BDO supports more than 8,200 students through work experience initiatives
BDO has announced it will provide work experience and career insight opportunities to more than 8,200 young people across the UK in 2026. This comes as part of the audit and advisory firm’s commitment to improving access to accountancy roles for young people.
Professional services have long struggled with social mobility, thanks in part to preconceptions about the sector. BDO’s recent ‘Young Minds: The Unequal Advantage’ study found that 42% of 18-25 year olds believe access to a chosen career is only equal, if a person has relevant work experience, underlining the importance of providing students meaningful opportunities to engage with employers.
In response, BDO is also calling on government to support UK mid-market businesses to successfully deliver their own work experience placements, in its annual Mid-Market Manifesto. As part of this, the firm has significantly expanded its own early engagement activity, spanning in-person insight events, social mobility programmes and virtual work experience opportunities designed to help young people explore a career in professional services.
Louise Sayers, head of people, culture and purpose at BDO, commented, “These early career experiences are crucial in helping young people understand the world of work and the routes available to them once they leave education. At the same time, they help build a more inclusive pipeline of future talent for the profession. I’m incredibly proud of our colleagues across the business who make these programmes possible and provide students with valuable insights, practical skills and relatable role models.”
Throughout July, BDO has continued to welcome school, college and university students to 12 of its offices across the UK for a series of in-person work insight sessions. By the end of the month, almost 1,000 young people will have taken part in interactive workshops, employability skills training and networking opportunities with BDO professionals. Meanwhile, BDO’s social mobility-focused programme ‘Explore BDO’ will return for its sixth-year next month, expanding to support more than 140 students in Years 11 and 12 across the firm’s offices in Leeds, Birmingham and London.
Alongside these in-person programmes, more than 6,300 students aged 13 and over are now registered and active on BDO’s virtual work experience platform, Springpod. This online programme provides an immersive introduction to life at BDO, insight into the firm’s early career pathways and the opportunity to see real-life career stories from employees.
Reflecting on his own experiences with the firm, Theo Dal Pozzo – now a data, analytics and AI analyst at BDO – added, "Being able to access meaningful and relevant work experience whilst I was at school was so important in helping me decide the direction I wanted my career to take. It was exactly the kind of experience that more young people should have access to. For me it’s fundamental to building practical, work-ready skills that help people thrive. Early career pathways like the ones available at BDO matter because they allow people to show their ability and get a foot on the ladder. The earlier that happens, the more it has the power to shape a career.”
