New generation of talent as BDO careers ahead
The trainees, which join the firm’s 8,000 strong workforce across its four core business areas – Audit, Tax, Deals and Consulting, Risk & Outsourcing (CRO) – are a combination of school leaver apprentices, university graduates and students undertaking a 12-month industrial placement. Over half are based in regions outside of London.
In their first week, the trainees are attending a two-day induction at Wembley Stadium where they’ll gain insight into the firm's culture and values, while also having the opportunity to network and collaborate with their new colleagues. The programme begins with a welcome from BDO UK Managing Partner Mark Shaw and Head of People, Culture & Purpose, Anna Draper.
Peter Harrup, Regional Managing Partner in East Anglia at BDO, said: “Welcoming our new cohort of trainees to the region is a highlight of the year. Our success has always been built on people with ambition and curiosity. This new group of trainees brings all of that and more. I am excited to see the impact they’ll have on our firm, our clients and the East Anglian region.”
BDO is now in its fifth year of delivering targeted insight programmes as part of its commitment to increasing diversity and improving social mobility within the profession. It is a founding member of Access Accountancy.
This year the firm’s Explore BDO programme, designed specifically for students from lower socio-economic backgrounds, saw a 75 per cent increase in headcount, with 56 students from years 12-13 taking part UK wide.
An additional 42 young people - a combination of year 12-13 students and university students - attended a Northern-specific lower socio-economic insight programme in the Leeds office this summer. Furthermore, numbers for BDO’s Black Heritage Programme, designed for second year university students, more than doubled this year with 43 students attending.
Harrup added: “As our insight and work experience programmes continue to grow and evolve, we know they are having a tremendous impact in making the accountancy profession more accessible to the region. Year on year, we’re seeing an increasing number of students from these programmes progressing onto the trainee pathway.
“Social mobility is a strategic area of focus at BDO. We are passionate about improving access to the profession and we have some brilliant online programmes to support this too. In the last year, we’ve seen 4,500 young people sign up to our virtual work experience site and a further 2,000 active users on our online engagement platform. These initiatives help us access a broader pool of people and improve social mobility, diversity and inclusion, both in the profession and in society generally.”