KPMG is welcoming around 1,200 graduates and 260 apprentices across the UK as part of its Class of 2023 intake, with careers ranging from audit, consulting, and tax, through to law, technology, and data analytics.

Across Scotland this month, 37 are due to begin their careers in the Edinburgh office, with a further 40 based in Glasgow and nine in Aberdeen. Around three quarters of the intake (63) will join the audit practice, with the remainder working across tax, deal advisory and consulting.

According to Hays’ Salary and Recruiting Trends guide 2023, almost three quarters of employers in Scotland (71%) have said that, to address skill shortages, they would be willing to employ staff without the necessary skills. Furthermore, 22% have increased their training budget to focus on upskilling their existing staff.

When you consider that 82% of jobs advertised last year explicitly required digital skills, and a growing number of technical roles, employers need to start looking at talent pipelines.

James Kergon, Scotland senior partner, said: “As a major employer, we are proud of the role we play in training the next generation of industry leaders.

“We’re committed to breaking down the barriers that hinder access to our profession, which includes re-evaluating our application processes and providing support to ensure everyone can thrive. In these challenging economic times, equal opportunity is paramount to us. We want to hire the most talented individuals, regardless of their backgrounds.”

During KPMG’s five-day induction, new graduates and apprentices spend three days at one of KPMG’s central offices, one day at their local office and another day working remotely to carry out self-paced learning.

Kergon added: “As we bring through the lockdown generation into the world of work, it’s essential we appreciate their resilience and apply that effectively, so our clients benefit. Starting a career has always been challenging but is especially so after the pandemic which is why we’ve made changes to our induction process.”

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This year, the company plans to put a greater onus is being on face-to-face interactions and building connections between peers and the wider firm.

The programme has also been redesigned to provide more opportunity for students to build their professional network, while also placing a focus on critical skills and the chance to learn more about the big issues facing business, such as ESG and technology transformation.