The number of graduate applicants has risen, providing UK employers further choice over the quality of candidates available.

GTI publishers quizzed 430 graduate recruiters and found that most sectors of the jobs market had experienced a rise in applications over the course of the year.

According to the publishing firm, companies are increasingly providing work experience opportunities as competition for vacancies grows.

Over 80% of engineering organisations, 86% of IT businesses and 93% of law firms are now doing so.

Commenting on the results, director of GTI Chris Phillips said this indicated confidence in the future of UK business.

“This is evidence of a confidence in the future and a recognition that quality work experience opportunities are not only beneficial to students but also an increasingly important part of an organisation's recruitment drive," he said.

Last month, TrainingZONE https://www.trainingzone.co.uk/item/680/608/626 reported on the survey findings of the Association of Graduate Recruiters, claiming that while employers expected their vacancies to rise this year they also feared poor graduate skills would make filling them problematic.