“We’ve found the best way to learn and get up the ladder is to sit in the room with us and put boots on and go to the construction site”

More than 600 people applied for five graduate jobs at a green refuelling company, a director said.

Some 20 were interviewed and four were chosen for a second chat, according to Eddie Davidson, operations and technology director at Aegis Energy, which is building an EV charging and green fuel hub for trucks and lorries in Ecclesfield.

Jobs round table at The Star, from left: Rebecca Harris, Jay Bhayani, James Beighton, Anthony Hinchliffe, Eddie Davidson and David Walsh. | IM

placeholder image — Jobs round table at The Star, from left: Rebecca Harris, Jay Bhayani, James Beighton, Anthony Hinchliffe, Eddie Davidson and David Walsh. | IM

Candidates also had to demonstrate skills in artificial intelligence, he added.

But the company was keen on office working.

He said: “We say we are an ‘in-person’ employer. We’ve found the best way to learn and get up the ladder is to sit in the room with us and put boots on and go to the construction site.”

Mr Davidson spoke at a round table on jobs organised by The Star.

Eddie Davidson, operations and technology director at Aegis Energy. | IM

It was attended by employment lawyer Jay Bhayani, MD of Bhayani Law, James Beighton of Skills Street, which connects business with young people, Anthony Hinchliffe, of major local employer Ant Marketing, Rebecca Harris of Localeyes, a regional marketing agency launched by The Star’s parent company Iconic Media Group, and David Walsh, business editor at The Star.

Jay Bhayani, of Bhayani Law and Make UK, said of 38 entry-level occupations, 30 were declining, partly due to the costs of hiring.

Jay Bhayani is MD of Bhayani Law and executive director at manufacturing organisation Make UK. | IM

And AI was eating into white collar jobs in accountancy, finance and law, web design and PR.

But bosses weren’t having everything their own way.

New employment laws meant staff could bring a tribunal after six months, not two years as previously.

And young people were increasingly demanding companies with values.

Ms Bhayani said: “We have been amazed how much the younger ones take it seriously. For every job we advertise we get 50 credible applications that quote ours.”

James Beighton, of Skills Street, said it was more important than ever to hire well.

James Beighton, development manager at Skills Street an skills and careers-based education centre at Gullivers Valley in Rotherham. | IM

The community interest company, based at Gullivers Adventure in Rotherham, taught key skills to help recruits settle quickly and focus on learning on the job.

“Ninety nine percent of companies in South Yorkshire are small and medium enterprises. Graduate jobs are there but companies are tuning into them earlier.”

That meant more young people studying for an apprenticeship while working - seen as bad news for universities.

Jay Bhayani said: “Do we know what a graduate job is now? You don’t have to recruit a graduate to fill a graduate job. The jobs are there, they are just taken earlier.”

Localeyes is a marketing brand and advertising platform launched by Iconic Media Group, one the largest regional news publishers in the UK and Ireland.

It offers Smarthire, a way for employers to advertise vacancies to more than 130 trusted print titles and digital platforms, as well as Indeed, CV-Library, Jobs Today and targeted social ads.

It also offers expert copywriters to craft an advert, CV database searching and AI-driven candidate sourcing.

It conducts first and second stage screening to create a shortlist of top quality candidates.

Email: [email protected] Phone: 0207 8557577