ONLY one in four North West students expects to start a graduate job after university, according to a survey.

Despite a sharp increase in the number of vacancies being offered by leading employers, fewer than half those questioned had made any job applications, with the majority opting to stay out of the job market in favour of further study or time off.

The survey is based on interviews with more than 12,000 students in the North West carried out by High Fliers Research.

Survey director, Martin Birchall, said: "This shows that job hunting and career planning are low priorities for students in 1997.

"It is particularly disappointing for the hundreds of major employers who invest considerable sums in recruiting and developing the UK's top graduates."

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