Lucky 13 for Scottish accountancy firm training future professionals

The cohort of trainees encompasses seven graduates - two of them being Dundee University accountancy prize winners - two modern apprentices and four school leavers. It brings the total number of trainees recruited by the firm over the past five years to 95.

The latest 13 trainees will join various departments, including audit, tax, accounting business services, and payroll, with this year’s intake enjoying an expanded range of specialisms such as grants and internal audit. Their journey begins with an “intensive” two-week induction programme that covers essential topics such as bookkeeping, an overview of audit and the development of soft skills necessary for success in the workplace. The trainees will be based in Henderson Loggie’s offices in Dundee and Edinburgh, where they will “learn while they earn”. Depending on their educational background and qualification route, school leavers may take up to five years, while graduates will take three years to complete their qualifications.

Fiona Doctor, people partner at Henderson Loggie, said: “It’s always exciting when the new cohort of trainees starts with us. Although we compete with many much bigger firms to recruit top talent, we find school leavers and graduates are increasingly attracted to the opportunities we offer to work with a full spectrum of businesses from family businesses through to charities, public sector bodies and even multinational corporations and gain experience in niche sectors like gaming.

“We are committed to helping our staff reach their full potential. Because we offer a full service to our clients, trainees have the opportunity to learn from all parts of our business, and we can offer secondments into different departments, which is appealing.”

Learning and development manager Helen Young added: “Being good with numbers is just part of the job; we are looking for applicants to demonstrate problem-solving skills that will help them see the story behind the numbers. Studying while working full-time is a big commitment, and I would urge anyone considering a career in accountancy to come prepared, having researched the qualifications they are interested in.”