2027 Audit School Leaver Apprenticeship Programme

A bit about us

Big ambitions. Personal investment. That’s Beyond the Ordinary.

Ready to start your career, learn by doing and see where your ambitions could take you? Welcome to the Audit School Leaver Apprenticeship at BDO.

The programme starts on Monday, 20th September 2027, for an organisation-wide induction (you need to be able to attend). For Edinburgh and Glasgow roles you will start on the 30th August 2027.

We’re the only UK mid-market organisation with more than £1bn in turnover and 8,000 people. Audit at BDO gives you the chance to get involved and build experience from day one. Our Audit teams work across specialist areas including Pension Audit, Public Sector, Not-for-Profit, Financial Services and Technology Risk Assurance, giving you the chance to learn how different organisations work from the inside out.

You’ll be trusted to contribute early, but you won’t be expected to know everything straight away. You’ll learn alongside experienced colleagues, build your confidence through practical experience and have people around you to answer questions and help you develop.

It’s a place to turn big ambitions into a career, with people personally invested in your growth from the start.

And a bit about Audit

Over four years, you’ll gain hands-on experience while working towards your ACA, CFAB or ICAS/Robert Gordan University qualification. You’ll learn through challenging Audit work, build relationships with clients and develop technical, personal and commercial skills as your experience grows.

Starting your career straight from school is a big step, so support is part of the experience too. You’ll join a trainee community, work towards your qualifications alongside your peers and learn from colleagues at different levels across the organisation.

Our early careers people talk about being trusted with client work earlier than they expected, while having supportive teams around them and feeling comfortable asking questions as they learn.

You’ll build your career foundations by doing the work, with the coaching and support to help your confidence grow. When you complete the programme, there’s a permanent role waiting for you.

As for you

You’re curious, resilient and ready to learn. You enjoy solving problems, thinking things through and getting involved.

You don’t need to arrive with all the answers. Bring your ambition and willingness to learn, and we’ll give you opportunities to build your experience, confidence and skills from there.

Join us in one of the following locations - Birmingham, Bristol, Cambridge, Edinburgh, Gatwick, Glasgow, Guildford, Ipswich, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Manchester, Nottingham, Reading and Southampton.

One thing to note: you’ll need to live within a commutable distance of the office you apply to. Relocation support is not provided, so please consider this carefully before applying. Time together in person matters – whether that’s in the office or with clients. It gives you more opportunities to learn from your team, build relationships and get the most from working together.

Is it for you? To apply, you’ll need:

• Three A-levels (or equivalent) at A*-C (excluding General Studies and Extended Projects), or four Scottish Advanced Highers at grade A-B (or equivalent, for example, BTEC Extended Diploma). Please note: we do not use UCAS points. You’ll be asked to provide evidence if you’re successful in securing an offer
• GCSEs at grade 4 and above in Maths and English, or Scottish National 5 grade A-C. You’ll also need to provide evidence if successful
• Commitment to balance study and professional work
• The right to work in the UK (we are unable to provide visa sponsorship for these roles as they do not meet the current minimum salary requirements for sponsorship set by the Home Office. Applications from candidates who have their own legal right to work within the UK must cover the duration of their 4-year training contract and employment)
• For the roles based in Edinburgh or Glasgow you will need to be residing in Scotland

How the interview process will go

We want you to know what to expect, so here’s the typical process:

• Online application form.
• Online assessments.
• Video interview.
• Virtual assessment centre.
• Final interview in person.

We’ll keep you updated at each stage and share resources to help you prepare. And just so you know: we don’t use AI in any part of our candidate screening process. Every application is reviewed by a real person.

What you get in return

Our benefits are designed to support your life in and outside of work, with options including additional leave, gym membership and employee discounts, alongside pension, health and wellbeing support and a range of protection benefits.

Salary

£26,615 - £28,275 dependable on location.

Closing date for applications is Sunday 15th November 2026.

Before you go

Starting your career is a big step. At BDO, you’ll get the chance to learn by doing, work with clients and build strong foundations for where you want to go next.

You’ll bring the big ambitions. You’ll have people around you investing in your learning, confidence and development from the start.

Big ambitions. Personal investment.

That’s Beyond the Ordinary.

Apply now.

Our organisation is distinctive because we preserve and build on the strengths of our culture and the characteristics that make us successful and different. We look for people from all kinds of backgrounds who share these same qualities.

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