Employers looking to recruit graduates should contact recruitment agencies and consider doing deals with them, said Carl Gilleard, chief executive of the Association of Graduate Recruiters (AGR).

Gilleard, addressing the 'Fishing for talent in different pools' AGR conference this month, pointed to research by career specialist publisher Hobsons showing a large percentage of graduates use an agency when looking for their second job.

Developments in the widening of the graduate recruitment market included a new scheme at Bristol University. This is aimed at employers advertising vacancies to a database of more than 80,000 alumni, some of whom graduated many years ago. "It's something alumni have asked for," Jeff Goodman, of the university's career service, told Recruiter.

One company looked at the other end of the age spectrum. There is a wide talent pool of candidates who can be identified before they enter university, said Gary Argent, UK graduate recruitment manager at IT services company LogicaCMG. Logica is in a part- nership with the University of Winchester, with a view to identifying the graduate managers of the future.

Logica's tie-up means that inductees onto its graduate programme embark on a three-year BA (Hons) course in Management Information Technology, with a salary of £13,000 per year while on the course.