“Future leaders who understand our culture and values”: why apprentices are so valuable

Accountants tell us how apprentices are boosting businesses, and what businesses are doing to develop them in turn.

Investing in new talent – be that career-changers or school-leavers – can bring fresh perspectives and energy to accountancy firms, and one way to do this is through apprenticeships. Hiring apprentices needs to be a well managed process so everyone benefits, which is where Training Providers and government funding can help.

Four accountants share why they hire apprentices and share their advice on how to provide meaningful opportunities to up-and-coming professionals.

Providing thorough, structured training is key to success

Rowan Morrow-McDade, Tax Director, Alexander & Co

Apprentices are absolutely worth investing in. They bring fresh perspectives and enthusiasm, but the key to success lies in providing thorough and structured training. This should include exposure to a broad range of work, opportunities for early client interaction, and strong mentoring so they develop technical skills and confidence. It is equally important to have robust procedures in place to ensure all stages of work are reviewed and signed off before anything is shared with clients or submitted to HMRC.

We’re fortunate to have a well-established apprentice academy with consistently high exam pass rates and strong progression. Our apprentices gain valuable experience early in their careers and typically qualify more quickly, which benefits the firm and the individuals involved.

Hiring an apprentice, especially ahead of the January rush, can be a great help in some circumstances, but it depends on the size and scope of your operations. There tends to be a lot of administrative work during January that can hold experienced accountants back from more complex tasks. In this situation, extra hands can be an invaluable benefit to the team.

But it is important to provide an apprentice with real practical accounting experience, so exploring this avenue is only fair and worthwhile if your existing team is well-structured. If allocating regular time to shadowing and hands-on experience during the busy season is likely to add more stress to employees’ lives, the downsides may outweigh the benefits.

In short, hiring an apprentice can be a big help during busy periods provided your permanent workforce has the resources and experience needed to make the relationship beneficial for all involved parties.

We develop future leaders who understand our culture and values

Vanessa Emens, Chief People and Operations Officer, Affinia

As a people-centric business, where the expertise of our staff makes a real, lasting difference to our clients, we’re passionate about the value of apprenticeships. For many years, we have run a successful apprenticeship programme, achieving recognition as 13th in the Apprenticeships Top 50 SME Employers in 2023 and climbing to third place in 2024.

We recruit apprentices through multiple channels, including our links with the ICAEW and ACCA, by recruiting within our communities, and through employee referrals, which we actively reward.

The benefits are mutual. Our apprentices receive professional skills training, qualification support, client experience from day one, and clear progression pathways. We are focused on developing our own talent pipeline and future leaders who understand our culture and values.

We provide comprehensive support including flexible working and wellbeing aid. For firms considering apprenticeships, our advice is to invest in structured training, create genuine progression opportunities, and foster a culture of knowledge-sharing and support. Our success comes from backing good people and helping them build long-term careers with us.

Apprentices form a skilled, loyal team that grow with the business

Alison Maguire, Practice Manager, Simpkins Edwards

Apprenticeships have been part of our ethos for over 20 years. We currently have 23 apprentices, making up around 20% of our team. It’s a figure we’re incredibly proud of. We believe our people are our most important investment. For us, training and development aren’t just buzzwords, they’re at the heart of our culture.

We work closely with Exeter College, a local further education provider, to find talented individuals who are genuinely eager to learn and grow. This partnership means we attract apprentices who share our values and are committed to building a career in accountancy.

The benefits of our apprenticeship programme are significant for everyone involved. We find our apprentices offer fresh ideas and enthusiasm, which energises our business. In return, they gain hands-on experience, qualifications and the support of mentors who’ve walked the same path.

Many of our former apprentices stay with the company. In fact, one progressed from apprentice to director. And many go on to be mentors themselves, illustrating the strength of our “pass it on” culture, where those who started as apprentices guide the next generation.

We prioritise rounded growth by encouraging the development of technical, as well as soft skills, such as communication, teamwork and creativity. Understanding the wider business landscape and commercial awareness are essential as our apprentice roles evolve into active advisory positions.

My advice for firms considering apprenticeships is simple. Invest properly. Taking on apprentices is not just about filling vacancies; it’s about shaping futures. The time and resources you put in will pay back year after year. Ultimately, you are creating a skilled, loyal team that will grow with your business.

We give our apprentices a future-proof education, while they improve user experience

Arjun Kumar, Founder, Taxd

We have only been hiring apprentices in the last 12 months, with our first apprentice joining us in January 2025. But I joined PwC as a school-leaver/apprentice back in 2015, so I have a lot of experience with apprenticeship programmes and their benefits.

BPP handle the advertising for us through Indeed and apprenticeship job boards. For us, this works really well as it takes a lot of time out of the hiring process. We review the CVs and handle it from the interview process onwards.

For a digitally led company like us, apprentices are great. They’re typically digital natives and look at our user experience through fresh eyes. This provides a valuable feedback loop which keeps our online platform intuitive for our clients.

For the apprentices, the benefit is a future-proof education. Instead of data entry and working in a traditional firm or large corporation, they are exposed to the intersection of tax legislation, customer success and product development. They skip student debt to gain experience solving real problems for real business owners and clients.

My advice for anyone looking to hire apprentices is to get stuck in, but be patient. It takes time for apprentices to learn and adjust to the working world. I certainly did! Work on developing a culture where apprentices can ask questions, and make sure time is set aside for learning. It’s harder in smaller firms with smaller learning and development budgets, but making time for upskilling is extremely important and must not be overlooked.

Georgia Lewis is a journalist who has worked in Australia, the Middle East and the UK. Over 30 years, Georgia has covered a diverse range of subjects and industries, including business, insurance, technology and logistics..