• Swindon & Wiltshire Appointments
• Monday November 25 2024
• Author Name: Peter Davison

Grant Thornton appoints 27 new starters to South West team

Business and financial adviser Grant Thornton has appointed 27 new joiners to its South West team this year, as part of its nationwide intake of 300 new trainees.

The new starters will join various departments across the business, reflecting the diverse needs of the region.

This year’s intake marks a 25 per cent increase from last year, when 21 new joiners started their careers at the firm’s Bristol office.

Two of this year’s cohort are school leavers, joining Grant Thornton’s Southwest team straight from their A-Levels. This comes as apprenticeships have been shown to become more popular with both young people and their parents.

In a recent Grant Thornton survey of 2,000 parents with children aged 12-21 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 per cent) than for university (40 per cent).

The survey also found that the percentage of parents who perceive school leaver apprenticeships as providing good career prospects has risen from 79 per cent in 2018, to 84 per cent in 2024.

73 per cent of young people also believe that school leaver apprenticeships offer good career prospects.

Lauren Carlyle, practice leader for Grant Thornton UK LLP in the South West, said: “We’re delighted to welcome such a large and diverse group of talented individuals to our South West team.

“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 fulfil 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.

“Personally, I entered the accountancy industry as a school leaver and found that it allowed me to get to grips with the sector much earlier than if I had gone to university and gain much more experience earlier on in my career. So, it’s great to welcome several people who have opted for this route out of their A-Levels.

“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.”

Diarmuid Sydenham, a 20-year-old public sector audit associate on a 12-month placement from the University of Southampton, said: “Grant Thornton has an esteemed reputation for public sector audit, which strongly aligns with my motivations.

“Public sector audit is crucial because the whole country is effectively their customer, and we rely on the assumption that those resources are being used responsibly and effectively.

“I have felt welcomed from the day I joined Grant Thornton and feel that I could speak to anyone, regardless of whether they are on my team or not.”

Seb Wilkinson, a 22-year-old Audit Associate who achieved a 2:1 in BSc Sociology from the University of Bristol, said: “What attracted me to Grant Thornton was the ability to learn something new alongside people my age.

“I was particularly drawn to the opportunity to work for public sector entities and would like to contribute to their spending, to ensure it’s as appropriate and efficient as possible.

“Since joining, I’ve found that the team is supportive and willing to listen to the needs of newcomers.”