PwC has received a record 41K applicants for student programmes

As thousands of students across the UK receive their A level results today, accountancy giant PwC, has announced that it has received its highest number of applicants ever, with 41,000 young people applying for paid internships and work placement positions this year alone.

In May, PwC announced a change in their recruitment and assessment processes, deciding to scrap the usage of UCAS tariffs as an assessment tool for the majority of their undergraduate and graduate opportunities. PwC made this decision based on the belief that it was missing out on a pool of talent. Following this change, applications have surged 15% in comparison to the same period last year.

Female graduate intake is up 6% from 2014 to 47% as the firm makes efforts to improve its record in equality.

Gaenor Bagley, head of people at PwC, said: “The level of interest in our student roles this year is simply astounding, especially given the fierce competition for top talent. The surge in applications, since we changed our graduate recruitment criteria, is an early indicator that efforts to attract students from wider pockets of society is working. We are seeing young people begin to rethink the career options available to them and make informed decisions about their future career.”

The desire for on the job training has also increased with the number of people applying for PwC’s Higher Apprenticeship programme up 17% from last year. Demand for apprenticeships has clearly changed in recent years, as the programme received 117% more applications in 2015 than in 2010.

These new figures show promising results from the efforts made by PwC to boost social mobility within the professional services industry.

AAT Comment offers news and opinion on the world of business and finance from the Association of Accounting Technicians.