It's not all doom and gloom for the class of 2009
Students who graduate from university this summer were warned on Wednesday that their chances of getting a job have virtually disappeared already.
Vacancies for graduates have fallen by 17 per cent since last summer, cutting jobs on offer by thousands, and most vacancies for this year have already been filled according to a survey of the top 100 graduate recruiters.
It's not all doom and gloom however. Most sectors report a decline in the number of graduate vacancies but employers in the public sector and the Armed Forces stepped up their graduate recruitment in both 2008 and 2009. As a result there are now 51% more entry-levels positions for graduates in the public sector and 17% more roles in the Armed Forces.
And some graduates will still be smiling. Bargain supermarket Aldi will offer recruits of its graduate development programme a starting salary of £40,000 and an Audi A4 car this year. Aldi has seen sales rise as shoppers switch to low-cost food in the economic downturn. This has led the discount chain to expand the number of places on its graduate training scheme by 50% from 100 to 150 places.
If a career in the Armed Forces or at Aldi is not for you, what other options are available to 2009 graduates who have not yet been able to secure a job? Several are considering taking a gap year and broadening their horizons through travel or voluntary work. Another possibility is to take a vocational or conversion course to improve your marketability.
Although some sectors are struggling, there is still a shortage of food scientists and technologists in the UK which is good news for graduates of food science courses.
Are you about to graduate in a food related discipline? Have you already secured a position or are you putting your career on hold until the economic crisis abates?
Vacancies for graduates have fallen by 17 per cent since last summer, cutting jobs on offer by thousands, and most vacancies for this year have already been filled according to a survey of the top 100 graduate recruiters.
It's not all doom and gloom however. Most sectors report a decline in the number of graduate vacancies but employers in the public sector and the Armed Forces stepped up their graduate recruitment in both 2008 and 2009. As a result there are now 51% more entry-levels positions for graduates in the public sector and 17% more roles in the Armed Forces.
And some graduates will still be smiling. Bargain supermarket Aldi will offer recruits of its graduate development programme a starting salary of £40,000 and an Audi A4 car this year. Aldi has seen sales rise as shoppers switch to low-cost food in the economic downturn. This has led the discount chain to expand the number of places on its graduate training scheme by 50% from 100 to 150 places.
If a career in the Armed Forces or at Aldi is not for you, what other options are available to 2009 graduates who have not yet been able to secure a job? Several are considering taking a gap year and broadening their horizons through travel or voluntary work. Another possibility is to take a vocational or conversion course to improve your marketability.
Although some sectors are struggling, there is still a shortage of food scientists and technologists in the UK which is good news for graduates of food science courses.
Are you about to graduate in a food related discipline? Have you already secured a position or are you putting your career on hold until the economic crisis abates?
By Jenny on 13 February 2011 07:28