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Employers

Graduate Training Programs

Graduate Training Programs are structured periods of training, usually lasting at least two years, which may lead to relevant professional qualifications. Some have rolling recruitment throughout the year, but many don’t, and the closing dates for some schemes can be as early as January for schemes starting in August/September.

Many of these programs are run by large, national and international companies. They tend to set high academic entry requirements, particularly in anything related to finance.

One very important factor to bear in mind is that these schemes cater for a small percentage of graduates. This means that competition for entry is high, so if you don’t meet the initial entry requirements it may not be worth applying. If there are extenuating circumstances as to why you don’t meet these requirements, you will probably need to have evidence to support them.

Many graduates feel that they must aim at these large schemes, but that is not the case. You need to research the company and try and find out if the ethos is right for you. There are many other ways to build a successful career, including working in small and medium sized organisations which are more likely to recruit when they have a vacancy. They may also accept lower classes of degree as an entry requirement. In these smaller organisations you may be given a less structured training, but a wider range of experiences.

Once you have decided on the area of work that interests you, you can search for vacancies. You can also browse profiles of employers offering graduate training schemes on our desktop site.