The universtiy of P-dubs. Not quite but A-level students can join PwC straight from school in one of its two HEADstart schemes. And it’s proving massively popular.

There is a generalist route, appropriately named, HEADstart Assurance Generalist, which leads to a Chartered Certified Accountancy qualification within four years, working with a variety of clients and projects en route. The other option is the HEADstart Tax (Specialist) route which works towards a tax qualification while providing client and PwC team support. The schemes combine on-the-job experience with some college study whilst offering a salary which, depending on the role and location, ranges from £16k – £20k plus benefits.

According to PwC, the HEADstart scheme “received over 800 applications this year for 60 vacancies – up 25% on last year and double the number of applications received in 2008. This translates to 13 applicants for every post, suggesting that talented students are seeing structured learning and development opportunities with good career prospects as a viable alternative to university, to kick start their career.”