KPMG apprenticeship Bristol

[lovelthesun247]

I have posted this elsewhere, but someone suggested I post on this board so have reposted here.

I am asking for advice and opinions about two things here please.

My son has been offered a KPMG consultancy apprenticeship and has been given two weeks to decide if he wants to accept or decline it.

Has anyone you know done an apprenticeship at this company? I know they have a good reputation, but I would like to hear about personal experiences if possible. What are the working conditions for people taking part in the scheme? I assume it’s hard work, but was it rewarding?

Secondly, we are based in London and the apprenticeship is in Bristol. We have never been to Bristol and would appreciate some feedback on what Bristol is like please. He would have to move to Bristol. If he was moving there for university he would be part of a community of students in the same position as him, but he’s nervous about moving there to work as feels he will feel isolated.

He wants to make a decision by tomorrow so he can go back to them, so I would appreciate your thoughts on this, so I can give him different views to help him make a decision.

Can confirm Bristol is a fantastic city, very friendly and lots going on.

I can’t speak for the company, other than I think my son applied for something with them when he finished A levels and never even got an acknowledgment so fuck them!

I know someone who did an accountancy apprenticeship with KPMG. They have done very well and now a senior manager on very good pay. They do work long hours though. I believe the Bristol office is very sociable. Bristol is very expensive to rent accommodation though.

My friend's son did one with one of the main accountancy firms. It was one where he worked then did two sets of summer stints at a nominated university and then a whole year at uni so ended up with a (funded) degree too. It's not the full uni experience but he did really well, and was hugely better financially for him. If I had the right sort of child for the scheme, I'd definitely recommend it.

They have a v good name, OP. Def worth having on his CV.

I've always wondered can apprenticeships afford to live away from home without parental assistance?

As previous poster says, they are a prestigious firm and their apprenticeships are highly sought-after (akin to Oxbridge on your CV IMO) so definitely one I would be strongly supporting any DC of mine to pursue.

I have DC doing L7 accountancy apprenticeships and who have moved away from home to do so. Some hopefully helpful observations:

OP, just to help other posters/readers, it is worth pointing out this particular KPMG apprenticeship is more unusual (if I am correctly identifying it) in that it comprises a 2-year L4 'first stage' (with emphasis on project admin/analytical support) and then one of several potential routes as the 3-year 'second stage' (eg ACA, CIMA, CIPD, ChMC) depending on business needs and aptitude; this means more options are available but also you do not control your eventual qualification pathway. You are also unlikely to step inside a uni at any point during the process.

KPMG has a long track record of training up school leavers on its traditional accountancy pathways. The management consultancy apprenticeship is relatively new and so, hopefully, your DS has probed to see whether earlier cohorts at the Bristol office are getting genuine opportunities to do interesting work and progress to the same degree as the new grads in the team. My DC chose offices where they could see a decent proportion of mid-level and senior accountants had come through the school leaver route precisely for that reason.

With regards relocating, you will need to support your DS, practically and financially. As you say, a normal uni route has a whole scaffolding of first year accommodation and social aspects that will be lacking. Your 18 year old will have the housing needs of a 21/22 year grad. It means being open minded about options eg room in a family house, flat share with non-students etc and possibly with a long-ish bus commute. In many cases you may need to act as guarantor, at least for the first couple of years. It might be possible to secure accommodation in private student halls, but not all allow that, and 6.30am wake-up for 8am office arrival may not be compatible with the lifestyle of the neighbours on your corridor.

If your DS intends to make Bristol the place where they start their career, then they really do need to visit asap - before they get side-tracked by the ramp up to A-levels (assuming they are at that stage). Bristol is a great city but its popularity means it is also expensive relative to local wages; public transport is decent but may not be to the standards you are used to in your part of London. Your DS needs to be aware and embracing of all that before he turns up on day one.

He also needs to think about how he will develop his social network, eg through sport or other interests, and will need to be more proactive than if at uni; again, not insurmountable but you have to be ready to deal with that aspect just as you are settling into a new city and new job. Many recent grads in the team he is joining and (some) recent school leavers may have moved to Bristol for the role (as opposed to it being their uni city or home city), so they may be able to provide pointers as to how they dealt with the challenges.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts. I really appreciate it.

The main drawback is that Bristol can be tricky to get housing, it's expensive (close to se prices) and in short supply. Otherwise it's great for young people

I have heard though of blocks of adult "halls" and apprentices may be able to book into student accommodation potentially, check it out

I agree with a previous poster about the level 7 quals offered. I understand years 3-5 you're put in specialised teams and the qualification is based on the needs of that team. If I was your DS I'd want clarity on how those specialisms are chosen, does the apprentice get to choose? Are they chosen by KPMG based on apprentice skills or business needs at the time? I'm an accountant so CIPD and ChMC would not have been the qualifications I'd have wanted for example. I did CIMA but had I been on the apprenticeship route with KPMG then either CIMA or ACA would have ended up at the right place for me.

KPMG have a scheme of huge offices in Watford. Might that location be an option, as easy to commute to and from London?

My DC applied there two years ago, and they happily accommodated a drop-in visit to get a feel of the place. Seemed very ‘corporate’ and less like the informal-agile work model other companies have adopted. Didn’t end up progressing the application because an unexpected opportunity came up.

This particular apprenticeship is only offered by KPMG at Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds and Manchester and the OP's DS is being offered Bristol; other candidates will have been offered in respect of the other locations.

So it is a question of OP's DS getting his head around whether they can see themselves launching their career in Bristol and what practical steps they need to take to make it work.

Many Apprenticeships are paid decent wages. I mean it would probably need to be shared accommodation not a deluxe flat but very doable.

Well done to your DS OP.

My ds2 has applied (B'Ham) and done 1st 2 stages (2nd in the week before Christmas) so we are very much fi gers crossed here.

They will work him hard, it's Big 4, that's what they do. Like Magic Circle law firms, people put up with being worked to the bone with no personal life because of the "exit opportunities" to earn well at the end of it.

In terms of social aspect, it should be a sizeable intake of trainees across the office and networking is how you succeed in the consulting world, so I'd be surprised if there wasn't a busy social scene.

You don't have to train or work at the Big 4 to have a successful career. If it's not for him there will be other paths where he doesn't have to sign over his soul.

Thanks

assume it’s hard work, but was it rewarding?

Rewarding in what sense?

If he passes all his exams first time (otherwise he'll be out the door) and plays the networking/self-promotion game well, he will be financially rewarded.

I'm not sure anyone would describe Big 4 consulting as intrinsically rewarding though.

My DS did a apprenticeship and was paid about 16k - not all are on the apprenticeship minimum wage. He managed to pay for his own house share accommodation, run a car and eat.

We had said we would pay his accommodation, like we did with his sister at Uni, if he wanted to get an apprenticeship instead and if it was poorly paid as some are.

There will be other apprentices there, I know friends' children who have been able to arrange flat shares before they start. Might be worth asking if KPMG facilitate this by putting apprentices in touch with each other? Or have a look on Spare Room for lodgings in the short term and get shared accommodation when they've got to know people.

If they don't, my son went into a professional house share found on spareroom.com. some of his peers moved into whole house shares once they had started and got on well together, in a similar way to how students live once they leave halls.

My son stayed in his spareroom.com room because he got on so well with the owner of the house and had a parking space!

One thing, I understand that apprentices pay council tax so they wouldn't want to share with students as they'd end up paying the whole amount themselves.

DD went to KPMG straight out of uni on their grad scheme. She was expecting it to be lots of work and late hours etc but it wasn't at all. 9-5 was pretty standard apart from a few weeks in busy season. Early finish Fridays and days off for volunteering etc.

She was headhunted as soon as she qualified but would recommend them.

Thank you to you all for comments. They have been very helpful

Interested that a management consultancy apprenticeship could lead to an ACA qualification. ICAEW used to be very strict as to what type and range of experience students needed. Good advice above to ask more questions about the pathways.

I’d take it

Bristol is a nice place, but if he doesn’t like it after a year, it’s a big company with offices all over, obv including London so he could transfer.