The Australian Computer Society's Western Australian division is hosting a new way to secure graduate staff by putting third and fourth-year ICT students face to face with potential employers in an informal and engaging evening setting.

Grad Connect will be held on the August 20 over pre-dinner drinks followed by a three course dinner and will give employers from any organisation, large or small, the chance to meet potential future IT staffers in a relaxed environment.

The event is being held at the Novotel Langley Ballroom in Perth.

ACS state manager for WA, Andy Jenkins, said the event is a first for the IT industry and affords companies the chance to meet potential graduate staff before they get to the interview stage.

"It also gives the graduates an opportunity to understand where some of the corporate organisations are coming from; their background, and the career opportunities that might exist within them," Jenkins said.

The Grad Connect dinner is aiming to give organisations the time and opportunity to develop closer relationships, assisting them and graduates to make better recruitment and career decisions.

Jenkins said he expects the ACS to keep a close eye on the event, and is confident a successful night would see the event rolled out nationally.

"As a state operation of the ACS we would be very supportive and will recommend to ACS nationally that they consider this as an annual event right across Australia," he said.

Jenkins said there has been a lot of interest both from the corporate front and from graduate students.

"I really believe it's a great opportunity in particular for graduates to meet with corporate organisations. Graduates are very smart young people but sometimes they don't quite understand what career opportunities there might be within these organisations, and this gives them a huge understanding to do so."

Jenkins said Red Horizon Events brought the idea to the ACS after seeing its success in other industries. Red Horizon director, Rebecca Taplin, said it was about the industry understanding and building relationships with graduates before they enter the labour market.

"It's about going back to the old-fashioned principles of building relationships and making that connection in a more informal environment," she said.

"At the end of the day the graduate recruits coming through the market are about assessing the companies they may be working for as much as the companies are about assessing the individuals wanting employment."