KPMG has boosted its graduate intake for this year by 25% after experiencing an increase in demand for its services after the recession.
The professional services firm – which is the Sunday Times fifth largest graduate recruiter – has increased the number of university leavers that will join the company this September from 600 to 760.
The news comes as a survey by the Association of Graduate Recruiters revealed the dramatic drop in graduate jobs feared last summer failed to materialise as opportunities declined by 8.9% rather than the predicted 24.9%.
KPMG’s extra graduates will be hired into the company’s audit and advisory practices.
This swell in intake will make the firm exceed its pre-recession 2008 graduate recruitment levels, when 750 university leavers were recruited.
Richard Bennison, chief operating officer at KPMG, added: “We are starting to see signs of optimism in the marketplace, and an increased demand from clients for our services. This, combined with our own growth plans for the future, means that we are now in a position to take higher graduate numbers from September.
“It is about investing today to build the skills-base for the future – in the medium term, we see a growing demand for professionals equipped with the skills that an accountancy-based training brings.”
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KPMG receives about 15,000 applications for its graduate scheme.
With summer interns included, KMPG will now take on 900 students this year.
