Companies' futures could be troubled if they cut back on their graduate schemes, experts are warning.
It was revealed that 69% of firms have cut back on recruitment and graduate schemes are one area to come under scrutiny.
But some companies, like law firm Norton Rose, are getting round the problem by asking about 100 of its trainees if they will defer their places until business improves. The move includes a ??10,000 grant to go towards a constructive activity such as voluntary work or learning a language.
According to Lak Purewal, head of HR at the firm, about 30% of this year's intake have taken up the offer to defer. He said: "It's important not to take a short-term view of graduates and trainees. Many will go on to be qualified lawyers and partners in the firm.
"It's important to keep focusing on investing in that talent pool and not to cut it off."
Staff at the firm are also being asked to voluntarily change the terms and conditions of their employment for a year, giving the firm the option to ask them to take a sabbatical or reduce their working hours, as part of contingency plans Mr Purewal said, to avoid redundancies.
