The Futures Market

The A-level results day, 18 August, will be doubly nail-biting for some school-leavers. They will be finding out not just whether they made the grade for university, but whether they’ve got their first “proper” job. These are the select few with places on employer-sponsored degrees, hand-picked by firms who will pay their fees and employ them while they study, on an undergraduate programme that has been tailored to fit with workplace needs. Up until now the number of courses and places has been small. But earlier this year, professional services firm KPMG, which hires 800 graduates a year, unveiled programmes at two universities for up to 100 students in 2011 that it hopes will grow to supply half its graduates within a few years.