Gabrielle Hadley to Urge Businesses to Help Curb Youth Unemployment

ECCLESHALL, England, February 13, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

An online marketing company from Staffordshire is to be honoured for its commitment to creating employment opportunities for graduates.

Gabrielle Hadley, MD of ExtraMile Communications, is to speak on her passion for graduate recruitment, and the benefits graduates can bring to a business, at the National STEP launch event at the University of Wolverhampton Science Park on 27^th February.

She will be the only private sector employer to speak at the event, which will be attended by more than 100 businesses from the West Midlands.

The opportunity to represent the private sector, and promote her own business at the event, is a thank you for the part ExtraMile Communications has played in the development of the National STEP Programme.

Gabrielle Hadley said: "It is vital for the private sector to give graduates a chance, so this is a very worthwhile programme, and we would urge other companies to take advantage of the graduate talent on their doorstep.

"It's really helped to grow our company in the last 18 months and we are working closely with the STEP team to recruit at least one more graduate this year."

In 2011, the Eccleshall-based company was the first in the West Midlands to organise a graduate placement through the programme.

Web developer Matt Preston joined the team in September, shortly after graduating from the University of Wolverhampton.

Since then, the programme has gone from strength to strength, and has placed almost 80 local graduates with companies across the region, and 92% of them - including Matt - have been offered full-time, permanent positions at the end of it.

Ms Hadley will be joined on stage by fellow speakers Phil Donnelly (Director of the STEP Programme), and Paul Doherty (Head of Skills and Development, City of Wolverhampton Council).

Matt Preston will also be presenting on his own experiences of the programme, from the graduate perspective.

The event is open to local businesses, and runs from 9am to 1pm.

Further information is available at http://www.wlv.ac.uk/steplaunch.