Graduate job vacancies, apprenticeships and salaries soar over the past year, says reed.co.uk

Average grad salary is now £26,000 as job vacancies rocket by 77 per cent compared with this time last year, says recruitment site

(Christopher Furlong/Getty Images)

This year’s university graduates definitely have something to celebrate as grad job vacancies, apprenticeships and starting salaries have soared, according to job site, reed.co.uk.

Graduates can expect to earn an average starting salary of just over £26,000 – up from £23,850 last year – as the number of job vacancies rocketed by 77 per cent compared with this time last year too.

Reed’s latest job index highlights how those graduates looking to become qualified accountants or work in financial services have the highest earning power, with average starting salaries close to £40,000.

With the most graduate opportunities being in recruitment consultancy, sales, education, technology, and marketing and PR, graduate engineers and developers can also look forward to taking home £31,344 and £28,940 respectively in their first year after completing university.

The industries boasting the highest annual employment growth for graduates are motoring and automotive (up 112 per cent) and construction and property (up 78 per cent) as 25 other sectors showed an annual growth upwards of 12 per cent.

Graduates in the South East of England will receive an average salary of almost £27,000 as the West Midlands, East Midlands and North West show massive job growth (via John Moore/Getty Images) (John Moore/Getty Images)

Former students in the South East of England – which has the most number of graduate vacancies compared with anywhere else in the UK – will receive an average salary of almost £27,000 as the West Midlands, East Midlands and North West have shown annual jobs growth of 58 per cent, 45 per cent and 25 per cent respectively.

Chairman of reed.co.uk, James Reed, told the thousands in the Class of 2015 to look forward to additional job opportunities and more attractive pay packages post-graduation.

The job index showed how the apprenticeship sector has attracted 85 per cent more applications from graduates over the past year as the number looking to continue their studies while earning money increased.

Mr Reed described how apprenticeships are a practical and valuable route for gaining work experience and learning new skills and added: “For employers operating in sectors particularly affected by skills shortages – such as engineering, technology and manufacturing – they are also an effective route to attracting top-talent and creating a skilled, home-grown workforce.”