A total of 86 graduates and apprentices are joining KPMG in Scotland this year, across the accountancy firm’s Glasgow, Edinburgh and Aberdeen offices.

This month, 37 graduates and apprentices are due to begin their careers in KPMG’s Edinburgh office, with a further 40 based in Glasgow and nine located in Aberdeen. Around three-quarters of the intake, 63 of the new recruits in Scotland, will join the audit practice, with the remainder working across tax, deal advisory and consulting.

KPMG said it would be welcoming around 1,200 graduates and 260 apprentices across the UK as part of its “class of 2023” intake, in disciplines ranging from audit, consulting, and tax, through to law, technology, and data analytics.

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James Kergon, KPMG’s Scotland senior partner, said: “As a major employer, we are proud of the role we play in training the next generation of industry leaders. We're committed to breaking down the barriers that hinder access to our profession, which includes re-evaluating our application processes and providing support to ensure everyone can thrive.

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"In these challenging economic times, equal opportunity is paramount to us. We want to hire the most talented individuals, regardless of their backgrounds."

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The accountancy firm highlighted significant changes to its induction programme, to take into account the post-pandemic landscape.

During KPMG’s five-day induction, new graduates and apprentices spend three days at one of KPMG’s “central” offices, one day at their local office and another day working remotely to carry out “self-paced learning”.

Mr Kergon said: “As we bring through the lockdown generation into the world of work, it’s essential we appreciate their resilience and apply that effectively, so our clients benefit. Starting a career has always been challenging but is especially so after the pandemic, which is why we’ve made changes to our induction process.”

Greater focus is being placed this year on face-to-face interactions and “building connections between peers and the wider firm”, KPMG said.

The accountancy firm added that the programme has also been redesigned to provide “more opportunity for students to build their professional network, while also placing a focus on critical skills and the chance to learn more about the big issues facing business” such as ESG (environmental, social and governance) and technology transformation.