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Accountancy and business advisory firm BDO has recruited more than 600 new trainees across its UK offices.
The latest intake includes school leaver apprentices, university graduates and students on 12-month industrial placements. More than half are based outside London, joining BDO’s 8,000-strong workforce across its four core business areas, audit, tax, deals and consulting, and risk and outsourcing.
New starters are attending a two-day induction at Wembley Stadium, with sessions led by managing partner Mark Shaw and head of people, culture and purpose Anna Draper.
According to the firm, its intake reflects a wider push to improve access to the profession. It is now in its fifth year of running targeted insight schemes, and is a founding member of Access Accountancy, an industry initiative to improve social mobility.
This summer, the Explore BDO programme for students from lower socio-economic backgrounds saw participation rise by 75%, with 56 students in Years 12 and 13 taking part.
A further 42 young people attended a regional scheme in Leeds, while attendance on BDO’s Black Heritage Programme more than doubled to 43 students.
Draper said: “Welcoming our new cohort of trainees to the firm is a huge privilege. Our success has always been built on people with ambition and curiosity. This new group of trainees brings all of that and more.
“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. These initiatives help us access a broader pool of people and improve diversity and inclusion in the profession.”
