Grant Thornton Trainees | Parents' & guardians' hub

Parents' & guardians' hub

We've created this hub to provide you with the information you'll need to help inform career discussions with your young people. From whether an apprenticeship is the right route and the application process, to the support they'll receive and future career opportunities, this page will help you guide informed decisions.

Is a professional services apprenticeship the right route?

School leaver apprenticeships offer a fantastic route into a career in professional services, so why may an apprenticeship be the right route for your young person?

Not everyone learns best in the classroom. An apprenticeship gives people the opportunity to put the theory they learn at college into practice right away, aiding their learning experience.

Being able to earn whilst learning makes apprenticeships a great way to achieve professional qualifications whilst having more financial stability.

If someone already knows they want to work towards an accountancy qualification, then an apprenticeship can often get them there quicker then going to university.

A chartered accountancy qualification opens up amazing opportunities, and can lead to long and varied careers. You can read more about the opportunities with Grant Thornton below.

If your young person is already at university and you are looking to support them in their career options, we also offer graduate programmes, 12 month placements and internships. You can find out more about these here.

The application process

Let's start with entry requirements. We look at more than just academic achievements, and we consider these alongside strengths and motivations. Our application process is designed to give applicants the best opportunity to demonstrate how they align with our corporate values and what we're looking for. Please do explore our employability hub and share with your young person to help them understand each step and what is expected.

As a parent, carer or guardian, the most important role you can play in the process is being there to support your young person. Even if you haven’t experienced going through a similar process yourself, your help is really important, here's four simple ways you can help:

Talk to them about what they are looking for in their career, and what is important to them in an employer

Make sure they have explored the employability hub and understand the application process before they begin

Encourage them to look at the skills we are looking for, and spend time thinking about how their experience and skills align with these

Help them with practice interviews and thinking about questions they can ask, and responses they can give to show them at their best

Supported along the way

We know a training contract is a big undertaking and we ask a lot of our trainees, but we also give them a lot of support in return. We have a dedicated early careers team who support our trainees throughout their training contract, from help in organising their studying to assistance with any additional learning needs, the early careers team are there to support alongside people managers.

In 2024 we have launched a brand new onboarding programme for our audit trainees. Career Launchpad prioritises the mental well-being and resilience of our trainees while, at the same time, preparing them to deliver high-quality work. Starting with an initial 12 weeks of practical and skills-based learning, the programme extends beyond this to set up trainees for future success with dedicated support and training. You can read more about Career Launchpad here.

A world of opportunity

Our open and accessible culture gives trainees amazing opportunities to interact with senior business figures early in their career and the progression pathway is structured to develop practical skills alongside professional exams, ensuring steady growth towards becoming qualified.

The below diagram shows a typical progression pathway for trainees within the firm.

Once qualified, the opportunities for trainees open up even further, they can keep progressing in their team, explore a different business area or travel abroad and work at one of the Grant Thornton member firms around world. Hear from previous trainees here.