PwC Higher Apprenticeship Review

The role in Consulting involves moving around different teams on "rotations" during the Apprenticeship scheme. This means you get to enjoy a variety of different projects and roles during your time on the scheme. It also means you can tailor your experience to suit your interests, for example, I have been able to do a lot of public sector work as this is where my interest lies. A lot of the work will start in an administrative capacity, however, as you settle into each team you can take on more work and more responsibility and are encouraged to do so. This may be some project management or reporting work and often you are given as much or as little responsibility as you feel capable of.

I have grown up A LOT since joining the Apprenticeship scheme which has had a huge impact on me on a personal level as well as professionally at work. I fele my biggest development area has been communication and I am a lot more confident now than when I started here as a result of my Apprenticeship. The qualification that runs alongside the Apprenticeship is useful for context knowledge but not always applicable in my day to day role though I have still enjoyed the professional learning experience.

I feel really privileged to have been given the opportunity to work and train in such a large and reputable firm. Everyone here is very supportive of the Apprenticeship programme and are often surprised when they learn you are an Apprentice rather than a graduate. People are also very keen to give you the opportunities to develop professionally and I feel very supported in that here. I did not enjoy one of my projects however being able to rotate means I have now moved into a sector I am really interested in and I still found value in the other role.

Again, everyone is really supportive of the scheme. The firm has a formal recognition and feedback process meaning work is recognised and commented on regularly - this is part of the culture. It also means there is a wide acceptance that we all need to continue developing and I have received some very useful constructive comments from managers. The best part for me has been getting involved in external events to promote Apprenticeships as this is something I am very passionate about.

As the first intake, there have been instances where the programme has not been formally structured. Whilst this can be frustrating, it also means we have had the opportunity to shape the programme and seeing the new intake has brought this to life by seeing how far the programme has come in just one year. The firm in general is well structured in terms of support networks and there are only a few small teething problems for the Apprenticeship.

The tutors are always readily available and happy to help with queries or questions. Again, the programme has changed a lot since we first started and the support is now much more structured, as are the college days and other tuition which has improved the training we have received so far. If anything, it's been really nice for us all to get out of the office and go to college together for a couple of days!

Everyone is very supportive and the teams we work in understand (for the most part) that we have dedicated time for the Apprenticeship. This means we have protected time on a Tuesday afternoon away from our teams to work on college assignments and to revise ahead of exams which has been invaluable for us and takes some of the pressure off in the lead up to exams.

The salary is competitive, however, when comparing the types of roles we do with those of a graduate there is little difference but a big difference in our pay scales. Obviously working in London where colleagues tend to socialise in the evenings over dinner or drinks it can be expensive to keep up and mean we sometimes miss out on networking opportunities but the pay does start to increase more steeply in the second year before the graduate scheme.

You can get involved in as much or little as you like. There are hundreds of networks and communities and someone is doing something every night if you would like to join. The firm is also very supportive of volunteering schemes and offers time out of work to take part in these. There is a gym nearby and other wellbeing activities to get involved in.

Yes

It's a great opportunity to learn a lot about the industry and also to learn a great deal about yourself. I am really glad I applied as I think it has really helped me to grow up a lot and I enjoy coming to work everyday. Having other intakes of the same age and similar background has been really fun as well and that has helped me to enjoy the experience even more.

There is so much information on the recruitment website - loads more than I could ever write here! There are also many opportunities to attend insight days and other events to give more clarity on the onboarding process and I think this has helped potential candidates in the past to understand more about the firm and the interviewing process. The most important thing is to be yourself!