BDO welcomes 14 new trainees to the North West

Accountancy and advisory firm BDO expands its 300-strong workforce in the North West by welcoming 14 new trainees to the firm today.

A further five trainees are confirmed to join BDO in December.

The new trainees will sit within tax, audit, advisory and the business services and outsourcing streams throughout the firm’s Manchester and Liverpool offices.

Alongside their relevant professional qualification, trainees will get the opportunity to work towards a Level 7 accountancy or taxation professional apprenticeship, equivalent to a master’s degree.

Ed Dwan, partner and head of the North West at BDO, said: “Welcoming our new intake of trainees is one of the highlights of the year at BDO. It is fantastic to see so many fresh faces and support the next generation of accountants and advisers.

“We place great emphasis on the personalities, skills and drive of our colleagues, rather than focusing on their background or education, so I am proud to announce that BDO is offering an increased number of apprenticeships this year compared to last, as well as more graduate roles.

“As the business landscape changes and technology continues to disrupt the way we work, now more than ever we focus on attracting trainees with commercial acumen and the personal skills required to offer the best service to our clients and to ensure we stand out from the competition.”

To attract the most ambitious and talented millennials, BDO also hosted its annual intern and summer school programmes.

This year the firm welcomed 38 A-Level students on its Summer School Programme, with 39 undergraduates also joining on an Internship Programme, spending six weeks gaining invaluable experiences of the real world of work and a taste of BDO life.

BDO is also calling on the Government to make changes that support and encourage the number of quality apprenticeships.

In particular, the firm would like to see reform of the Ofsted assessment system for schools and colleges to track the number and quality of apprenticeship places secured by their students.

Tracking progress of students to higher-level apprenticeships should sit alongside the numbers of those who have gone on to university.