Irish employers struggling to retain young graduates

44 percent of employers see retention as most critical challenge facing their Early Careers Programmes

Almost 20% of respondents noted competition around salaries as the biggest challenge they face in relation to their Early Career Programmes.

Almost half of all Irish organisations see retention as the most critical challenge facing their early career programmes, with the majority of companies struggling to retain graduates, interns and apprentices.

Figures published today by Aon and HPC showed that 44% of employers across 15 industries reported difficulty in retaining young talent for several reasons, including competition from larger organisations, salary expectations, a lack of career paths, a desire for graduates to travel in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic and an unwillingness for some graduates to move internationally.