PKF Francis Clark welcomes 63 new trainees

PKF Francis Clark has welcomed a new intake of 63 accounting and tax trainees, as we continue to invest in growing our own talent.

Those joining the firm this month include 57 apprentices, bringing the total to start accounting or tax apprenticeships with PKF Francis Clark this year to 73, after a smaller cohort joined in January. In addition, six undergraduates are starting our new 12-month industrial placement scheme.

Our new recruits are based in Bristol, Exeter, Plymouth, Poole, Salisbury, Taunton, Torquay and Truro. They had a chance to socialise with their new colleagues, as well as learning about the firm’s approach to hybrid working, learning and development, during a two-day induction at the University of Exeter.

Paul Crocker, CEO of PKF Francis Clark, said: “Welcoming our new trainees is always one of our highlights of the year. They join us at an exciting time for the accountancy profession and our firm, as we focus on developing advisors with the skills our clients will need to succeed in an era of rapid technological change.

“Building on our existing work with universities, we’re delighted to launch our new 12-month industrial placements. These students will develop technical, commercial and personal skills before completing their academic studies, giving them a great foundation for a future career in accountancy.

“Several current partners and directors joined the firm as trainees, so I’m looking forward to seeing our new joiners progress in their careers with us in the years ahead.”

The new trainee accountants and tax advisers include graduates from the universities of Exeter, Bristol, Cardiff, Bath, Plymouth, Surrey, Warwick, the West of England and Imperial College London. In addition, the trainees include recent leavers from Exeter College, Truro & Penwith College and Richard Huish College in Taunton.

For two years running, PKF Francis Clark has been certified as both a Great Place to Work and one of England’s Top 100 Apprenticeship Employers. The firm is also ranked among the UK’s Best Workplaces for Women, Best Workplaces for Development, Best Workplaces for Wellbeing and Best Workplaces in Consulting & Professional Services.

PKF Francis Clark offers three main entry routes for accountancy and tax trainees:

• The Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) apprenticeship is aimed at non-graduates and combines learning on the job with attending college one day a week, leading to a level 3 or 4 qualification
• Trainees who have a degree can work towards a level 7 qualification from the Association of Chartered Accountants (ACA), combining on-the-job learning from experienced colleagues with studying via a leading professional training provider
• The firm also has a specialist tax pathway for apprentices to achieve the level 7 Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA) qualification

Applications for PKF Francis Clark’s 2025 graduate accounting trainee programmes will open in early September.