PwC comments on AGR winter survey

PwC is reputed to be the largest private sector graduate recruiter and opened recruitment for over 1200 graduates, 400 interns and around 70 A-Level students in early October. In total, over 1600 roles have been created, representing the highest ever recruitment levels on record for the firm.

"It's a bigger and brighter market for students in some respects, and the fight for the top talent is back on," says Richard Irwin, head of student recruitment at PwC.

"Graduates are hedging their bets by applying to more jobs and organisations. While it's great to see the paralysis lifting, as two years ago they were not even applying for vacancies that existed, it does put the pressure back on employers to seal the deal as early as possible, he says.

"Providing a great experience to applicants is a lot like how you attract and retain your customers. As students and graduates are applying to a range of jobs, we need to help them make the right choice and stick to it. For years, we've been building relationships with students well before job applications and offer stage - as early as school and first year at university. It gives them a sense of the organisation before they join, and helps them make the informed decisions about their future.

Get involved to get the skills you need as an employer

"The Browne Review will accelerate the shift towards greater partnership between schools, universities, employers and students. We can't expect the skills we need as employers if we don't get involved. It will also cement new assessment routes for graduates that we've trialled. We're looking for an employability record alongside a degree, and in some programmes, we're finding exceptional graduates who have not got a 2.1," says Irwin.

"With demand for university places outstripping supply, top talent could slip through the net. A-Level entry schemes, like the one we introduced ten years ago, are a realistic alternative for many, and we have received a massive increase in interest this year.

Richard Irwin, head of student recruitment: “We can't expect the skills we need as employers if we don't get involved."

"We're shifting towards much earlier support of students. In three years we've doubled the number of paid internships, and doubled the size of our first year undergraduate business school programme this year to meet demand. Over 50% of those who took part previously have returned to us on further internships, and with a 95% conversion rate from intern to full time hire, you could be on the path to a permanent job before you've even started your second year at university," says Irwin. He adds: "Throughout the recession and into the upturn we have maintained and then increased our recruitment levels of students, as it's vital to our business that we have a healthy pipeline of talent.

Pay is important, but...

"Students are asking about pay, but they are more concerned about getting the right job. They are riding a fine line between risk and debt. Providing the means for talented students to all but guarantee their employment outcome early in their academic career is a pivotal part of our strategy. Incurring necessary debt is a lot less daunting once you've secured your professional future and the means to pay it off," says Irwin.

"With students facing more competition, they are having to be more savvy about their job prospects early on. Applications for internships and placements are in much higher volumes and our open evenings have seen increased attendance. Strong students still have lots of options available to them and employers would be naive to think they don't still need to compete for those with outstanding employability skills and potential," he concludes.

Notes

1. PwC has a down-the-line link via Globelynx for broadcast / radio / online interviews. Contact PwC media relations for more information

2. Graduate / student case studies of new joiners to PwC available nationwide.

3. About PwC Graduate Recruitment:

• Record early applications from school leavers and graduates in September, October and November have secured 50% of nationwide vacancies overall to date, and 70% of PwC's graduate roles in London.
  
• The firm has received over 18 000 applications to date for A-Level, or graduates entry roles: a record 138% increase in application levels on the same period last year
  
• The recruits will join the UK's largest private sector graduate programme in March, April and September across the firm's assurance, advisory and tax businesses.
  
• Almost 600 roles are still open, including 20 new consulting vacancies in regional offices, which were created earlier this month
  
• Applications to London continue to dominate interest, with actuarial and consulting and roles seeing the highest increase in applications since last year.
  
• Students join a structured training programme, with salaries dependent on roles and locations. Median starting salary is £25k plus benefits, with paid training and study time.
  
• The firm's second recruitment campaign for this university year gets underway shortly, with employability skills, commercial awareness and career coaching on offer to students online, in local offices and on campus.
  
• Between October and December PwC ran 195 employability seminars on University Campuses throughout the UK.

4. PwC application levels to student training schemes to date:

• Headstart - A-Level entry - 198% increase in applications for 70 places
  
• Internships - overall an 138% increase in applications across all programmes (We have a 95% conversion rate from internship to full time roles)
  
• Overall our applications for internships, A-Levels, and full time roles are up 104% - some 18 000 in total vs this time last year (around 9000). This is largely caused by a huge surge in early applications - either before the jobs were fully opened or an increase in the early term applications (October / November levels led to over 5000 applications in just six weeks).
  
• Many applications are still in the initial phases of assessment
  
• Just over half of all roles are closed.