18-year-old Rebecca Day didn’t fancy going to university but wanted to break into accounting. She has recently been selected from 300 applicants for a scholarship to study accountancy with Kaplan Financial.

She wowed the interview panel with her passion for everything accountancy based and is looking forward to starting her placement at RSM Tenon in August. She will train with Kaplan alongside performing her auditing role.

One of 15 new recruits, Rebecca will achieve an Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) qualification with the view to becoming a qualified accountant.

Rebecca said: “I’m delighted to have been given this opportunity, university wasn’t for me, and it’s almost impossible to get into the accounting industry without a higher education qualification. An apprenticeship is a great route for people like me who know exactly what career they want. I feel I learn better by putting theory into practise, rather than just being sat in a classroom every day. I also believe the experience will make me more employable after my scholarship has finished, and I won’t have a ton of debt to worry about!”

Alex Shacklock, RSM Tenon training director, said: “At RSM Tenon, we provide another alternative to university that allows young people to develop a professional career and gain valuable hands-on experience whilst studying for accountancy qualifications.The apprenticeship scheme with Kaplan is a great example of this.We recognise that there are masses of talent out there and school leavers provide something different.Their fresh approaches, innovation and energy help to drive our business internally, whilst also improving service to our clients.The apprenticeship scheme is a very attractive alternative to university for the student, and a great opportunity for us to work with, develop and retain talent at a very early stage.”