Graduates Yorkshire transitions into Gradcore

The graduate recruitment service is set for further growth following the successful transition of Sheffield-based Graduates Yorkshire to Gradcore Ltd.

Graduates Yorkshire was set up by Yorkshire Universities, a membership association representing all 12 higher education institutions in Yorkshire, in 2007. The organisation, working closely with university career services, has provided employment opportunities for students when they graduated. Yorkshire Universities decided to exit earlier this year and agreed with Gradcore arrangements to secure the continuation of key business activities.

Gradcore will be led by chief executive Martin Edmondson, who launched Graduates Yorkshire, and says that the transition will provide a platform to continue to expand graduate recruitment services further across the UK, whilst retaining a core presence in Yorkshire.

Mr Edmondson said: “Gradcore is now in a position to further develop all commercial aspects of the business and advance our business model across the UK. We are very proud of what we have achieved with Graduates Yorkshire – with the support of Yorkshire Universities - but this is the right time to take the business in a new direction.

“Gradcore already works with more than 30 different universities across the UK, and delivers national and global graduate schemes for major employers, work we intend to build upon in the near future.”

Gradcore offers a range of services from graduate recruitment to employability research, consultancy and training. It helps graduates, businesses and universities connect more effectively, to improve the career and recruitment prospects of graduates across the UK.

Mr Edmondson said: “Users of the Graduates Yorkshire website and services will notice no difference to the level of service and all online searches will be directed to the new Yorkshire Graduates website.”

Since it was launched six years ago Graduates Yorkshire, which was initially funded by the regional development agency Yorkshire Forward, has helped more than 20,000 graduates in the region find jobs as they take their first steps into the workplace.

Gradcore has more than 50,000 registered graduate users on its yorkshiregraduates.co.uk site, and works with more than 7,000 employers across Yorkshire and the UK and delivers Gradcore services in more than 30 UK universities.

Mr Edmondson said: “There are more than 100 universities in the UK which we are now keen to engage with as we expand the business further. We will also continue to have a strong social element to the business, supporting unemployed graduates into work.”

Professor David Fleming, chair of the board of directors of Yorkshire Universities and vice-chancellor at York St John University, said: “The board of Yorkshire Universities felt the time was right to make this change as we move to concentrate on our core activities in support of the region’s universities. We wish Martin and his team continued success in the future.”