600 trainees join BDO across the UK
Accountancy and business advisory firm BDO has welcomed almost 600 new trainees to its business across the UK. The trainees will work across its audit, tax and advisory – with a combination of school leavers and university graduates arriving in the roles.
BDO Managing Partner Paul Eagland commented, “Welcoming our new cohort of trainees to the firm is one of the highlights of the year. We remain committed to progressing the next generation of young people into the world of accountancy which is why we want to continue to offer many different routes into the profession. With more than 900 positions available in 2024 across our range of early career programmes, 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.”
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.
Last year, this saw BDO announce plans to increase its trainee intake further in 2023. However, with the consulting sector currently managing headcounts amid a reduction in contracts, BDO seems to have held the number of arrivals steady at around 600.
Eagland added, “The last few years has seen so much uncertainty as businesses and individuals alike have navigated many challenges. We know that many of these new joiners will have felt the disruptive impact of this and they should be incredibly proud of their achievements and resilience throughout these difficult circumstances.”
The trainees also exemplify a continued effort of BDO to expand its talent pool. Made up of a combination of school leaver apprentices and university graduates, more than 280 of the new trainees are based in the regions outside of London and the South East.
As part of their training programme, the majority of the new joiners will also have opportunity to undertake a level-7 apprenticeship programme, resulting in a qualification equivalent to a master’s degree. 400 of the trainees will sit in BDO’s audit practice.
Applications for the firm’s 2024 graduate and school leaver apprentice programmes will open in the autumn. The intake will rise then, with more than 700 positions available - more than 500 of which will join the firm’s audit practice. In addition to this, BDO will also be running its annual summer internships and virtual insight programmes. In 2023, those programmes saw 90 industrial placement students join BDO for 12 months between their second and third year of university, as well as more than 80 summer interns sign up for a 6-week programme.
