Accountancy and business advisory firm BDO has welcomed 27 new trainees into its Birmingham and Nottingham offices 鈥 with a further 30-plus roles available later in 2021.
The latest Midlands cohort was welcomes in November, and was made up of both graduates and apprentices.
The new joiners took part in virtual inductions while BDO鈥檚 workforce continues to work remotely as a result of Covid-19.
The business said applications were now open for trainee roles starting in 2021, with most trainees able to undertake a level-7 apprenticeship programme 鈥 equivalent to a master鈥檚 degree.
Almost two-thirds of new trainees in the Midlands will be recruited to BDO鈥檚 audit department, which it said demonstrated continued investment in its audit practice.
In addition to this, last summer BDO hosted its first ever 鈥榲irtual internship鈥 where 26 students in their penultimate year of university were able to spend a week with the firm, gaining valuable insight into what a career at BDO might entail.
Richard Rose, partner and head of BDO in the Midlands, said: 鈥2020 was a year like no other but, despite the immense challenges facing businesses and individuals alike, we are delighted to have recently welcomed 27 new trainees to our team, and more than 30 in 2021.
鈥淭hrough a combination of the latest technology and a unified approach by our 350-strong team in the Midlands, we have been able to support our clients and communities during the global pandemic from our homes.
鈥淭his flexibility and focus on our core purpose to help people succeed, will allow our new cohort of trainees to still fully immerse themselves into their first few months with BDO, while the vast majority of our colleagues continue to work remotely.
鈥淥ur own Rethinking the Economy analysis shows that investing in talent is hugely important to businesses in the current climate, particularly in young people looking to kick-start their careers. That鈥檚 why it鈥檚 important to look ahead and invest in the best and brightest people who will become our advisers of the future.鈥
Nationwide, BDO welcomed almost 400 trainees in November, with a further 450 roles available to start in 2021.
In 2019/20, the firm received more than 20,000 applications for its school leaver and graduate programmes.
