Accountants target 1,000 apprentices in 2022
Azets, an accountancy firm and business advisor to SMEs, has announced plans to recruit an additional 350 new graduates and school leavers as it targets a total of 1,000 apprentices in 2022.
The UK Top 10 accountancy firm currently has 612 apprentices across England, with 97 of those based in its central region.
Azets is now recruiting another 350 students and expects to reach the 1,000 milestone by the end of this year.
The firm 's latest graduate recruitment drive is part of a wider initiative which includes 650 new jobs this year, as the firm accelerates its strategy to increase revenue by 50 per cent in the next five years.
The new student intake will be spread across Azets ' 85 UK offices, the largest UK network of local accounting and business advisory offices.
As part of this growth drive, Azets has made a multimillion-pound investment in a fully digitised, mobile-enabled hybrid working environment.
This enables staff more choice and the flexibility and encouragement to work from anywhere as they are fully provided with the infrastructure and systems to support the workplace transformation.
Paul Clifford (pictured), regional CEO at Azets, responsible for the firm 's Central region, started his career as an apprentice at a small firm in the Midlands.
He said: “I left school at 18 not knowing what career path to take, like many people at that age. I was fortunate to be given an apprenticeship which provided me with training, qualifications, and experience.
“I qualified with ACCA at 21 before joining Azets as a partner to run a newly acquired office. Since then, I have set up a business development department, run several successful offices, assisted with a number of new acquisitions, and been appointed Regional CEO, with responsibility for over 300 people and 13 offices.
“Azets ' position in the accountancy market, as a specialist advisor to SMEs, offers a unique insight to accountancy that no other firm can offer.
“An apprenticeship at Azets could take talented young advisors into any industry or client type, as well as into all the diverse areas accountancy in the modern world covers. ”
The school leaver route at Azets is a six-year programme which includes two apprenticeship programmes leading to the student becoming qualified in their AAT and then moving onto their chartered accountancy qualification.
The graduate route is a three- or four-year programme where students study toward their chartered accountancy qualification.
An apprenticeship with Azets and its training partners provides a bespoke programme that combines qualifications, skills, and behaviours training.
Everyone gets a talent coach, and each new student gets a buddy and substantial amount of on the job training, giving them the opportunity to pave a career path for life.