EY awarded employer provider status as it ramps up apprenticeship efforts
EY has been awarded 'employer provider status' allowing the firm to be an official 'training provider' for apprentices. The firm has announced 200 apprenticeship places across the country, starting in September, focused on creating an additional avenue into its ranks for those called to professional services - whatever their socio-economic natural history.
Top professional services firms across the UK have, in recent years, sought to end the perception that entry to their ranks is only for the well-connected or well supported throughout the period of secondary and tertiary education. Entry requirements, such as at least a 2:1 and 300 UCAS have disappeared from the requirements to join EY for instance, while KPMG too has changed requirements and reduced the number of hoops through which prospective candidates had to formerly jump. Through the move the firms aim to support social mobility, while also allowing those whom have a calling towards professional services – but lacked middle class support networks – to achieve their dreams.
EY, in a further development of policies aimed at reducing the exclusivity of the firm and in a step away from tertiary education as the key channel into its ranks, has earned 'employer provider status'. The status means that the firm is an official ‘training provider’, subject to Ofsted inspections and SFA reviews. The status means that the firm can officially deliver apprenticeships to candidate – as well as leverage funds paid to the Apprenticeship Levy, for the training process itself. Maggie Stilwell, EY Managing partner for Talent, says, “Gaining employer provider status helps us to deliver high quality apprenticeships for our people that are tailored to the needs of our business.”
As part of the wider announcement the firm has revealed that it will admit 200 school leaver students to its Business Apprenticeship scheme, which begins in September this year. Stilwelll adds, “Apprenticeships provide an attractive alternative to University for students and, at the same time, an opportunity for employers to upskill their people and indeed the UK workforce.”
The apprenticeship is structured to offer on-the-job coaching and client facing roles from day one. In addition, the role has a starting salary of up £21,500, with a similar career trajectory thereafter to that of graduate entrants. The 200 vacancies will be spread across the country, including in Newcastle, Leeds, Cambridge, Reading, London and Bristol. Stilwell concludes, “We see impressive students keen to start their career at the earliest opportunity, who are enthusiastic, energetic and hungry to learn. We want to harness that talent by creating more routes into the profession.”
