BDO’s helping hand for trainee accountants
Guernsey accountancy firm BDO is celebrating the success of a bursary scheme that gives island students a big helping hand with their university studies followed by a flying start to their careers. The locally owned and managed firm, which is part of the BDO international network of companies, has been running its tailor made scheme for Guernsey students for the last five years.
Every 12 months the firm selects a new bursary student who is given financial support while at university plus paid work experience during holiday periods and throughout the recipient’s gap year. After gaining their degrees all those who join the scheme are then guaranteed three years’ employment while they study for their professional accountancy qualifications.
“Without the BDO bursary I’m not sure I’d even be at university,” admits 20-year-old Sam Gervaise-Brazier, who applied to join two years ago after seeing the scheme advertised on the States Careers Service website.
“It allows you to save a lot of money in your gap year before you start your higher education and what’s very good about this scheme is that you don’t have to have a degree specific to accountancy as long as you show the commitment to follow it through.”
Passionate horse rider Sam explains she is studying for a degree in equine science at the University of West England in Gloucestershire and that after establishing herself as a fully trained accountant her possible long term goal could be to set up her own horse riding business.
The latest bursary student to begin working at BDO is 19-year-old Caroline Allen, who will embark later this year on a degree course in Accounting and Finance at Oxford Brookes University.
“I decided to do accountancy because you get some exemptions while studying for your professional qualification, so you’re working towards it while you’re at university, as well as working towards your degree,” Caroline explains.
“It’s really helpful to be able to earn and save money before going to university but BDO are really flexible about what you do in your gap year because I’m taking July off to go travelling before coming back to work again.”
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While at university the BDO bursary students receive an interest free loan for each of their three study years. The firm’s recruitment director Richard Jackson says the money is not a gift but that the repayment of one-third of theloan is waived each oyearthe recipients remain with the company following the completion of their degree , which means they end up paying nothing if they stay with the firmfor three years.
“It’s a brilliant deal for the students because from the time they leave school at the age of 18 they have the next seven years all mapped out for them, and then the world is their oyster,” he says.
“They’ve got a year with the firm gaining valuable work experience, followed by three years doing their studies, and then three years back with us gaining their professional accountancy qualifications. All of this makes them highly employable and able to earn very good salaries throughout their working lives.”
One member of the BDO team who has experienced the full benefits of the bursary scheme is 24-year-old Laura Bridel. Having graduated in Accounting and Economics at Southampton University, she is now working towards her ACA final examsfor her later this year.
“The bursary certainly worked well for me,” Laura says. “After my A levels I don’t think I was ready to go straight to university. I got a lot of money behind me and I also think the gap year makes you more focused when you’re studying for your degree because you know what working life is like.”