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KPMG doubles school leaver programme

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20th Sep 2011
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KPMG is set to double the number of school leavers it puts through its own paid-for degree programme starting in September 2012.

The Big Four accountancy firm has vowed to recruit twice the number of 18 year-olds onto its six-year degree scheme – that includes paying tuition fees and a starting salary of £20,000 - bringing the total number up to 180 students.

Successful candidates will complete a four-year Accountancy degree from Durham, Exeter or Birmingham universities, plus two years studying for professional qualifications.

The course opens its doors to 90 students for the first time this month, with two-thirds of entrants coming from state schools or colleges - significantly higher than the 50% level of the traditional graduate entry route.

This year KPMG was swamped by more than 1,000 applications from students for places – a number that will likely rise in 2012 as universities start charging up to £9,000 a year in tuition fees.

Oliver Tant, head of audit at KPMG, said the programme represented a credible alternative to mainstream university education, providing an attractive route into employment.

“We also believe that employers have an important role to play in helping to meet the costs of higher education” Tant continued: “as it is employers that benefit from the results of higher education, it seems only right that they should also contribute.”

The Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills Vince Cable called the scheme “a great example of industry investing in the talents of bright young Britons.

“This KPMG programme provides new opportunities to enter a rewarding profession for people from a wide range of backgrounds,’ he said.

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