University of Manchester Careers Blog

Last week yet another report was published, this time by the Higher Education Careers Service Unit (HECSU) which showed improvements in graduate job market with biggest drop in unemployment amongst university leavers for 15 years.

Following figures released by the Association of Graduate Recruiters showing a significant increase in the number of graduate vacancies in the UK the HECSU report indicates that a large proportion (66.3%) of the latest graduate cohort are now working in professional or managerial roles.

Put together these reports are good news for those looking to graduate schemes indicating that not only has there been an increase in the number of vacancies being advertised but more importantly an increase in the number of graduates successfully applying to these schemes.

What are graduate schemes?

Graduate schemes are training programmes designed specifically to give recent graduates management or leadership experience.

Each academic year large employers begin to students recruit final year and recent graduates to take part in their schemes. These schemes usually last around 2 years allowing you to carry out a range of placements within an organisation and to gain experience an understanding of how the employer operates. Taking part in a graduate scheme is also a great way of finding out about whether a certain area of work suits you If you’re interested in applying for a graduate schemes you can get more information about them here.

How to I apply to a graduate scheme

Applications for graduate schemes open every autumn for positions that will start the following summer. This may seem like a long time but with the number of applicants and different stages in the recruitment process (telephone interviews, psychometric tests, assessment centres and face to face interviews ) it can take this log to recruit the right people.

2014/15 Graduate Schemes

2014/15 graduate schemes are now opening for applications and as a recent graduate you will be eligible to apply to them. You can find out more about the schemes open to you by popping into the Careers library to pick up your free copies of graduate directors The Time Top 100, Guardian 300 and Prospects. Use them to find out more about the employers, the different schemes that they have and the closing dates for applications. I’ve also compiled a couple of useful closing date lists – an A-Z of employers and by closing date.