With a commitment to building the accounting and auditing profession, KPMG in Jamaica recently opened applications for high school graduates, particularly sixth formers, to apply for its Early Start Programme.

According to a LinkedIn post, the initiative is designed “to hire passionate sixth-form school leavers” who have a strong interest in accounting and to facilitate their development to becoming chartered accountants.

Responding to an Our Today media enquiry, KPMG in Jamaica shared, “The KPMG Early Start Programme provides career opportunities to high-performing sixth-form graduates who have a keen interest in business and want to jump-start their accounting careers. Students can join our external audit team straight after graduating from high school as junior assistant accountants.”

While the audit, assurance and business consultancy firm did not indicate when the programme began, it further outlined that the initiative provides full-time employment opportunities to successful applicants with the same “perks and benefits” as other full-time KPMG employees. As part of the Early Start Programme, the new employees should be enrolled in the Association of Certified Chartered Accountants (ACCA) programme.

Moreover, they will be gaining accounting and auditing experience while pursuing the ACCA designation.

“Our junior assistant accountants ‘earn while they learn’ and take the ACCA exams while they gain hands-on client experience, working with a supportive team environment. When students join us immediately after sixth form, they are generally fully qualified by the time their friends who choose university have finished their degrees, and they have the advantage of three years’ work experience on their résumé,” KPMG explained.

Hiring between six and ten “early starters’ each year, KPMG assigns the new hires to audit teams with a performance manager. As part of its commitment to continuous learning and personal development, the company’s “robust” performance management framework ensures the young team members benefit from timely and relevant feedback from their team leaders.

When asked how the company ensures employees have a proper work-study-life balance, KPMG noted, “As a firm, we aim to create an inclusive and supportive environment where everyone can thrive. So we do not allow staff to sit ACCA exams in the March sitting as this coincides with the peak of the audit busy season. Staff [members] are encouraged to register for other sittings, which take place in September, December and June.”

In addition, KPMG allocates study leave for their staff to prepare for exams and pairs them with a manager or senior for support mentorship. Early starters who perform well and have completed level one of the ACCA programme are eligible for a promotion.

In response to a question on whether the initiative was developed to address the labour market shortage in accountants and auditors, the firm said no, Rather it pointed out that “this programme was initially developed to give less fortunate, yet equally passionate aspiring accountants an opportunity to pursue their dreams.

“The programme made a special effort to target our young men who, statistically, do not get to matriculate to the tertiary level,” the company continued.

Still, KPMG also provides employment opportunities to tertiary students pursuing qualifications in accounting.

“At KPMG in Jamaica, we also have the KPMG Internship Programme which gives aspiring accountants at the university level the opportunity for a three to six-month employment placement. The internship targets students in their second year or higher to work alongside our full-time staff on engagements during our busy season,” the company stated.

“Interns have the opportunity to transition to full-time employment within KPMG upon completion of their bachelor’s degree,” it added. The interns earn a stipend.