THE boss of the country's leading graduate recruitment body has told unemployed university leavers to 'go and work for KFC'.

Mike Hill's advice comes as a major study revealed the number of top jobs was predicted to plummet.

Mr Hill, chief executive of the Manchester-based Graduate Prospects agency, said graduates unable to find high-paid posts shouldn't look down on working in bars, restaurants and fast food chains in order to gain vital experience.

And he advised struggling university leavers to tap mum and dad's friends for job opportunities.

He told the M.E.N: "People who don't find a job that suits them are going to have to accept jobs which are `beneath them' and work their way up.

"KFC are creating 9,000 jobs. They need managers, accountants and HR professionals. These aren't jobs to be sniffed at.

"Employers value people who have work experience and know about the world of work.

"There is nothing wrong with taking a year out but if you spend it on the sofa then you've got nothing to show employers.

Ambitions

"You might get a job as a waitress but there is no reason to decide that is the limit of your ambitions. You could end up as the manager.

"Rather than being a bit snooty about dad and mum's friends, they need to be asking for jobs and about work experience."

Fast food chain KFC announced this week that it was creating thousands of jobs as part of a £150m expansion.

Martin Shuker, chief executive officer of KFC in the UK and Ireland said: "We are delighted to have recently announced the creation of up to 9,000 jobs in the UK over the coming three to five years.

"The roles are at all levels across the business, including for university graduates who are looking to work for a company which can offer great personal development and growth opportunities.

"Whether you work in the field, managing some of our 760 restaurants across the country or at our support centre in a number of disciplines, such as, human resources, marketing, construction, we offer a fast paced, dynamic environment where you can work your way right to the very top and really make a difference.

"I myself have spent fifteen years working at KFC in various challenging and stimulating roles. I'm inordinately proud of the brand which has become one of the most successful in the industry."

Graduate Prospects is funded by universities. Each year, more than a million graduates turn to its website for careers advice.

In an interview with the M.E.N, the careers chief claimed the jobs crisis should not put school leavers off applying to university.

He said: "If you get a degree it will stand you in good stead for the next 20 or 30 years. It is a long-term investment.

"Over the next few years, people who were in the baby boom generation will be retiring, so a lot of new jobs will come online.

"The research shows that over a period of five years, 90 per cent of people who graduate end up in a job where they value their degree and their employer values it."

A survey last month found that the number of new graduate jobs was expected to fall by five per cent this year - the first drop in six years.