Call for tax breaks for employers - graduate jobs

The Association of Graduate Recruiters (AGR) has called for tax breaks for employers to encourage them financially to hire more young graduates in industries such as IT.

In their manifesto titled Talent, Opportunity, Prosperity launched on March 9, the AGR has drawn up points on how to improve graduate recruitment sectors such as technology as the recession eases.

It suggested that the proposed tax break covers at least one year of the graduate's employment.

Carl Gilleard, chief executive of the AGR, told Personnel Today: "To recruit someone is an expensive process, particularly if you intend to develop that person, as people recruiting graduates will do.

"Many employers can find work for people to do, but what prevents them going forward is the cost of hiring that individual."

The tax break proposal comes as research by the group predicted a significant rise in graduate jobs only in 2011.

In 2009, recruitment fell by 8.9 per cent and is expected to fall by a further 1.6 per cent this year.