River Island backs graduate week - graduate jobs

Graduate Fashion Week will once again be sponsored by River Island, it has been announced.

The store has been sponsoring the event since 2005, consistently using it to hunt for new members of its own 100-strong design team.

River Island chief executive Richard Bradbury explained: "We are passionate about fashion and finding young talent, so our link with Graduate Fashion Week is a natural one.

"It is particularly important that we support new talent now, when it is harder than ever for students to get into the industry."

In 2009, Graduate Fashion Week launched The Protégé Project, aimed at helping graduates bridge the gap between finishing their studies and finding their first jobs.

Under the scheme, graduates join a retailer on a short-term contract to work on a specific project, gaining important work experience.

The next edition of Graduate Fashion Week will run between 6 and 10 June 2010.