How a school leaver programme increases your employability

Emma Finamore
Last updated 09 Dec 2016

Exploring how school leaver programmes can make you super employable, as well as paying you to train.

A school leaver programme could be said to make you more employable than both an apprenticeship and a university degree.

For starters, the professional qualifications and/or university degrees studied on school leaver programmes have been specially selected or tailored to fit the industry, designed by those who know exactly what skills and knowledge are required in the sector.

For example, a school leaver working on a tax consulting school leaver programme at Deloitte will work towards a ACA/CTA programme leading to both the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales chartered accountant qualification (ACA) and the Chartered Institute of Taxation chartered tax advisor qualification (CIOT).

The Association of Tax Technicians qualification (ATT) is undertaken for those in Private Client Services (PCS) and Global Employer Services (GES).

This means that on completion of the school leaver programme, those young people are armed with everything they’ll need to gain a job in the industry, without having to pay for professional qualifications.

Completing a school leaver programme is also a prestigious thing to have on your CV: it proves you had the grades to get onto a university-level course, as well as the practical ability to manage a full-time job – something not university graduate s can prove.

Some of the most competitive programmes have entry standards to rival most Russell Group universities, testament to the nature of the experience and the level to which young people on those programmes have competed.

A school leaver programme will also make you more employable than university graduates in terms of the soft skills many employers say are lacking in modern graduates, many of whom have never had a full-time job. Those on school leaver programmes get a head start in developing leadership, teamwork, communication skill, and problem-solving skills. These are vital for the world of work, and will be evidenced on your varied CV.

Most people completing school leaver programmes are guaranteed the shot at a full-time job at the company, and as they have already worked there a number of years (and know the organisation and industry inside out) they stand a very good chance of landing a full-time job, at a competitive rate of pay.

Image courtesy of Anete Lusina