Unemployment in the United Kingdom continues to fall. The number of people out of work in the UK fell by 97,000 to 1.86 million in the last three months of 2014 and stands at 5.7% of the working population. However, not everyone benefits from this development. In the October to December 2014 period, the unemployment rate for 16 to 24-year-olds remained unchanged at 16.2%. If large companies are not able to accommodate young people in the UK job market, it might be up to entrepreneurs and small firms to provide a viable alternative.

Small firms accounted for 99.3 per cent of all private sector businesses in the UK, 47.8 per cent of private sector employment and 33.2 per cent of private sector turnover in 2014. Also the majority of graduates now works for SMEs instead of large blue chip companies. There are a number of reasons why working for SMEs is so attractive for the young working population. A job in a startup or SME has a number of benefits, such as more freedom, greater responsibilities and a better work-life balance. Therefore, it is not surprising that a survey by the Trade Union Centre found that employees in small businesses are the most satisfied at work.

NACUE has a strong track record of bringing SMEs and students together. NACUE events such as Startup Career Launchpad and Small Companies Big Jobs connect students and graduates with the startups and SMEs that are looking to hire right now. Whether you are studying computer science or graduating in psychology, these ‘careers fair’ style events are designed to show you the range of career options small businesses can offer.

On Wednesday, 3rd June the last two Small Companies Big Jobs events of this year will take place at UCL and Goldsmiths University. For further details, follow this link.