With graduate unemployment at an all-time high, Bradford-based utility company Yorkshire Water will expand the number of graduates it takes on next year.

The company said it has seen a 100 per cent increase in the level of applications for the small number of places available on its graduate programme which guarantees a job to those who stay the course.

Yorkshire Water’s commitment to employing more graduates comes as a new survey revealed that many leading companies failed to attract graduates who knew little about what they did.

Eight new graduate recruits were recently taken on under this year’s scheme and next year Yorkshire Water will increase the number of graduate trainees to 13.

Graduates undergo a two-year personal development programme which involves them working in many areas of the business. They are guaranteed to be offered permanent employment once their programme ends.

Nicola Rowledge, the graduate scheme co-ordinator, said: “While tough economic times have seen many companies downsize or scrap their graduate programme altogether this year, we’re continuing to develop and grow our graduate programme.

“And the good news for graduates thinking of applying for next year’s intake is that we’re building on the success of this year’s programme by expanding the scheme and increasing the number of places available to 13.

“With places on graduate schemes generally at a premium throughout the country, the standard of applications we’ve received this year has been exceptionally high, suggesting students are acutely aware of the situation they find themselves in and demonstrating initiative in trying to stand out from a growing crowd.”

A number of senior staff at Yorkshire Water have risen through the ranks after completing the company’s graduate scheme, including chief operating officer Richard Flint.

The deadline date for applications for next year’s graduate scheme is January 10, 2010.

It comes as a new study has shown that top companies are failing to engage graduates who are unaware of the job opportunities still available despite the recession. The survey by online job site Gradfutures.com, showed that graduates recognise only a third of FTSE 100 firms and did not know what 79 per cent of them do.

Graduate jobs were kept ‘below the radar’ through weak company branding, the survey claims.

Demetrios Zoppos, the director of Gradfutures.com, said: “Employers’ recruitment strategies are failing them. Many have jobs to offer, but graduates don’t know what the companies do or that they even exist.”