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Grant Thornton has welcomed 27 new starters to its south west team this year, as part of the firm’s nationwide target to take in 300 trainees.
This year’s intake marks a 25% increase from last year, when 21 new trainees started their careers at Grant Thornton in Bristol.
Two of this year’s cohort are school leavers, joining straight from their A-Levels. This comes as apprenticeships have become more popular with both young people and their parents.
In a recent Grant Thornton survey of 2,000 parents with children aged between 12 and 21, and 2,000 young people aged 16-21, it found that parents are more likely to encourage their child to apply for a school leaver apprenticeship (44%) than for university (40%).
The survey also found that the percentage of parents who perceive school leaver apprenticeships as providing good career prospects has risen from 79% in 2018, to 84% in 2024.
Some 73% of young people also believe that school leaver apprenticeships offer good career prospects.
Lauren Carlyle, practice leader for Grant Thornton UK in the south west, said: “We’re delighted to welcome such a large and diverse group of talented individuals to our South West team. At Grant Thornton, we’re very proud of the supportive culture that has been created to help those taking their first steps in the accountancy industry and give them the best possible opportunity to fulfill their potential.
“We know that it’s important to develop multifaceted and inclusive teams and as such we actively hire both graduates and school leaver apprentices and have long championed the benefits of both.”
She added: “The significant expansion of our public sector audit team, along with the strengthening of our private capital and transaction advisory services, demonstrates our commitment to supporting the region’s dynamic and innovative businesses with the advice and expertise they require.”
