Small companies 'have much to offer' graduates

Graduates could benefit by starting their careers with small companies, according to advisory body Graduate Prospects.

Mike Hill, Graduate Prospects chief executive, says that working for a small company can often offer university leavers a "much better quality of life".

"Being a big fish in a small pond is very beneficial - you can have a better work-life balance, the opportunities to promotion are much quicker, and depending on the size of the organisation, it is likely that you can very rapidly turn your hand to all sorts of things that might not be available to you in a larger organisation," he comments.

Mr Hill adds that only 15 per cent of graduates will be offered a place on a training scheme and says that "alternative options" should be considered.

According to the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) there are currently around 2,478,000 students in UK educational institutions