A new initiative is underway to help businesses in the HIE Inverness and East Highland and HIE Moray areas to recruit the skills they need. It also offers graduates from any area a unique opportunity by helping them find the right placement.

GO - Graduate Opportunities in Work is a graduate placement programme encouraging graduates and undergraduates, who are looking for a placement or a full-time job, an opportunity to show employers in the Highlands what they’re capable of.

The programme is for graduates and students from any area, of all degree disciplines, looking to get real hands-on practical experience. A range of positions from small local businesses to large international businesses is available throughout the area. The added benefit of a personal development plan with funded training courses is available for anyone who joins the programme.

Businesses within the region that are keen to employ people with the skills and talent to help with specific business needs such as IT, marketing, accounting or any other area are also encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity.

GO is designed to provide financial support towards a student or graduate’s wages. Employers may be eligible for financial assistance towards the costs of employing an undergraduate in their placement year, or a recent graduate in their first year of employment in their graduating discipline.

Rhona Fraser, head of development at HIE Inverness and East Highland said: “The programme attracts graduates to the HIE Inverness and East Highland and HIE Moray areas where they can use their newly acquired skills and knowledge to the advantage of the community as a whole. Graduates spend up to a year with a host company, allowing them to develop personally and professionally while providing real benefits to the business.”

The programme is open to any graduate who has a permit to work in the UK, and is funded by HIE Inverness and East Highland and HIE Moray.

Businesses or graduates who see an opportunity to benefit from GO over a period of three to 12 months should visit the HIE website's graduate opportunities pages or phone 0800 0326240. The GO programme also offers many other benefits to both students/graduates and employers.