Requirement
UKRI approached First Intuition in 2020 to be part of a competitive tender process, with a view to help launch their first accountancy apprenticeship programme. They were looking for a quality training provider to partner with who offered local, reliable and flexible customer service.
Starting an apprenticeship scheme was seen by UKRI as a way to build skills for the future, providing a pipeline of new recruits and freeing up current staff time. UKRI also wanted to extend their successful apprenticeship schemes for engineering, computing and product management into finance.
Solution
First Intuition provide the level 7 Professional Accountant apprenticeship programme to UKRI’s trainees, which incorporate the ACCA or CIMA professional qualifications.
Each trainee is treated as an individual and receives the support of subject-specialist tutors from First Intuition, along with a dedicated skills coach.
With regular reporting and feedback on each student, UKRI are able to monitor their apprentices’ progression throughout the course.
Outcome
Three years on, the partnership between First Intuition and UKRI has been very successful. UKRI are now recruiting a third cohort of apprentices.
Partnering with First Intuition, who are rated Outstanding by Ofsted, has attracted high quality applicants to the programme, and UKRI trainees have achieved fantastic pass rates, typically far more than the national average.
In a recent survey, all the UKRI finance apprentices said they would like to consider a career in UKRI at the end of their apprenticeship. The apprenticeship is now generating a talent pipeline which was one of the initial aims.
“I highly recommend First Intuition in Reading as a training provider. They took time to understand our requirements for a finance apprenticeship scheme and worked with us in true partnership to design and deliver a successful programme to our trainees.
“Through every stage of the scheme, we can rely on our colleagues at First Intuition to support our apprenticeship recruitment, create individual study plans, provide high quality tuition, provide excellent resources and coaching, and regularly supply reports and feedback on each of our students.” – Head of UKRI Finance Professionalism
