"We believe that young people should have the opportunity to fulfil their potential irrespective of their socio-economic or educational background. If we want to make that ambition into a reality, it is vital that those who choose vocational learning are able to progress to the same senior roles as those who opt for an academic route through higher education.
“With the rising cost of higher education, offering young people from more disadvantaged backgrounds the opportunity to ‘earn while they learn’ through vocational schemes such as apprenticeships has never been more important. Reports like this one are vital because they show young people that the route to a rewarding career isn’t academic education or nothing. Now the Government, employers and educators must focus on ensuring quality rather than quantity in vocational choices, so it is seen by more young people, and their prospective employers, as a viable alternative to academia.
“KPMG strongly believes that a diverse workforce is vital to meeting the future needs of our clients. Our ability to innovate and grow is dependent on access to a mix of qualified professionals with academic or vocational experience, so ensuring we provide access to the profession via a variety of different routes is essential to guarantee we remain competitive.
“Since the launch of KPMG’s apprenticeship programme, KPMG 360o, in autumn 2015 more than 200 young people have benefitted from access to a wide variety of opportunities to work with our clients, while gaining transferable qualifications.”
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For press enquiries please contact
Angela Pink
Communications Executive
0207 694 2679
07500100257
Angela.pink@kpmg.co.uk
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