Graduands posing pitchside at Twickenham Stadium
Graduands posing pitchside at Twickenham Stadium

Future You: It’s time to start thinking about graduate schemes

Intro

Two graduands posing pitchside at Twickenham Stadium.

Now your final year is in full swing, there’s lots of things to think about. It might feel like graduate schemes are something for the future, once all your studying is done, but now is actually the perfect time to start looking towards the next steps.  

Check out this handy guide to applying for a graduate scheme, and how UWL can help you find the perfect one.  

What is a Graduate Scheme?

A happy job applicant who has just received a job offer

Graduate schemes are usually 18 or 24-month programmes in which new graduates, fresh from university, are given a full-time role with a company. The aim is for the graduate to gain work-based learning, experience, and hopefully start them off on a lucrative graduate career.  

There are a vast range of large employers who offer this scheme, including Barclays, the NHS, the BBC, British Airways, Microsoft, Aldi and many, many more.  

Smiling students in a lecture room

Graduate schemes are a fully paid position, and payment depends on the company or area you’re working for. Top level graduate schemes can offer salaries of up to £38,000 a year.  

Typically, applications open in September each year, and close as soon as they receive the numbers, or by the end of December. It’s really time to start applying as soon as possible!  

Below is a timeline of what you need to do to secure yourself a graduate scheme:  

  • Typical graduate scheme calendar

    • September/January- Applications open
    • February- Closed scanning and filtering
    • March/April - Assessment and offers
    • May/June- Possible re-open top up
    • July - Review
    • August - Graduates start

Main body

students studying in a group

Many of these schemes are oversubscribed and can be quite competitive, but the careers team at UWL is here to help give your application the edge you need to really succeed. We’ll be with you every step of the journey, offering help with CVs, interviews and preparation. Just book your appointment with the careers team today.

If you want to find out more about graduate schemes in general, take a look at these helpful links: 

Visit the Student Hub

Find out more

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