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Caroola Accountancy has officially recruited its sixth cohort of apprentices to build a pipeline of talent amid industry skills shortages.
The company has supported more than 30 learners across professional qualifications since launching its academy in September 2023. Operating from offices in Blackpool and Warrington, the scheme reports an average first-time exam pass rate of over 80%.
This expansion follows findings from the 2025 Accounting Talent Index, which showed the sector’s skills shortage is worsening. Recent government cuts to Level 7 apprenticeship funding for over-22s have also restricted traditional routes into chartered accountancy.
The intake arrives during a broader downturn in the UK labour market. Data from the Office for National Statistics published in May shows national unemployment rose to 5% in the three months to March, leaving 1.81 million people out of work.
Youth unemployment for those aged 16 to 24 has reached 16.2%. This is the highest rate since 2015 and exceeds the peak recorded during the pandemic, with 729,000 young people currently unemployed.
While many employers are freezing headcount, research by the Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) ranks accountancy as the third most stable profession in the UK. The sector follows healthcare and teaching in stability due to consistent legal and financial requirements for businesses.
Industry data from the Hays UK Salary and Recruiting Trends 2026 report indicates 68% of accountancy employers plan to hire this year. Some 90% of firms raised salaries over the past 12 months, with average increases of 3.4% sitting ahead of the 2.2% national average.
Katie Wild, academy manager at Caroola, said: “The Academy gives Caroola a genuine pipeline of talent. We invest in our people at the very beginning of their careers and embed our values, behaviours and expectations early. It is a nurturing environment with lots of on-the-job learning, and our apprentices are engaged and eager to develop because of the culture they are trained in.
“Watching them graduate into accountancy operations is incredibly rewarding. At graduation, they have the knowledge, skills and a Level 2 AAT qualification to hold their own client base. None of this would be possible without team leaders Katie Rodgers and Simon Millington and the support of our training providers. The Academy builds loyal, high-performing talent and strengthens us for long-term growth.”
