Metro massively boost graduate intake with continued business growth and expansion

Driven by the negative impact of COVID-19, the number of payroll employees has fallen by 726,000 in a year across the UK, and vacancies were down by nearly 60%, with many graduates losing their work placement opportunities or job offer – But not at Metro!

University and life after graduation should be filled with rewarding work-placements and exciting job offers, but for current students and graduates, the reality has been far more uncertain.

Many of those who had secured a work placement or received a job offer have seen them withdrawn or deferred as the coronavirus pandemic has caused significant economic disruption.  

The effects of COVID-19 on graduate recruitment is put into stark detail, by this survey of 1,200 final-year university students:

• 26% lost their work placement
• 29% lost their job
• 28% had their job offer deferred or cancelled

For graduates, these job offers represented a return on their investment in higher education and, for some, would pave the way to their future career.

The fact that 65% of surveyed students now feel negative about their job prospects signifies the effect the pandemic is having on their future and highlights why we continue to work proactively with university careers teams and communicate directly with students, to dispel the notion that employers are not hiring.

There is no denying the impact the COVID pandemic had on the economy, with unprecedented redundancies and staff furloughs. While many sectors remain closed or are facing other challenges, Metro has been stretched to the limit, helping customers meet the twin supply chain demands of Brexit and the pandemic.

Shippers, including some of the UK’s biggest brands and manufacturers, rely on Metro to keep their EU/UK supply chains running smoothly.  

Blue-chip customers, some of whom have never had to create an export or import customs declaration, are faced with the sudden need to complete them by the thousands.

Added to that, as news of Metro’s unmatched investment in post-Brexit technology and resources spread, significant new business has been added, which means we had to grow our team to keep up with demand.

Since Lockdown1, we have increased our graduate intake massively from degree disciplines including Geography, Accounting & Finance, Economics, Law, American Studies, Biomedical Science plus Business Management variations including Modern Languages, from Universities in the US, Europe and across the UK. 

Included in this cohort, we are pleased to welcome back two graduates, who earlier completed their work-placement with Metro and one of our most recent under-graduate placements, taking on a part-time position, running alongside her university studies.

Following their challenging (COVID-safe) induction, these graduates are learning new skills, developing new competencies and best practice working habits across all functional departments, importing and exporting cargo, by all modes, for Metro’s customers.

Metro is committed to invest, not just in the payroll sense but also in providing the training and support these young, enthusiastic and energetic people need to prepare them for a career as professional freight forwarders. If you are interested or know someone interested in a breathtakingly dynamic role within the logistics industry, then please provide a CV to Paul Moss, Head of HR, as we continue to increase and grow our business and therefore continue to recruit, train and mentor new members to the team – we still have many vacancies and opportunities for career hungry and ambitious candidates!