Graduates receive support initiative

Graduates in the West Midlands are to receive a range of schemes and work placements to support them through the current economic downturn, it has been revealed.

According to a spokesperson from Graduate Advantage, university-leavers can provide 'enthusiasm and a fresh approach' and they should not be forgotten by companies.

Project Manager Nicola Turner said: 'With many companies facing hard times, the temptation is to cut back on innovation and save money.'

The organisation's summer internship programme has attracted 145 possible job offers in the region, with 31 graduates having taken up positions.

Birmingham Chamber of Commerce and Industry (BCI) Policy Adviser Kiran Virk stated that the BCI supports the initiative and stressed the importance that the 30,000 students leaving West Midlands universities in the coming months should not be lost 'because of the recession'.

Graduate Advantage is grant-funded by Advantage West Midlands, which is one of the nine regional development agencies aimed at improving sustainable economic policies in the UK.