As the IT job market continues to boom FDM calls for 100 new candidates for its graduate training and recruitment programme in the North West.
According to student and graduate recruitment research company High Fliers’ investigations into graduate opportunities in 2011, the most common graduate vacancies will be for IT and Finance roles.
More than half of UK employers currently offer graduate IT roles, irrespective of the company’s field, as the demand for IT expertise in all industries increases.
But according to research conducted by graduate recruitment website GradFutures.com in December 2009, 91% of graduates were seeking employment in London, with 31% searching for work in the South East. And despite showing a willingness to relocate, only 11% of graduates were searching for work in the North West.
So why is the UK’s largest IT graduate recruiter calling for more graduates to train and often work in the North West of England?
In June 2010 the North West Regional Development Agency reported that the North West had the second highest retention rate of graduates after London, with 67% remaining in the region after graduation.
FDM trainee and Manchester University graduate Vahid Shahadi said, “After University I wanted to stay in the North West as I enjoy living here so much but I was unsure of the IT career path to choose. FDM Group in Manchester helped me in making the right career choice and realising my true potential.”
And although FDM’s fast-track 12-16 week training programme is funded by the company itself, graduate trainees are required to finance their own lifestyle throughout this time.
Doing so within FDM’s London branch isn’t always possible for all candidates as some will struggle to meet the high living costs of the capital city.
Once trained and placed within one or more of FDM’s 200 blue-chip clients, FDM trainees will also receive a competitive salary for two years. Although international placements are available, graduates who are placed in the North West may find that their salaries stretch much further.
Graduates also tend to be under the impression that a career in the capital will lead to more interesting roles within prestigious companies. However FDM has placed hundreds of graduate trainees in the North West within companies such as HSBC, Barclays, Lloyds Pharmacy and Unilever to name a few.
FDM graduate trainee Alan Ying said, “I have just completed a 5 month contracted placement with HSBC at First Direct in Leeds. It was an opportunity of a life time and I am thrilled that I joined this fast-growing graduate IT recruitment firm in the North West.”
To apply please visit the website at FDM Group
