have taken all necessary steps to gain the experience required by recruiters. The REC also recommends apprenticeships, work experience or internships as ways to gain valuable experience.

This can only happen with the support of education providers, businesses and recruiters working together with the government to create opportunities for young people, who are the future for the economy.

For young people who are setting out as freelancers, an umbrella company will remove the burden of administration while they concentrate on learning valuable skills. An umbrella company will also offer advice regarding regulations such as IR35 legislation, to avoid falling foul of HM Revenue & Customs