KPMG apprentice programme instead of university?

[Apprenticeoruni]

My daughter is thinking of skipping university and going straight to work, specifically targeting KPMG’s apprenticeship as she wants a career in finance so thinks this will lead her to the same place but in less time without student debt. It sounds sensible but I can’t help but think the university experience, even the social and living side, is invaluable for later life and that she’d regret missing those years later in life. I also have friends who have worked at KPMG, but a long time ago, and they worked really hard so I’m worried she’d be sacrificing her best years just to get ahead. I’d really love to hear from anyone whose child has made the same decision-whether good or bad- to help me understand what it’s really like and if the benefits outweigh my concerns! So AIBU to support her decision without challenge or should I gently nudge in the direction of university?

I did a degree apprenticeship 10 years ago, in a different industry albeit. I did my degree on day release, sharing the same lectures as the full time students. We still went on uni nights out and we also had the social side with the other apprentices. I don't feel like I missed out at all. In fact, I feel like I had more options earlier on in my career because I had several years experience on my CV alongside my degree.

Ultimately, I think it evens out somewhere along the way, now I work alongside people of a similar age who came through various routes, but in those early years I had more choice, more money, and more options. Uni wouldn't have been for me.

I think the whole concept of Uni was outdated 20 years ago when I did my degree, except back then every non minimum wage job inexplicably required a graduate background. It seems to have taken a long time to change the narrative about University.

I'd 100% encourage my children to try and apprenticeship or two and bypass Uni.

Thank you all for taking the time to share personal insights and relevant views. I see that my role should be to support her and make sure she is properly prepared for the interview process but have some back up options ready! I am glad I went to university when I did, some of today’s experience sounds a lot less carefree and fun. This apprenticeship route was new to me (clearly!) so I’m so glad I posted.

The university tax you now have to pay until you retire doesn’t seem worth it

i went when you got the smallest grant ever. I worked during this time. It was me working that got me on to my, quite good now job, not my degree

I would absolutely bite their hands off for a KPNG or another apprenticeship. Yes it will be hard graft but so worth it in a few years

i work in the law field and the solicitor apprenticeships are amazing - if the ones in finance are similar it would be a great option. They are highly competitive though

But I think OP is concerned that her DC will miss out on the university “experience”.

Do People think university has changed a lot? I was there in the early 90s

I have worked for KPMG in a different function for many years. In audit work life balance is brutal, busy season is quite long and during busy season you could not take time off, nor expect to see much outside work. However, many of the people I have met there are now working at non Big 4 companies all over the world and are highly sought after, due to work ethics. If she can do that for approximately 3 years, she should be fine, but if she appreciated any spare time, than it might not be for her.

Depends on the person too. Ds will be starting at a big4 audit dept in a grad role this Sept - he benefitted from the time at uni to mature and develop his people skills. There’s no right answer, know yourself and do what suits you.

I’m a teacher and I would encourage my students and my own children to go straight to KPMG.

I think any profession which is mostly populated by traditional Russell group graduates is not going to be a level playing field for a graduate apprentice. Apprenticeships nationally have about a 60% pass rate on average so I'd be wary who the provider is and what their pass rate is. Apprenticeships are fantastic but so are undergraduate degrees. I think concerns about agency, being able to pause study, work where you like, have confidence and skills are all realistic and it's not just about the money

Is this post A level? If so, she should look at the Flying Start programme with PWC which includes:
4 years at uni
Placements in years 2,3 and 4 with a salary and apartment
Guaranteed job with 2:1 or above
After year 1 in work (roughly) become fully qualified as Chartered Accountant
It’s a great way to gain a professional qualification, earn mine and still get the uni experience.

I worked at a Big 4 on a training programme. It’s hard work (long hours and working away) but as others have said, it’s really social. You join in a cohort and go to college together so it’s really easy to make friends. I only stayed long enough to get my chartered accountancy qualification then left but it’s a great stepping stone to other things. Many years later I am still very good friends with people I met there even though I wasn’t there long.

It depends what apprenticeship it is but some schemes just go straight to the accountancy exams and do don’t a degree. The accountancy qualification is a post grad qualification so masters level. You don’t have to have done a degree to do it. I have heard of degree apprenticeship where you get a degree and the accountancy qualification.
One thing to look into is their exam fail policy. Some firms are quite strict and if you fail too many exams you lose your job.

I don’t have DC old enough to go to uni but I have heard some don’t find the experience as good as my generation did. It’s an awful lot of debt to come out with. If she knows she wants to be an accountant, an accountancy degree is of very little benefit. After a couple of days at accountancy college the non-accountancy degree people have caught up with the ones with an accountancy degree.

If she has an opportunity to become incredibly employable then in this economic climate and world stage she should grab it.
There is no rule that says once she starts working at KPMG that she can’t ever stop and either go to university, or have a year off for example

Also just seen your update regarding interviews. I was thinking from your OP that she had an offer.
It is extremely competitive and as others have said she should look at similar schemes at the other big 4 firms. Most people that join a big 4 firm apply to them all and get accepted at some and rejected from others.

If she does go to uni another option is a summer internship or an industry gap year at a big 4 firm. I don’t 100% know these are still available but they were when I worked there.

There was a similar thread here with advice https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/higher_education/5215724-deliotte-apprenticeship-aca-v-degree

Why would you have to work there until retirement though?

My dc friend does this and is earning £28k at 19, uni fees paid, no student debts (although he does live at home). Pension started too. The apprentices have social get togethers and seem to be well supported. According to dc, those taken on at the end are then paid around £50k. Gutted my dc didn’t apply for them.

Very lucrative however ensure your DD knows they expect their pound of flesh and more from
their apprentices!

She should apply for both. They are very competitive.

There was another thread where the DS had been offered economics at Cambridge or a Big 4 apprenticeship. Overwhelmingly, people said go to Cambridge, think what he will be missing, the choices he could make etc. If your DD is an academic high flyer then do think carefully whether this will restrict her options and deny her amazing opportunities

My child started an apprenticeship with KPMG last September, also in audit happy for you to pm me.

Absolutely agree with many others that a job at the Big 4 is a great way to go. They will be with like-minded people and they take in quite a large cohort, so can be sociable, but with standards, there is no chance of lying in bed all day. Yes, it is hard work in the early days, yes, if they don't pass their exams there is an element of "up or out" - most thrive on it, and are earning money to boot. Once you are there, there are more avenues open to you if you do not find it to your liking, and having trained in one of the Big 4 does stand you in good stead. x

I work in finance for a company that runs similar schemes. Just check that the degree apprentices ultimately end up on the same career path / qualification (ACA?) / pay scale as graduates at the same firm because it isn’t automatically the case where I work.

I’d caution against comparing audit with investment banking (as some PP have done). I think Investment banking is a very different ball game when it comes to working hours (and pay) than audit. Audit will more likely be much more reasonable hours with an expectation to work slightly longer hours on certain projects eg when there’s a deadline approaching on a busy audit.

My DH joined the KPMG grad scheme in audit - he hated it because there were certain expectations about long working hours (not investment banking standards but an expectation to work longer than contractual hours which he never did so he always received lower year end performance scores). He stayed at KPMG for 3 years until he had his ACA qualification and then left to work in industry (like most grads seem to do). Having KPMG on his CV has been a ticket to open doors easily to other jobs. He’s now head of a finance team elsewhere working 9-5.

There is no guarantee she will get a graduate role if she goes to university. All the big 4 are reducing how many graduates they take on.

https://www.businessinsider.com/pwc-hiring-fewer-junior-associates-ai-offshoring-big-four-2025-8