A free online course is being launched to train graduates in the skills needed for professional success.

Management development company, Management Training and Development Ltd (MTD) aims to provide graduates with communication and networking qualities, aspects which are not necessarily offered by degree courses.

The ‘Grad Skills’ programme is a result of a survey of over fifty graduates who had been employed for less than six months, to find out what key skills they felt would have helped them during this period.

Sean McPheat, Managing Director of MTD, said: “We were then able to design a course that fulfilled this criteria and through the free subscription, make it available to all Grad Skills members completely free of charge.

“Employers expect graduates to have a whole skill set which in reality they haven’t got,” he added.

The course is provided in email instalments for study away from the workplace. Topics include managing and motivating people, influencing others and improving selling skills.