Pictured above: Cllr Neville Summerfield (left) with Amey chief executive Mel Ewell at the recent Futures jobs fair.

With graduates across Britain facing a challenging career search, 17 lucky young people, including seven in Birmingham, have taken their first steps on the career ladder by joining support services company Amey's graduate training programme.

More than 250 people have taken part in Amey's graduate training programme since the scheme launched in 2006, and the company is already planning for its 2010 intake. 

Applications have recently opened, with Amey encouraging prospective candidates to consider its range of programmes, which include graduate engineers, graduate development and graduate leadership. Candidates are also offered a range of placements across the UK.

The latest crop of 17 new graduates are part of Amey's leadership programme. Of 2008/09's 39 trainees enrolled on the course, who started their new roles on 1 September, seven are based in Birmingham, 20 in Oxford, one in Sheffield and Scotland respectively, and ten in other locations across the UK.

Graduates joining the two-year leadership programme will typically do four six-month placements in different service areas and will have to complete 12 modules of training. Others, who chose to join the engineering scheme, focus on gaining valuable hands on business experience whilst studying for their professional qualifications with support from Amey's highly experienced team.

The training comprises business simulations, leadership, managing teams, change management, communication techniques, bidding successfully, Institute of Leadership Management (ILM) level 3 accreditation and career building. 

Successful applicants on the leadership programme receive a number of benefits, including a competitive salary, relocation allowance, signing on bonus and course completion bonus. 

Mel Ewell, chief executive of Amey, said: "Amey places a great deal of emphasis on recruiting and retaining graduate talent and we are pleased to announce that our 2010 graduate programme is now open to applicants. 

"We currently employ more than 250 graduates on our engineering, leadership and development programmes and we look forward to recruiting similar numbers this year and next."  

Amey is working closely alongside Birmingham City Council to spearhead the city's response to the economic recession - delivered through its economic taskforce.

Cllr Neville Summerfield, Cabinet Member for Regeneration at BCC, said: "With more than 800 jobs and apprenticeships due on site shortly, Amey is at the forefront of the city's efforts to combat the recession and ensure the retention of jobs and key skills bases within Birmingham. Their commitment to providing local jobs and investment provides the blueprint which we intend to ensure is mirrored throughout all regeneration and development projects in the city moving forward."

Last month Amey was announced as the preferred bidder for Birmingham City Council's £2.7 billion highways maintenance and management PFI contract, which is expected to create 300 jobs in the city. 

Amey is also planning to create a further 500 jobs over the next two to three years as part of its plans to open an International Design Hub for consulting services in Birmingham. 

In July, Amey took part in Birmingham City Council's Futures jobs fair at Aston Villa. More than 3,000 jobseekers attended the event, which was aimed at helping people affected by the economic downturn, to get information on employment opportunities in the city.