Supermarket Tesco has increased the number of its graduate schemes, as its graduate intake begins this week.

Applications are open this week for 2010/11 graduate schemes, including with 191 graduates and 52 school leavers for 2009/10  entry joining Tesco this month.

Tesco’s graduate schemes have increased from 15 to 17. In addition to schemes ranging from store management and Tesco.com to property and merchandising, there will be a new scheme in Tesco telecoms and environmental engineering.

Tesco is aiming to recruit 200 university leavers next year, with successful graduates in most schemes joining the retailer in September 2010.

Lorna Bryson, head of UK Resourcing UK for Tesco, says: “We are very proud of our employment of university and school leavers and our employment through apprenticeships. As a company we are committed to investing in employee development and finding future talent-graduate recruitment will always remain a valued route for this.”