Celebrating National Apprenticeship Week 2023

Celebrating the value of apprenticeships, a rewarding way to begin your career in the accountancy profession.

National Apprenticeship Week is taking place this week (6-12 February) and this year the theme is ‘Skills for Life’. The purpose of this dedicated week is to bring together the whole apprenticeship community across the UK, to raise awareness of and celebrate the role of apprenticeships in businesses and the opportunities for learning and wider career development that they bring for thousands of people each year.

At Kreston Reeves we have 131 trainees which includes over 100 apprentices on our apprenticeship programme. We’re also currently recruiting for roles starting this summer for school leavers and graduates so there are plenty of opportunities to meet other apprentices and trainees and build a professional and likeminded network of contacts.

Sharn Manku, HR Director at Kreston Reeves, comments: “We’re delighted to celebrate National Apprenticeship Week! We fully support our apprentices at whatever stage of their career journey and level of learning. We know our apprenticeship programme is an investment in the next generation of future accountants, tax advisers and wider accounting professionals and an apprenticeship is an excellent and inclusive route into the accountancy profession as well as other business functions”.

Karen Thompson, Training Manager at Kreston Reeves, comments: “We’re committed to guiding and supporting our students while they undertake meaningful work and study for their qualifications. Our training programme has been rated ‘good’ by Ofsted and we have a strong exam pass rate of 89%.

“Our firm has over 200 years of history and a strong commitment to our purpose – Guiding you to a brighter future – and our values. We also pride ourselves on a culture that enables apprentices and all our people to thrive – supporting ‘homegrown’ talent which provides opportunities to all young people in the local communities where we work”.

But don’t just take our word for it. We’ve been finding out from our current apprentices what they enjoy about their role.

Chloe Holman, Outsourcing team

“For anyone considering a career in accountancy I would say [apprenticeship] is an excellent route into the profession, you learn on the job and get great work experience and learn vital skills such as communicating in a professional environment and without the financial burden at the end of it… In my previous apprenticeship I felt a little bit detached from the team and a small fish in a very big pond, so when I finished that I decided I wanted a change and looked for a different type of firm… What stood out [at Kreston Reeves] was that people really want to work here. Many people have worked here for a long time which is important, as it demonstrates they enjoy being part of both the firm and the work.”

Josh Waldman, Audit team

“When I left school, I couldn’t find anything I wanted to study at university, and I didn’t want to force myself to go – I didn’t see the point. For me, an apprenticeship is definitely a better route into my career as I have the opportunity to potentially qualify a year earlier  than a graduate, and I haven’t got myself into lots of debt… I would encourage other people to consider as it is a way to move forward in your career or change career without student debt and you get lots of support, training and work experience.“

Lydia Penn, Audit team

“After graduating I applied to a number of firms, but Kreston Reeves stood out as it is a large firm that offers a good work/life balance which was a strong selling point to me, as I have two young children. It also has excellent internal and external training programmes in place. The best part about the job is the training and the people I work with. I feel like I learn so much, and I have several people who support me on a daily basis, who have also been on the same apprenticeship route.”

Kelsey Marks, Private Client Tax team

“I applied to a few including the big 4 and was offered a role with one, but Kreston Reeves really stood out. Kreston Reeves is not just interested in the services it provides as a firm but in the employees as an individual and I could see the difference between Kreston Reeves and other  firms… Since I joined, I’ve spoken to so many people, I feel like I know so many people across different departments and if you need anything, everyone chips in and helps. It’s a really nice company to work in. Everyone is like a big family… Working and studying is hard, but it makes it so much more enjoyable to spend every day with people that welcome you and treat you like an equal… From the research I did I don’t think you could find a firm which is more perfectly equipped to help a student start a career. They give you everything you need to succeed.”

Join our team! We are currently recruiting our apprentices for 2023 and also have a variety of opportunities in qualified and experienced roles. Find out more.