KPMG is set to double the number of school leavers it puts through its own paid-for degree programme as of September 2012, while John Lewis has unveiled a three-year graduate employment scheme.
The Big Four accountancy firm has vowed to recruit twice the number of 18 year-olds as last year onto its six-year degree scheme – which includes paying tuition fees and a starting salary of £20,000 – bringing the total number to 180 students.
Successful candidates will complete a four-year Accountancy degree from Durham, Exeter or Birmingham Universities, and will then be expected to spend another two years studying for professional qualifications.
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. As it is employers that benefit from the results of higher education, it seems only right that they should also contribute,” he added.
The course opens its doors to 90 students 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. KPMG said that it was swamped by more than 1,000 applications from students this year – a number that will likely rise further in 2012 as universities start charging up to £9,000 a year in tuition fees.
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" and added: "This KPMG programme provides new opportunities to enter a rewarding profession for people from a wide range of backgrounds."
John Lewis, meanwhile, has unveiled a new three-year graduate employment scheme, which is intended to provide university leavers with on-the-job experience and fast-track career development. The programme, which starts next year, is targeted at five key job areas – retail management; buying; merchandising; corporate finance and corporate IT.
Sophie Adams, the retailer’s recruitment manager, said: "John Lewis offers successful graduates the chance to accelerate their career development with training sessions and guidance. We have seen many partners (staff) progress through our graduate training up to senior management roles and we hope to see many more graduates achieve this with a combination of high-quality training, interesting roles and generous reward schemes."
Applications for the scheme will be taken until Tuesday, 15 November this year.
