United Utilities join BT in cutting graduate recruitment program

Services giant United Utilities has cited the recession as the main reason why it has abandoned part of its graduate recruitment programme.

Stunned graduates, who have already been accepted for a place at the north-west-based company, have been told it is withdrawing its offer and there are no longer jobs for the graduates to go to, despite expecting to start on September 20th.

Eight of the 16 entrants to the scheme have been told their programmes will go ahead, but career development through the scheme deferred by four months until January.

United Utilities normally takes on university leavers for its programme, which is designed to recruit promising talent into the company in a two-year scheme.

The firm's website boasts: "Our world-class graduate programmes are designed to do nothing less than build the future of the company - and even the industry."

Graduates can usually choose from three routes - engineering, operations management and professional services – and are offered placements, the majority of which are in the north-west.

Last week, Chris Morrall, recruitment management specialist at Talent Transitions said that businesses must be patient with graduates and that they are a long-term investment.