Graduate Schemes

What are Graduate Schemes?

Graduate training schemes offer you a great opportunity to enter the world of work straight out of university. The formal training will tend to combine "on the job" learning with related training courses. It's a fantastic way to transfer from the lecture hall on to your career ladder with tailored support and a specific development programme. Each graduate scheme will follow a different format but generally they last for one year and you will train towards a specific role as well as being involved within the organisation as a whole.

Graduate training schemes are notoriously competitive so you will need to reach a minimum requirement before you can even apply for vacancy. Traditionally students would need to prove they have a strong academic record and be expecting a 2:1 degree or higher in the desired profession.

What to Expect from a Training Scheme

A standard graduate training scheme will include the following…

1. Preparation/Induction

Your induction to the company will guide you through the business as a whole, the structure of your team and the internal staff culture. This will help you settle into the role and introduce you to the daily routine and what will be expected of you.

2. Location

Companies from across the UK run graduate schemes. This means you might have to travel or temporarily relocate in order to gain a place on your ideal training scheme.

3. Skills/Training

Graduate schemes are fantastic as they help you transfer the skills you've gained at university into the workplace. Transferable skills are favoured by employers and a top selling point on graduate's CVs. Some general workplace skills include: people management, decision making, project management, and negotiation and communication skills.

4. Professional Courses

You may not be interested in studying further but if your company will support you while you're on your graduate scheme, it's definitely worth thinking about. Specific courses such as those offered by CIMA or ICSA look great on your CV and show how passionate you are about your particular career choice.

5. Guidance

Moving from university onto a graduate scheme may feel daunting but it's more than likely that you will be assigned a mentor. This person will be your point of contact throughout your training scheme and they will assist and direct you during the induction period. The advice your mentor gives you will be really useful. Their aim is to support you and your career aspirations while also helping you get the most out of your graduate training scheme.

6. Accomplishment

After your graduate training scheme you will probably sit through a formal review where your time within the company is discussed and you review what you've learnt and how you've developed during the course. If everything has gone to plan you will probably be offered a junior or assistant role within the company to further develop your career.

Still not convinced that a graduate training scheme is for you? We've listed a few training scheme benefits below:

• Fantastic opportunity to receive support, career development and on the job training
• Good chance of moving up the career ladder faster
• A way to meet like-minded people and build good working relationships
• Great platform to start your career
• Development plans and access to a mentor to support and train you
• Opportunity to gain further professional qualifications, paid for by your employer