(Image: Lee McLean/SWNS)
Almost six in ten businesses in Yorkshire and the Humber have recruited young talent in the past year.
New research from Lloyds Bank shows that 58 per cent of businesses in the region have taken on early careers candidates, and 81 per cent of those plan to hire more in the next 12 months.
Despite this appetite, many firms are struggling to connect with the right candidates.
Martyn Kendrick, Regional Director for Yorkshire at Lloyds, said: "There’s real ambition among Yorkshire businesses to invest in the next generation, which is a strong vote of confidence in the region’s future.
"With nearly nine in ten employers confident they can access the capital to invest in training, apprenticeships and new hires, the challenge now is connecting that investment with the right talent.
"Yorkshire has a powerful mix of major employers, growing industries, universities, colleges and training providers.
"Bringing those strengths together and making it easier for early careers talent to access the opportunities on their doorstep will help build the skilled pipeline businesses in the region need to grow."
The Lloyds Business Barometer also found that 51 per cent of businesses that did not hire early careers talent last year would do so if they felt able.
Employers identified stronger links with colleges and universities, more relevant local training, and improved access to candidates as key factors that would boost their confidence to invest in young talent.
More than a third (35 per cent) cited stronger links with colleges, universities or training providers, while 33 per cent wanted more locally relevant training.
Some 87 per cent of businesses said they were confident they could secure funding for training, apprenticeships, or new hires in the next one to three years, second only to Scotland nationally.
Customer service and relationship management were the most in-demand skills, followed by digital and data expertise.