Banking sector again attracting graduates with a 10% increase in finance courses

Reviled during Ireland’s financial crisis, banking is back in vogue for the young and ambitious.

Allied Irish Banks Plc said that it will restart its graduate-recruitment programme this month, while Bank of Ireland Plc plans to expand graduate recruitment to 2008 levels next year.

More students are seeking careers in finance, with Trinity College Dublin spending €70m on a new business school to meet demand and University College Dublin reporting a 10% increase in applications for finance-related courses over the last four years.