Huge rise in graduate applicants - graduate jobs

An 83% rise in applicants for the NHS Institute graduate management programme has been revealed, with more that 12,000 graduates applying.

The NHS Institute for Innovation and Improvement announced that over 12,000 graduates have applied for a place on the scheme starting in September 2009, a huge rise from last year's figures.

Nicola Fair, Corporate Lead for the NHS Graduate Management Training Scheme, said she hopes that the increase in applicants continues.

She added: "We're really pleased to see that the number of applications this year has increased steeply. The quality of applicant improves year on year and I look forward to seeing the trend continue next year."

Ben Roberts, a trainee at York Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust who is specialising in financial management, said that he thinks the reason for the rise in applicants is because graduates are looking for job satisfaction.

He said: "For me, the NHS was always where I wanted to work, I wanted to make a difference and didn't want to spend my career making money for a private company."