Haines Watts welcomes 35 new trainees

Accountancy and business advisory firm, Haines Watts, has welcomed 35 new graduates and school leavers to join the firms as trainees from London and the Thames Valley, up to the West Midlands and North East.

It is reported that the graduates attended a regional induction at the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales’ (ICAEW) headquarters in London earlier this month, where they met their peers and heard from partners on their career progression.

According to the firm, it “prides” itself on their commitment to talent development, having created an academy “dedicated to continued development of their team”, as well as an accredited training programme. 

This commitment will reportedly continue with all of the new starters, who will be joining different training programmes, whether it be ACA, ACCA or tax pathways.

Benjamin Heckford, tax trainee at Haines Watts, said: “The reason I chose to join Haines Watts was due to the personal aspect of the course and training, it seemed like a firm that you were more accepted into and somewhere that really cared about my progression.

“The highlight for myself from the induction day was being able to meet and get to know people from other offices, it was a very relaxed way to make connections with others.”

Jessica Lewis, tax incentives and reliefs trainee, added: “What drew me to Haines Watts was the emphasis they have on employee wellbeing, as well as the focus on communication with clients, instead of just focusing on the numbers. 

“The highlight of the training programme was listening to the panel of partners at Haines Watts, and their stories of how they ended up where they are as it was very inspiring.”

Pav Bhardwaj, regional learning and development lead in the South East, said: “Our trainee induction was a fantastic opportunity to welcome our 2022 trainees from the Greater London, North East, West Midlands and Thames Valley regions to Haines Watts.

“They had a fun-filled, informative day getting to know each other and gaining insights from our existing trainee group, about life as a trainee and the journey ahead. They also heard from senior partners and owners of the firm about their stories and the values that run through our people and brand.” 

He added: “The innovative ideas during various tasks in the day’s programme were excellent and I was delighted to see them developing relationships with their peers.”