BDO to take on 600 trainees in the UK

Accountancy and business advisory firm BDO is welcoming hundreds of trainees to its business across the UK. The firm will increase its intake further next year, too, as it looks to widen the talent pool it recruits from.

The UK economy is seeing a growing battle for top talent. As many workers continue to look for better paid jobs in the wake of the pandemic, every industry has been impacted by the scramble to attract and retain skilled hires. As consulting firms look to address this issue, many have broadened the talent pools from which they recruit. In recent years, this has seen focus increasingly shifted toward firms picking up promising school leavers via traineeships.

This autumn will see BDO take on 600 new trainees, to that end. A combination of school leaver apprentices and university graduates, 400 of the recruits will be joining BDO’s audit practice – while the firm will also look to expand its geographical net when finding new hires. Almost half of the new joiners will be based in the regions outside of London, including almost 70 across the North West, 55 in the Midlands and 25 in Scotland.

Paul Eagland, Managing Partner at BDO, commented, “The last few years have come with much uncertainty as we’ve navigated the impacts of the Covid-19 pandemic. We know that many of these new joiners have been impacted hugely by disruption to their education, they should be incredibly proud of their achievements in these difficult circumstances. I look forward to supporting our new trainees to kickstart their careers and watching them succeed here at BDO.”

Each year, BDO takes on hundreds of new trainees – and the number has risen again with the latest intake. This year’s crop of trainees will be given the opportunity to undertake a level-7 apprenticeship programme, resulting in a qualification equivalent to a master’s degree. Meanwhile, the company will open this up to even more young recruits in 2023 – launching an application process for 700 positions in October.

Eagland added, “It is wonderful to be welcoming so many school leaver apprentices, graduates, interns and placement students across the country. With more than 700 positions available in 2023, we are continuing our investment in the brightest talent whilst also striving to make the accountancy profession accessible for everyone, no matter what their background.”

Elsewhere, BDO has also hired over 50 industrial placement students to join BDO for 12 months, between their second and third year of university, and taken on 70 summer interns. As part of its commitment to increasing diversity in the profession, BDO also runs targeted insight programmes aimed at school or college students from lower socio-economic backgrounds and university students from a black heritage.