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A panel of students and graduates has suggested that the recruitment techniques used in BBC2's The Apprentice should be used by companies to test the skills of potential employees.

The discussions concluded that employers are relying too much on applicants' qualifications alone. Instead, the panel argued, more attention should be paid to the sort of skills highly rated in "The Apprentice", such as creativity, innovation and team work.

Peter Grigg is principle policy adviser of Enterprise Insight - the coalition behind the Make Your Mark campaign who helped organise the discussions. He said "There may be businesses that are afraid of entrepreneurial talent….we need them to see that it can benefit organisations."

However, not everyone thinks The Apprentice provides a good model for graduate recruitment. Sir Digby Jones, former head of the Confederation of British Industry (CBI), has criticised the program, saying: "I think it puts business in a very bad light. Young people will be turned off because they think they will be shouted at by a horrible fat old rich bloke."

According to the Association of Graduate Recruiters, 40 per cent of large employers expect to struggle to find graduates with the right skills.

Most current recruitment techniques seem to have their shortcomings and with strongly-held views on both sides, this debate seems to be just heating up.