PWC Degree Apprenticeships...

[MonkeyTennis34]

DS2, just finished Y12, has been looking at this.

It's an online "internship" that he applied for through his school.

He's a man of few words but the information I got from him is that it's for Accounting, he would spend the first year at Uni, the next 2 at PWC. If he gets a 2:1, they offer him a job.

It's available at 5 different locations: London, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham and one more.

This is the first thing that he's expressed any enthusiasm for.

My questions are, does anyone have a youngster who has gone through this process and what is PWC like to work for?

Tia

I can't help on the apprenticeship front but I've worked at PwC for 10+ years. It's a dynamic and stimulating place to be. You work alongside driven, highly intelligent people. We all work HARD. Having the name on your CV can be career-making. It is very competitive and highly political - but all big organisations are. Hope this helps.

Hi, my son applied for the tech degree apprenticeship with pwc.

Although what you've described doesn't sound like what my ds applied for.

They have a number of schemes. Work first or study first. My son applied for study first and this route involves you going to uni as normal. Pwc pays fees and a wage the entire 4 years. You work for pwc in the summer break each year. You do a year of work (just like a year in industry) in year 3, return to uni in year 4. You do have to do some additional stuff to comply with the apprenticeship element and you do have to do your final year project on a topic agreed with both uni and pwc. On graduation you can go immediately into the graduate scheme in year 2 as they count that third year as year one, iyswim?

Competition for spaces is fierce. 50 000 applicants at one uni got 11 places.

There are 3 main recruitment rounds. Round 1 is an aptitude x psychometric test. Round 2 is a pre recorded interview. Round 3 is a group task based interview. A level entry requirements are fairly high, but you usually get a contextual offer if you get through the recruitment stages to reflect the hard work put in.

They offer accountancy or tech in both work first and study first.

I'd get him to show you exactly what he is looking at. It's a huge ask to get though all of that while studying, just to prepare you! The student room has some decent threads on all of this too.

Working for the Big 4 accounting firms can be long hours, timesheets and stressful but it’s a good start to your career and PWC would be a great name on his CV and people will know he’s a hard worker. This path would lead him on to get his ACA qualification which is a great foundation for working in business (though hard work and lots of exams). If he can ride it out, he’ll finish all that pretty young and decide if he wants to stay or pursue a different passion.

If he has an offer now and that’s interesting to him, I’d seize it - there will likely be more competition if he waits and tries to apply for their grad scheme.

The main downside is that I don’t think it’s the funnest way to do a degree (more pressure to pass and less time to socialise) - but it’s so expensive to go to uni these days that it sounds very sensible! I met some of the apprentices from a Big 4 and they were getting good experience!

Which apprenticeship are you referring to op? Because PwC have a number of different ones. But you then suggest the 5 unis - is it the 'Flying start' you are referring to? Because it is very prestigious , very hard to get on. And some of the details you mention aren't quite right.

Flying start is 4 years. All years at uni, with a 3 mth autumnal placement at PwC in year 2,3 and 4. They pay you and provide accommodation in the city of your choice.

You complete most of the accountancy papers throughout the uni course so are almost qualified, then if you do get a 2:1 most likely 'guaranteed' a job? Then you do your last couple of papers whilst working for pwc for about a year, and you are then a fully qualified ICAEW = AQA accountant.

Great scheme. Very hard to get on. I would also suggest applying to PwC others apprenticeships.
And other apprenticeships at anywhere else - eg EY, Deloitte, BDO etc. They all have different routes in aswelll, so you can take a position, ie a job, and work, and they provide study supper aswell.

Again, the PwC Flying start scheme application is very very hard, and they only take 1 in every few thousand applicants, and the process is ruthless. But if you look it up, there are lots of links to suggest websites and tests you can do that may help, to try the tests before you even apply.

HTH's.

It will be very competitive. And hard, hard work, much harder than being a typical student. But it means no debt and a great career start. Many people aren't cut out for the long hours and cutthroatness of the Big 4 long term, but it's a fantastic place to get a career grounding and many, many people train there and then take their experience to a range of other environments.

Hi OP, PwC have a good career section on their website, so it is worth your son looking at that (link below to the programme your son is describing). For a sense of 'what's it like', he can visit the Rate My Apprenticeship website.
https://www.pwc.co.uk/careers/early-careers/our-programmes/flying-start-degrees/accounting.html

Thanks all.
Will have a good look at this info when I've got time later.
💐

My dc did a degree apprenticeship with EY, and went in straight from a-levels. At the age of 24, he’s now a qualified chartered accountant.

Dc has basically worked from day 1, had some college days, and a lot of self study. Revising has been tough, but he’s done it.

One thing I didn’t realise it that there’s more to accountancy then bookkeeping and auditing. There’s lots of sectors you can go into, so have a look into these.

Dc also has moved away from home to do his course, so don’t automatically exclude courses away from home. He lived with other first years EY students when he started.

(To be pedantic, he didn’t gain a degree but a professional qualification).

https://www.ey.com/en_uk/careers

Yes! Mine did this and did very well.

It’s a year at uni.
three years split between uni and paid placement
After a year or two working full time you are chartered.

It’s challenging- some of the Chartering exams are brutal. Most students resit at least one, some do several.

It’s an extremely efficient route to good pay!

And DS got both a degree and a professional qualification- chartered.

@KeirSpoutsTwaddle that is very promising. What course/scheme was this with? I like the sound of a year of uni, but then basically “getting on with it”

Flying start with PWC. It’s excellent. And I suspect an easier way in to the big 4 than others. DS has proved to be exceptional, and still is, but was expecting competition to be tougher at that point.
It’s a tough course. But very much worthwhile.

A year at uni, then 50/50 for three years.

My DD is just starting second year grad scheme with PwC having done a degree first, so not the scheme your DS is interested in but same company.
She's loving it! Very hard work but great company and well rewarded - she's in a regional office so money goes a long way. Work hard and play hard ethos but very well supported through exams and study. She'll be ACA qualified at 24, all paid for.
Yes she has student loans from her degree but uni was really good for her in so many ways so no issues there.
Big4 will never look bad on a CV.

@KeirSpoutsTwaddle Thank you - I've seen the Flying Start scheme and it really does sound excellent. Your DS sounds like a hard worker who deserves everything the name implies. 💪🏼💪🏼