IT graduates are still struggling to secure employment despite a significant rise in vacancy numbers, according to IT recruiter IntaPeople.

Comparing the first 11 months of 2010 to the same period last year, graduate vacancies in the UK have increased by almost 80%, says the company. However, it believes that a large proportion of these roles are being taken by more experienced jobseekers rather than graduates.

Stephen Riley, director at IntaPeople, says: “Whilst it is encouraging that IT graduate vacancies are on the up, we estimate that graduates are being overlooked for these opportunities around 30% of the time.”

Research from the Higher Education Careers Services Unit (HECSU) recently showed that unemployment among IT graduates has grown from 13.7% to 16.3% over the course of the year.

IntaPeople found that 2010’s top IT graduate requirement has been for .NET developers, followed closely by IT support workers.