KPMG 360 Apprentice Review

As a junior associate, you will be given an array of activities depending on what area of the business you are working in. For example, within Audit you could be working on controls testing or preparing working papers for senior members to complete. You could be chasing clients to receive evidence or attending client led walkthroughs of their processes. From my time, I have worked in Audit, Tax, Consulting and Deal Advisory, and I have had varied work that has been very rewarding. The opportunities you are given are dependent on your drive and enthusiasm for the role.

The studying aspect of the programme is very organised, and the dates for our exams and tuition are very clear. I find that the senior team for our professional qualification is far more helpful than their generic mailbox. I have found that asking questions to the professional qualifications mailbox rarely provides many answers, so I hope that this will improve in the future.
We had an induction week, which was a great opportunity to meet other apprentices from our home office as well as across the UK. I thought it was a great experience, and something that should continue in person (when it can).
In terms of placement rotations, the communications about where we're going is clear, however, it can be slightly worrying to only receive communication a week before we rotate. As said previously, non-Audit placements are very scarce but very sought after by most apprentices, so some people may not have as varied an experience as others. I think it would be great if the wider firm was more aware of the apprentice programme, what it can do for their team and how they can get an apprentice on board. I would've found it really valuable to have a "job board" where apprentices can look into placement teams and "apply" for the role, and they can have back-up options in case there isn't enough space. I think this would also benefit apprentices as it gets them more involved in the self-service culture.
Task delegation has never been a problem for me. You always get times that are less busy, but teams will always provide you with a task where they can. I think you get as much out of the programme as you put in, so if you're a hard worker and establish yourself early on, teams will respect you, and will be more likely to get you involved in more technical/client based tasks.

I have never had a problem with support. As someone with an operational health report, the firm has supported me in any way they can. They do this so I'm comfortable at work, and can get the most out of my working life i.e. tasks. My managers and senior colleagues are always very supportive. I found have that they are keen to help, and support you so you get the most out of the team. Some teams are more developed in terms of apprentice support than others, however, this is mainly because some teams haven't had the assistance of an apprentice before.
I haven't had any problems within the firm, apart from health, however, I am confident that I would feel comfortable to reach out to my performance/line manager, or anyone I'm close to within the team. Building relationships is very easy, as a lot of teams will have you involved in work that different people are allocated to. I think the attitude towards support is very positive, and from my experiences, helping me helps the team, and means I'm more likely to want to stay.

I have had a positive experience with BPP, the individual tutors have been very supportive with responding to queries. When the courses were in-centre, they were very keen for people to ask questions and see them after class (if they needed it). However, even when we complete OCR live courses, the tutors are very prompt with their responses to queries, and will always try to help you where possible.
Their mailbox is very efficient, and they will respond to you very quickly. I have found that their responses are always helpful and provide you with as much information as possible.
I have enjoyed working with BPP, even during COVID when their test centres were closed, they still found a solution so we could continue with our studies even if it wasn't with them directly. BPP provided our tuition and course materials, but allowed us to sit exams with another provider (ensuring they were safe beforehand).

Depending on the team you are in, the courses completed can be very relevant. As we have accounting roles, having AAT Level 4 provides a great foundation for work, and adds the benefit of exemptions to ACA exams.
In Audit, I have used my bookkeeping knowledge, and in Tax I have used my business tax knowledge. I find it really valuable when knowledge gained from studying interlinks to my everyday work. When I was in deal advisory, I reviewed company accounts, and this very closely linked to one of my courses.
The qualification I have completed is very relevant to my role, and I feel that the knowledge gained is very valuable and has helped me gain an understanding into the industry I'm in. I have enjoyed completing Level 3 and 4 AAT, and I look forward to gaining more knowledge during my chartered exams.

Yes

I would say there are positives and negatives to the firm (like any firm), overall I would say the firm is positive. The culture is very flexible and friendly, and there are support mechanisms in place to help you feel comfortable at work. Having the opportunity to go on secondments to other teams is very valuable, and allows you to develop skills further. One mildly negative point is the amount of internal processes. Whilst they are vital and very relevant to the firm, their is a lot of admin i.e. timesheets, filing away documents suitably. Whilst this doesn't bother me, and is something you get used to, if you're not as organised, it can be quite time consuming.