The question is whether you can hire good graduates with the right skill set.

Businesses are dissatisfied with what the schools produce, and can't hire graduates.

A recent survey found that employers hope to hire 17.4 percent more graduates in 2007 than in 2006.

In response, many schools are reaching out to their alumni, asking them to try to hire new graduates.

Now, he said, he hires new graduates or those with substantially less experience.

The reports agreed that several fields would hire fewer new graduates, chief among them banking and agriculture.

Instead, ask for names of companies hiring graduates and what post-graduation services they offer.

Because companies like to hire only new graduates, some students who have not found a job as graduation approaches opt to stay in school another year.

Big companies cut back on their campus recruitment in the last six months and are hiring fewer recent graduates than in the past.

Companies should also work closely with public schools, providing apprenticeships as a way to hire graduates.