Grant Thornton Placement Gives Students First Taste of Professional Services

The Summer may be a time to relax and recuperate for students but, for some of the wisest, it’s an ideal time to take up work placement opportunities to expand their burgeoning CVs.

A new social inclusivity scheme by international professional services firm, Grant Thornton, presented a perfect chance for six of our students to get a foot on the ladder of the accountancy profession, with the company opening its Royal Liver Building doors to bright and driven Merseyside teenagers.

Arranged through the College's Enrichment department, Luke Fay, Carl Kelly, Geena Marshall, Lucy Murray, James Ross and Ed Williams fended off stiff competition to gain places on the scheme, and spent a week working alongside accountancy professionals within a group of 15 students from across the area, enhancing their employability and industry skills before returning to College for their A Level year or moving on to university.

Now about to start his second year at Birkenhead Sixth Form College, Carl Kelly said: “The scheme was amazing. It was well structured and gave a great insight into the career of an accountant and all the different areas it has.”

Carl, who completed AS Levels in Business Studies, Economics, Law and Politics this summer, continued: “Grant Thornton seem dedicated to helping young people into a career by keeping them close to the company, which is proven as each of us has been given a mentor who is a senior person in the company. We can contact them if we need any help with anything like writing UCAS applications. I learned so many new skills that are essential in every work place and we were able to make lots of new contacts, and friends, on the scheme as well.”

Fellow Birkenhead Sixth Form College student, Ed Williams, explained: “It was a really busy week and well organised with some useful training on presentation skills. Throughout the week, we had to work in teams from the Liverpool office, researching and preparing a presentation. On Friday, we travelled to the Manchester office to deliver the presentation to one of the directors.”

Now with AS Levels in Biology, Business Studies, Economics and Law, Ed concluded: “All the staff were really helpful and that will continue with the mentors we’ve been given. I’ve already asked Grant Thornton if I can spend a little more time shadowing some staff in the Audit department too.”

Grant Thornton partner, Emma Stoddart, told the Liverpool Echo: “Hopefully, they will have been inspired to enter our profession and will also have acquired new skills as they embark on the start of their career journeys.”