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Degrees in business, management and commerce are becoming ever more popular as students seek to make themselves more employable.

There has been much focus in recent months on the "skills crisis" affecting certain sectors of industry. New graduates, employers have claimed, often lack "soft" skills such as effective teamwork and management abilities.

However, the rising popularity of courses specifically focusing on business and management skills may mean that this is going to change.

As reported by the Independent, a well-established example of this is the University of Surrey's School of Management.

Courses here range from general business management to sector-specific degrees focused on hospitality, retail and tourism.

Professor David Airey, pro vice-chancellor in teaching and learning at the school, emphasised that students' employment prospects can be greatly improved if they take part in professional placements such as those offered at his university.

Professor Airey also pointed out that all students interested in business should do research on a university's links with industry before signing up for a course.

He continued: "If the proof of the pudding is in the eating, then it's also worth saying that our graduates have never found it difficult to get jobs."

Paul Jackson, head of strategy and applied management at Coventry Business School, also explained that students who did business degrees didn't have to become businesspeople.

He said: "We don't expect all history students to become historians, nor do we think all English graduates will end up as writers.

"Following a course in business management broadens horizons and widens career options and I see no reason why these subjects should not be studied purely for their own sake."