NO JOKE WE ARE SERIOUS ABOUT OUR FUTURE Y University Degree + Salary + Accounting Qualification + Work Experience School leavers Programme kpmg.co.uk/slp
What s stopping you from getting the career that you want?...i want to be able to earn and learn! At KPMG we want our future talent to always be thinking differently, and so we re thinking differently about where this talent is coming from. After all, going to full time university is not right for everyone. We believe that if you re bright and ambitious you shouldn t be held back by the desire to start work straight from school or college, or by financial constraints. If you ve worked hard to achieve good grades there is no reason why career doors should be closed to you.
Our new School Leavers Programme is a compelling alternative to pursuing a traditional university route. We ve developed an innovative 6 year programme that offers the opportunity to obtain a university degree, a professional accounting qualification, as well as gaining work experience. This is a powerful combination and will see you start building your career as soon as you finish school or college. Importantly, we re also paying a great salary throughout the duration of the 6 years. No joke, no catch and the opportunity to be free of debt (your university tuition fees and professional qualification fees will be paid for by us). As the largest professional services firm in Europe we take our investment in people very seriously. Only in building your future will we build ours. Telling you that we consistently appear in The Sunday Times Best Big Companies to Work For list may not mean much to you now, but speak to any one of our 10,000 people in the UK and you ll quickly get a sense of our passion for providing an environment where individuals can grow and develop. Why choose between a degree or a career?
There s no such thing as a free lunch! Our School Leavers Programme is a great opportunity but it s not for the faint hearted. Developing your work experience skills alongside your academic skills is hard work and challenging. Yes, we ve created a time efficient study programme that means your Accounting Degree with Honours (obtained with a leading UK university) will also work towards your Professional Accounting Qualification; and yes, you will be supported every step of the way with a dedicated mentor, a support team and plenty of study time, but you will need to be highly motivated and be able to get good grades at A-Level. As the leap from school to work is a big one, we ve developed a support package to help. This includes a 3,500 loan to get you started, a season ticket loan to help you with the cost of commuting and yes, even a daily lunch allowance!
I don t need to attend classes at night or weekends......zzz
looking ahead choose a path that is right for you Time I got myself a car... Save some cash or even flat share... Book a holiday.- Trekking around the Andes... exeter university 5 months at university and on the job training part-time university study and working professional accounting training and working durham university 6 weeks at university and on the job training part-time university study and working part-time university study and working year1 year2 year3
In 6 months time you could be working on challenging assignments with organisations such as PepsiCo or IKEA. In 6 years time you could be a fully qualified and experienced chartered accountant. It s not all work of course. Whatever your interests we ll have a club, society or network that will excite you. Why not explore your music or drama talents, or try out scuba or even karting? Achieve a BSc Accounting Degree Fully qualified chartered accountant Time to celebrate part-time university and working full-time university studying on campus Buy a house working and professional accounting training working and professional accounting training working and professional accounting training final exams working and professional accounting training year4 year5 year6 No more exams - time to get promoted to manager!
Is it right for me? You ve got a lot to think about. The decisions you make now about your study plans, the profession that you are setting your sights on, and even the industry that you may have short listed, could all have a huge impact on your future. Talk to your teachers, your family and friends, and importantly, do your own research. To get you started... We re often referred to as one of the Big 4 accounting firms. We provide Audit, Tax and Advisory services to some of the world s largest organisations. Google us and find out more! We really get under the skin of our clients business as our people develop vast knowledge and understanding across all industries. This means that if you re joining us on the School Leavers Programme you ll experience life in many different types of organisations and industries, from banking to media, through to health and government. You ll move into different teams and workplaces on a regular basis. Great if you re the type of person that likes variety and fresh challenges....sounds like different people with different skills are needed
1 + 1 = 2? In a nutshell, our Audit teams give a view on whether a client s accounts are a true and fair reflection of reality. Before you buy a house your mortgage lender would insist on a valuation survey to ensure it s a good investment same principle but we re giving assurance to investors and shareholders. For our client Liverpool FC, this means checking the value of their fixed assets, such as Steven Gerrard and the rest of the squad. For Channel 4 it means keeping a pulse on the factors affecting their business. If this doesn t sound interesting, change channel now as this programme is not for you! But it doesn t end there. You may not realise that our clients also ask us to give them our views on virtually all areas of their business, such as their ethical or environmental performance, or even the security of their data. It s not just about doing the sums (or counting beans as it s sometimes referred to!) it s about being the eyes and ears right the way through an organisation. Camera. Action.
You will work closely with experienced audit professionals with industry expertise. As your knowledge builds you will be involved in talking to the different management functions of the organisations we re auditing, assessing and reporting on business processes, controls and procedures. You ll be involved in putting together reports that summarise the key issues that have been identified. Are you the type of person that questions what you see in front of you?...boardroom sounds better than boredom Course work or real projects?
What next? To be eligible for our School Leavers Programme you should be expecting to achieve a minimum of one A and two Bs in your A-Level results. Our current pass rate for graduates successfully completing their professional accounting exams is 98%; but we know from experience that it takes a high level of academic ability and determination. That s why we set the bar high. Our programme is designed to help individuals reach their full potential and we don t want to push anyone beyond their limits at the wrong time in their development. If now is not the right time for you to academically shine, or you simply lacked the motivation to study for your A-Levels, you can reapply next year. Our new programme will be open for applications on Thursday 10 March. We don t have a closing date for the programme which means that all applications are processed on a first come, first served basis, so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible. Please note that our entry requirements for the programme are a minimum of 320 UCAS Tariff points (or 26 UCAS points or equivalent) plus a minimum Grade B in GCSE Maths and GCSE English Language (or equivalent)....i d best start revising!
We believe that our School Leavers Programme could be of real benefit to you. We provide everything you need to obtain a university degree and become a fully qualified chartered accountant without needing to invest in tuition fees yourself. The programme is open for anyone to apply and places are allocated on a first come, first served basis. START PREPARING NOW: Find out more about KPMG and the accounting profession by searching online or speaking to a member of our graduate recruitment team (see back). Think about what your career aspirations are and why you want to join us. You will need to include this as part of your online application. Learn about interview skills by visiting our careers website. with this Get ahead of the pack?
Getting to know you Our selection process is nothing to be worried about, but it s important as each of our four stages are designed to help find out whether you are right for us, and importantly, are we right for you. Stage 1: Online Application Form You will need to detail your academic achievements, any work experience you may have and your motivation to work at KPMG. We will also ask you to complete a short questionnaire. This should take about an hour to complete. Stage 2: Online Numerical and Verbal Reasoning Tests If you re successful in your online application, you ll be asked to take both a numerical and verbal reasoning test online, lasting 20 minutes each.
Stage 3: face-to-face interview If you re successful in the reasoning tests you ll be invited for an interview which should last approximately 45 minutes. This is a great opportunity to interview us also! Stage 4: Assessment Day This is an opportunity to meet more of us informally (including other people who joined us at 18) and demonstrate your ability and skills through a series of group exercises. TIMINGS Apply now. Entry into the programme will start from August 2011....I could earn a starting salary of about 20K by September 2011
FAQs Do I have to expect an ABB at A-Level to be offered a place on the School Leavers Programme? Yes. The entry requirement has been established to ensure that candidates are able to cope with the studying and exam structure involved in achieving an accountancy degree and professional accountancy qualification. Do I have to make a contribution towards the cost of my university degree or professional training? No. KPMG pay for all costs associated with attending courses and will reimburse you for all reasonable travel expenses if you have to attend a course a significant distance from your home office. We also pay for all fees levied by your Professional Institute e.g. student registration fees, exam entry fees etc. Do I get rewarded for passing my exams? Yes. KPMG recognises how much work is involved in successfully passing exams and in recognition of this achievement we currently pay a bonus if you pass certain professional exams at the first attempt. We also reward trainees that are placed by their Institute in their published Orders of Merit.
Do I get study leave or do I have to study in the evenings and at weekends? KPMG trainees are given time off to study. All courses occur during the working week so you are not expected to do a full day s work and then attend college in the evenings or at weekends, although self study in your own time will obviously be needed. This study leave is in addition to your annual holiday entitlement so you will not have to take a day s holiday to go to college. Do I need to have successfully passed any specific GCSEs or A-Levels to be eligible for the School Leavers Programme? In our experience graduates who join us with non relevant GCSEs or A-Levels do equally as well in their professional exams. There is no need to have studied Business, Finance or Accountancy to join us and do well. You will however need to have achieved a Grade B in Maths and English at GCSE. Which University will I be studying at? The degree you receive will be backed by a recognised top 10 UK university. We have reached agreements in principle with Durham University and Exeter University for the 2011 intake, with Birmingham University joining the programme in 2012. What professional accounting qualification will I achieve? Upon successful completion of your professional exams you will become a fully qualified chartered accountant. What happens if I fail my exams? KPMG values its people. We give our trainees the best support available prior to the exams and so our exam failure rate is low. However, in the event that trainees do fail they are given the opportunity of a resit subject to meeting certain criteria.
Don t JUST TAKE OUR WORD FOR IT I joined KPMG four years ago straight from school and I ve worked on some of the firm s biggest projects. I ve had the opportunity to take the lead role with three large clients and this year I was awarded as the Young Accountant of the Year at the Accountancy Age Awards 2010. Robert Cant: age 22, Location: Reading office Joining KPMG directly from school has been a fantastic experience. It s been a lot of hard work but hugely rewarding thanks to the support of my team. I m now 21 and mentor and coach other members of staff who also joined us at 18. This year I won the Accounting Technician of the Year Accountancy Age Award which was a huge personal achievement. Emma Young: age 21, Location: Birmingham office
Should I apply
FIND OUT MORE You can visit our website to find out more, or why not call us to find out what it s like to work at KPMG. Free phone 0500 664 665 or Email ukfmschoolleaver@kpmg.co.uk www.kpmg.co.uk/slp This is the email I should use to get my questions answered We welcome calls from textphones. If you have a textphone call 18001 before dialling our number and you will be put through to a text relay assistant. The information contained herein is of a general nature and is not intended to address the circumstances of any particular individual or entity. Although we endeavour to provide accurate and timely information, there can be no guarantee that such information is accurate as of the date it is received or that it will continue to be accurate in the future. No one should act on such information without appropriate professional advice after a thorough examination of the particular situation. 2011 KPMG LLP, a UK limited liability partnership, is a subsidiary of KPMG Europe LLP and a member firm of the KPMG network of independent member firms affiliated with KPMG International Cooperative, a Swiss entity. All rights reserved. The KPMG name, logo and cutting through complexity are registered trademarks or trademarks of KPMG International. RR Donnelley I RRD-252796 I March 2011