With over 22,000 applications received for graduate roles starting this year, the aspiring accountants faced stiff competition to secure their place. Across all student programmes, the firm received a record 35,500 applications for nearly 1,800 places, split by 1,200 graduate, 100 school leaver and almost 500 paid internship opportunities, which includes partner shadowing and work placements.
The new graduates are joining PwC offices across the UK in the tax, assurance, actuarial, legal, consulting and advisory practices, as well as in technology roles where trainees work in information security and system testing. Numbers of graduate vacancies in the consulting, financial advisory, technology and legal practices have all increased this year, showing that these are the firm’s fastest-growing areas.
Gaenor Bagley, PwC head of people, said:
“We’re very pleased to welcome our new graduate joiners who are at the start of an exciting career with PwC. We aim to provide graduates with the very best PwC experience from the moment they step through the door and throughout their career. Despite a lack of growth in the economy, we continue to bring huge numbers of graduates into the business as we strongly believe in building a healthy pipeline of talent. Today’s graduate joiners are our future business leaders.”
Richard Irwin, PwC head of student recruitment, said:
“We work with students throughout their academic life to help them understand what we can offer and how they can develop and demonstrate the skills that will allow them to stand out from the crowd. As an employer we feel it is important to help students make informed decisions about their future and ultimately get the job they want. The graduates who have joined us this year will benefit from the best possible career opportunities, and each one of them has the potential for a successful, long term career with our firm.”
During their first week in the firm, the new graduates are involved in networking events, ice breakers and welcome activities designed to give an overview of the firm’s culture and brand values. A focus of the graduate induction this year is a group project, where graduates work together to produce videos and presentations to introduce themselves to the business in a creative way. They also have an introduction to e-learning to help them study effectively towards their professional qualification and receive hints and tips from those a few years into the programme.
