Supporting a Student

Do they decide to start their career, go to university or have a blend of both?

Perhaps they want to explore new opportunities or consider gaining some insight into the working world. You know they'll have to start work at some point, but when is the right time, and what is the right path? Whatever they choose, it has to be right for them.

We understand that making important decisions for their future and submitting a strong application can be a daunting task. That’s why we think it’s important to support you with information about the full range of opportunities available to them, so that you can help your students make the choice that’s right for them and provide the best possible chance of success.

There are many ways in which we can support you and your students:

Understanding the options on offer to young people at PwC - including the benefits of, and differences between, apprenticeships, degree apprenticeships and degree programmes. We offer all of these programmes at PwC.
Finding out what PwC does as a business and what a role with PwC might look like - read some of our profiles here.
Providing support and guidance on the recruitment process and how best to prepare - find out more here.
Offering support and guidance through skills based sessions which will help to boost confidence and deal with worries or concerns.
Supporting your students with preparing to join PwC and the working world.

At PwC there are many entry routes on offer to students, including; full-time graduate opportunities, or undergraduate work experience programmes, partnership degree programmes (including degree apprenticeships), or full-time entry level programmes for those joining straight from school or college. All routes offer the same deal; the opportunity for them to grow as individuals, to meet new people, kickstart their career and build lasting relationships that will stay with them for life. Their hard work will be rewarded with our programmes offering a competitive salary, the possibility to work flexibly and, in most cases, a personally tailored benefits package. And there's no limit to how far they can progress, regardless of their chosen route.

Encourage your students to:

Thoroughly research the different options and routes available and locations they could be based in.
Take a note of any applicable deadlines or entry criteria.
Search our events and sign up to attend any that are of interest. This is a fantastic way for your students to find out more about us, the skills we look for and to have the opportunity to meet with our people. Search our events.
Offer to proofread their application form – while the form itself is simple, accuracy for all the information they provide is essential, so a second pair of eyes could be useful and can also boost their confidence.

Make sure your students are familiar with our application process and the types of assessments we use at each stage - have a look at our Employability Hub for further insights into the different stages of our selection process. Our e-learns focus on each stage of the selection process and can really support students with knowing what to expect and how to best prepare and also provide practice tests.

Talk to them about recent news stories and the business impact of these. Provide some business media at home or in the classroom; discussing these helps them to develop their understanding of the business world and form their own opinions, which is something they’ll need to thrive at PwC.

Help them to research the behaviours we look for and encourage them to think about how they can demonstrate these behaviours during assessments.

Encourage your students to make the most of the onboarding support we provide. Our pre-joiner events offer a great opportunity to meet with other new joiners and staff from the business.

Ensure your students feel comfortable about the required travel for the role, especially if they’re relocating or moving out of home for the first time.

Talk to your students about anything they’re unsure about, and point them in our direction to answer any questions they might have.

Encourage them to make the most of any opportunity provided to speak with a school leaver currently on one of our programmes at PwC. All of our new joiners will be assigned a ‘buddy’, who they can ask questions to before and after they join and they can also connect with us at our pre-joiner events.

New World, New Skills

At PwC, we recognise that talent and potential come from many different backgrounds. We know students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds sometimes face additional challenges and therefore have less access to opportunities.

That’s why we run New World, New Skills; a paid work-experience programme designed to provide an opportunity for school students from lower-socio economic backgrounds to experience a snapshot of life at PwC.

We’ll introduce you to the different parts of our business through interactive sessions. These will be delivered by our people across the firm, so you’ll have chance to hear about the work they do and ask any questions along the way. There will be networking sessions with people across many grades at PwC from Associates to Partners. You’ll also be taking part in skills sessions that will help you in your chosen career.

Virtual Insight Programme

Our Virtual Insight Programme provides the opportunity to gain an insight into life at PwC and professional services whilst enhancing your employability skills.

The programme is designed for students who are at still at school or college. So whether you’re thinking about doing an apprenticeship, planning for university or ready to step into working life, it’s the perfect way to start thinking about plans for the future.

On the programme, you’ll get a full understanding of the different types of work we do and the emerging technologies we work with across our global business. You’ll hear from our people who joined through a range of our student pathways and programmes. You’ll gain insight from our recruiters about what PwC looks for in its people, and how to make a good impression when applying for a job, or a place at university.

Flying Start

Our Flying Start degree programmes offer people of all ages and experience levels the opportunity to kickstart their careers and study for a degree at the same time. You’ll earn a salary and have a real role, working on live projects while balancing your time with university study.

So whether you are just leaving school or college, or are rethinking your career aspirations, this is an exciting opportunity to earn while you learn and gain priceless professional experience.

At PwC, we want you to feel challenged, to grow and learn every day. So you’ll work on a range of projects in a culture that embraces difference and encourages you to think imaginatively. We bring together highly skilled people to deliver for our clients, so you’ll have access to some of the industry’s top professionals and the opportunity to make an impact to our teams and clients from day one.

Entry level programme

This is your introduction to an exciting career with PwC. Life here is fast-paced and full of potential. It’s also highly rewarding. Solving complex problems that have a real-world impact, you’ll have the opportunity to work with some of the world’s most significant organisations and recognisable global brands.

At PwC, you’ll get an incredible education in the fundamentals of business, and the potential of technology. We offer the clearly defined career paths, supportive culture and continuous learning to accelerate your development from wherever you are now to where you want your career to take you.

We help organisations of all kinds to think ahead, solve complex problems and deliver on their goals. We combine a deep understanding of how different businesses and industries work with knowledge of the ways in which technology can give organisations an edge over the competition.

From new markets to new technology, from people policies to sustainability strategies, from management to mergers and macroeconomics, PwC’s consultancy teams provide all kinds of insight and advice. But whichever aspect of consultancy or industry you specialise in, you’ll help clients rethink the way they do things, improving performance, increasing resilience, driving innovation, promoting agility and unlocking potential.

Operational delivery is often the toughest challenge facing our clients. Every large organisation has vital functions like Finance or Human Resources that help them run smoothly. Within those functions there are complex processes to deliver. Whether the client is a bank, a supermarket or a town council, they are not experts in that kind of delivery. Fortunately, we are.

Your journey will begin in our Finance Managed Solutions business, where we support our clients in operating various critical finance functions, including Financial Control - Accounts Payable, Accounts Receivable and General Ledger. While you’re learning on-the-job, you’ll also be studying towards your Accounting Technician qualification from Accounting Technicians Ireland (ATI) – a nationally recognised qualification with Chartered Accountants Ireland (CAI).

We advise clients on tax planning and strategy, helping them to meet their obligations, maximise their profitability, and drive growth by navigating tax regulations effectively. It’s a unique perspective on the financial workings behind all kinds of organisations.

This programme will help you gain a breadth of experience across our core tax specialisms. It will also prepare you for your future as an innovative, agile tax professional. The tax landscape is constantly changing and the future of the tax professional lies in data. Your analysis and insight will help high-profile organisations, entrepreneurs and family businesses to understand complex rules and make informed decisions on personal and corporate tax issues.

While you gain vital real-world experience, you’ll also be working towards the Association of Tax Technicians qualification (ATT). After that, you may have the option to study towards further qualifications, including the Chartered Tax Adviser (CTA) qualification.

Diversity programmes

Advancing Social Mobility

We’re committed to improving socio-economic diversity across our organisation and this programme is designed to inspire and support students from lower socio-economic backgrounds seeking experience in professional services. Come and meet people from diverse backgrounds who have built successful careers at PwC.

Black Talent in Business

Black talent is currently underrepresented in our industry, and we know we have more work to do in reaching Black heritage students. This programme is designed to help Black undergraduate talent explore the possibilities at PwC and gain full access to all the opportunities we offer. Come and meet our inspiring people who are forging successful careers with us.

Women in Business

We are committed to improving our gender balance and showcasing female leaders. Female talent is currently underrepresented in our industry and although 42% of 2023 equity partner promotions and 45% of PwC’s 2024 graduate intake were female, there’s still work to be done.

Open to all, this programme is aimed at inspiring and supporting women interested in professional services. Come and meet the inspiring women who are leading PwC into the future.

Legal Summer Vacation Scheme

Our two-week paid Legal Summer Vacation Scheme is the principal route towards securing a training contract with us. You’ll receive a highly competitive salary, join client meetings, conduct research and practise legal drafting while working and training directly alongside our expert lawyers.

This programme is a great way to find out how we work and see for yourself the ways in which we’re truly unique in the legal marketplace, gaining valuable legal work experience during your time with us.

Summer Internships

At PwC, we support our people to grow further. And few career opportunities are a better first step than our Summer Internship. You’ll build your commercial awareness, skills and confidence. You could also lay the foundations for an exciting career path.

It's your chance to learn about our firm, get a taste for the business world and build your network. On top of all that, you get paid a good pro-rata salary. And, if all goes well, you could end the Summer Internship with an offer for a full-time job when you graduate.

Undergraduate Work Placement

Experiencing life inside one of the world's largest professional services organisations is a fantastic way to build your commercial awareness and interpersonal skills. Working alongside graduate trainees and experienced professionals, you’ll learn about our business and get exposure to a wide range of clients. This 11-month, paid placement is for students who need to complete a placement as part of their undergraduate degree.

Graduate programme

We offer you the chance to explore opportunities with us based on your interests, location and degree. We provide clear guidance throughout our process to support you in making the decision that’s right for you. It’s an exciting time to join us. We're a skills-enabled organisation, allowing us to identify, develop and future-proof the skills our people need today and for tomorrow. By focusing on human and technical skills, we're promoting cross-functional teamwork, driving inclusive growth, and maximising value for our clients. And by doing this, we do more than develop skills – we cultivate potential. Enabling you to develop the skills you need, for the career you want. So that you can grow here and go further.