Headlines on the subject of business and the economy have been relatively pessimistic and negative for most of us as of late, particularly students. Take, for example, the statistics that some of Britain's young people spend 2.3 years unemployed. Ouch.
Instead, I was pleasantly surprised this morning to read the headline 'UK business confidence at six-year high' which, as a soon-to-be graduate, is now actually going to affect me.
The survey from the British Chambers of Commerce indicated that business confidence is at its highest level since 2007, and there are other indicators to point to the final strengthening of the economy. The article also notes data from the services and manufacturing sectors which are growing, and mortgage approvals increasing.
Since the 'crash', students have been repeatedly told the likelihood of getting a job would be significantly reduced, which has forced many to rack up more debts entering higher education and training, as jobs have been scarce. Competition for graduate jobs was noted in recent research to be 46 applicants for every place, but hopefully this surge in confidence in the business sector will encourage firms to take on more staff to reduce this competition. Finally, it looks like we have something to look forwards to as we emerge into the working world.
I've been looking for work experience, jobs and placements for the past few years, and in my opinion, there are far more opportunities (especially paid ones) around now than there used to be in journalism, or perhaps I've just got better at finding them. Currently, as part of a scheme with Warwick University, I am interning for a money-saving website, imutual, which do cashback and promote deals to online shoppers.
So far, I have gained a great amount of business awareness from working in a small team, yet being a part of a company in which I can actually have some influence. If business confidence is up across the board, then it may mean more companies are likely to take on roles like this for interns in the future.
Confidence is key, both for the economy to grow, and for graduates to believe they can get into the workplace. This recent news looks set to boost the confidence of the class of 2013, that they can succeed and play a part in the recovery of the British economy.