More graduates are looking to be recruited into teaching jobs in London and across the UK because it is a safe bet and the graduate market is suffering at the moment, it has been suggested.

More people are looking for teaching opportunities because they want a more altruistic career these days, director of Talent Transitions Chris Morrall said.

Mr Morrall was responding to the latest figures from the Teaching and Development Agency for Schools, which showed that the number of people recruited onto teaching training courses exceeded government targets this year for the first time ever.

Even the target for maths teacher recruitment has been exceeded, a subject traditionally hard to recruit people into.

The quality of people starting teacher training so they can be recruited into teaching jobs in London and across the UK has also improved this year, with 61 per cent of those training with a 2:1 degree or better, up from 56 per cent last year.

Mr Morrall added that a teaching career also has attractions to a more mature applicant.

"Job changers want to go into it because they have had enough of corporate life," he said.