Record number of school leavers become Grant Thornton apprentices
Grant Thornton has doubled the number of trainees joining its UK school leaver apprenticeship programme. The company has welcomed close to 200 members to the apprenticeship, which sets a new record for the firm.
One of the world’s largest organisations of independent assurance, tax and advisory firms, Grant Thornton’s global network employing 58,000 people in 135 countries. In the UK, Grant Thornton’s member firm is led by more than 200 partners, employing 5,000 experts.
The company admits hundreds of school leavers to its ranks every year. In 2021, this saw 103 school leavers join as a cohort of apprentices – but as it looks to expand its own talent pool by taking on individuals from previously marginalised groups, Grant Thornton has boosted that to 193 for 2023 – a record intake.
Perry Burton, Head of People and Brand, Grant Thornton UK, said, “At Grant Thornton, we recognise the importance of investing in the next generation and the value that this has for our business and the future of the industry. We’re passionate about promoting how apprenticeships provide a valuable and effective route for young people straight from school to become trusted business and financial advisers. They’re a great way to promote social mobility in our communities while ensuring a pipeline of highly skilled and diverse talent is joining the firm, enabling us to provide the best quality service with teams that reflect the clients we work with.”
Earlier in 2022, Grant Thornton was named in the top 10 of the Department for Education’s Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers. As the company looks to enable greater social mobility in professional services, it aims to reach a 50:50 split in its trainee-hire population, between university graduates and those joining straight from school in the coming years. To that end, the firm has also welcomed a record number across its broader trainee intake in 2022, with a combined 461 new graduates and school leavers joining across the country.
Speaking as a member of that intake, Olivia Hunt – who joined Grant Thornton’s Birmingham office as an Audit Associate on its school leaver programme having studied Psychology, Economics and Biology in her A-Levels – said, “The different roles and experiences the firm has to offer to school leavers like myself provides the perfect environment to learn so much invaluable knowledge, ultimately accelerating my future career in audit.”
