If you're jetting off for a break soon there's a good chance that the next plane you fly in will be powered by Rolls-Royce's aero engines. Not to be confused with the luxury car company, Rolls-Royce is one of the world’s biggest gas turbine manufacturers and has 54,000 engines in service with at least 500 commercial airlines, as well as 160 armies and 80 navies. Popular with engineering students, the company is one of the highest-ranking industrial companies on our list. New graduate recruits join either the professional excellence or leadership development programmes for up to two years. The first provides hands-on experience, while the leadership development programme also includes coaching from senior managers, with participants expected to fill key general management or technical specialist roles early in their careers.

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Ranked #23 in the 2006 Top 100 Graduate Employers survey

Much of the company’s appeal lies in the quality of its graduate schemes

Company website: Rolls-Royce

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