The professional accountancy/tax technician apprenticeship standard has been designed to meet the needs of employers and to enable apprentices to study towards a professional qualification, where required. It qualifies as a higher apprenticeship and will be available for delivery from April 2016.

The employers involved in developing the standard include Deloitte, EY, KPMG and PwC, and a number of large and small employers from the sector. Together, these organisations already offer a variety of entry routes to professional roles for school leavers and apprentices. It is hoped that the new standard will attract even more young people into professional services; offering employers greater opportunities to tailor their apprenticeships to meet their talent and productivity needs.

Nadhim Zahawi, the Prime Minister’s advisor on apprenticeships said: ‘It is really welcome news that the new standard is being bought forward – as it will not only mean great opportunities for young people to develop a career in this sector, but that the training and skills they will receive has been designed by employers who know exactly what the next generation needs to thrive and go far.’

Dorothy Wood, ACCA’s head of education, said: ‘We know from our own research that 71% of young people already value apprenticeships as a route into a successful career.  ACCA is committed to working with the government on initiatives such as this one with the aim of improving that figure still further.

PwC has already employed more than 550 apprentices since the programme began in 2012, and will have employed over 700 apprentices come September 2016.

Gaenor Bagley, head of people at PwC, said: ‘We are finding that more students are waking up to the fact that not all professional careers have to start with university. Our apprenticeship programmes give us another powerful way to reach the best talent – especially those people that may have fallen through the cracks in the past.’

EY announced earlier this month, at the beginning of National Apprenticeship Week, that it will open applications for 200 apprenticeships across the UK from September 2016.

Mark Protherough, ICAEW executive director for learning and professional development, said: ‘We are delighted to celebrate another milestone for creating more opportunities to train in accountancy.

‘As the building block of an apprenticeship, we have joined employers and training providers to develop a new standard providing alternative routes into the audit, accountancy or tax professions. It’s vital that apprenticeships serve the needs of employers, which is just what this standard sets out to do.

‘We are thrilled to be a part of the wider apprenticeship trailblazer initiative, at a time when the appetite for apprentices and skills has never been greater. This will bring more good news for school leavers who may not want to go to university, and people who want to re-train and take their career in a new direction.'

Mark Allison, executive director for education at ICAS, said: 'We are very pleased to be able to make this announcement about the new Standard and ICAS is delighted to be an active participant in the Trailblazer initiative. It is great news for the industry as it will create many new opportunities for young people.'