Leading independent accountancy and business advisory firm Johnston Carmichael has welcomed 61 students into the firm following growth across the UK.
The recruits will be spread across the firm’s offices in Scotland and Newcastle, where Johnston Carmichael recently moved to bigger premises as it grows its head count and client base in the north-east of England.
The new group includes 43 graduates, who will undertake training to become qualified accountants, two university placement students, and 16 school leavers. The school leavers entered the firm through the JC Futures accounting apprenticeship scheme, an innovative four-to-six-year training programme which offers a route to full qualification as an accountant.
As part of their first few days at the firm, the new recruits attended an induction session in Dundee which included a Q&A with Johnston Carmichael’s chief executive officer, Lynne Walker, and chief people officer, Martin Osler, who discussed the firm’s values and culture.
Lynne Walker, CEO and partner, said: “We had a brilliant day welcoming our new students and introducing them to our firm, our values, and the role they’ll play in our continued success. Doing the right thing for our colleagues, clients and communities has been a driving force for Johnston Carmichael since we were founded almost 90 years ago, and it continues to guide our approach to this day.
“We look forward to integrating our new group across the business and I hope each and every new recruit has an engaging and inspirational experience at Johnston Carmichael.”
Martin Osler, Chief People Officer, said: “We have a culture where everyone is enabled to be a leader of their work and their learning. We know that amongst this group of students will be future senior leaders of our firm. Indeed, we have already seen some former graduates and school leavers become directors and partners.
“Johnston Carmichael offers a strong foundation to any young person looking to grow their career. With over 950 people across the UK, we are big enough to have a diverse range of great clients at all stages of their lifecycle and offer a smorgasbord of training and learning, but agile enough to maintain a supportive, collaborative environment where young people starting out in their career can flourish.
“The opportunities at Johnston Carmichael are industry-leading with our goal of becoming a world class learning organisation, and I’d encourage anyone looking for a new and challenging role to get in touch with our careers team.”
In addition to offering apprenticeship and graduate trainee roles, Johnston Carmichael has formed a one-of-a-kind partnership with the ICAS Foundation to provide accountancy students with financial and peer support as they undertake their degrees. The ICAS Foundation was established to help young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to enter the profession and encourage greater social mobility.