There has been a decline in the number of work experience opportunities offered in most industry sectors, according to the annual Graduate Trends Survey from graduate careers publisher GTI.

The graduate job market saw a continued rise in competition, with more applications made for graduate jobs than ever before, against a background of falling numbers of vacancies in most industry sectors.

The survey found that graduate vacancies have fallen in most sectors, except in management consulting and the built environment.
It found the overall number of graduate applications has risen across the board, with a dramatic increase in applications in the built environment sector.

Chris Phillips, GTI’s UK and Ireland publishing director, says: “It’s disappointing that employers in many sectors are offering fewer work experience opportunities than last year. Employers have always valued the importance of work experience and want to recruit graduates with the skills and knowledge gained through vacation work, so it’s sad when the encouraging trend of recent years has been reversed. With government and universities pledging support for work experience opportunities, it’s to be hoped that next year sees an increase in the work experience on offer.”