Duncan & Toplis begins search for future leaders and specialists

November 1, 2021

Accountancy and business services provider Duncan & Toplis has opened applications for its new 2022 graduate training scheme.

‘The Duncan & Toplis Career Pathway’ sets new recruits on track to progress from a traineeship through to management roles, with a focus on personal development, leadership training and technical skills.

Each year, the company, which employs more than 400 people across the East Midlands, runs a highly competitive training scheme for talented young people. This year, the scheme has been improved with the addition of a well-regarded CIMA Professional Qualification.

Applicants can choose to become trainee chartered accountants, working towards an ACA accountancy qualification with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of England & Wales (ICAEW), or they can become trainee chartered management accountants, working toward a CIMA Professional Qualification. Trainees on both pathways will also complete an ILM Management Development course.

The training scheme has been transformed to enable new recruits to learn and work flexibly and remotely, in line with the company’s new flexible working policy. This means successful candidates can split their time between locations that suit them; whether it’s their own home or one of the company’s 11 offices in Lincolnshire, Nottinghamshire and Leicestershire. They will also be able to partly work outside of normal office hours if they choose to.

Heidi Thompson, who heads Duncan & Toplis’ people strategy, said: “Each year, we welcome applications for our highly regarded trainee accountant scheme which gives talented university graduates an amazing start to their careers. You do not need any previous experience to apply for the scheme because we teach our trainees everything from scratch, whether that be accounting and audit practises to tax computations and financial analysis, so you can start making a real, positive contribution right away. We also prepare trainees for senior roles with management training that’s accredited by the ILM.

“Many people who joined Duncan & Toplis through our training scheme have gone on to become senior leaders within our company and elsewhere so it really is an amazing opportunity. If you have drive, ambition and a desire to support a wide range of businesses during a career that’s as rewarding as it is engaging, our training scheme could be just what you’re looking for.”

Successful candidates for the training scheme will gain experience and expert insight across each of the company’s services as well as early opportunities to meet with clients and really see how their business works. This helps trainees gain the professional experience they need to both succeed in their qualification and become a thriving accountant and business adviser.

Duncan & Toplis supports 12,000 people and businesses with a wide range of services including accountancy, payroll, IT and legal services. In recent years, the company has won a series of awards including:

• Accountancy Large Practice of the Year at the IRIS Customer Awards 2020
• Large Firm of the Year at the 2019 and 2018 ICAEW East Midlands Awards
• Medium Firm of the Year at the 2017, 2016 and 2015 ICAEW East Midlands Awards
• Outstanding Advisory Project of the Year at the British Accountancy Awards 2018.

The company has also been rated Gold by Investors in Customers and it is a finalist for Large Firm of the Year in the 2021 Accounting Excellence Awards.

One previous training scheme alumni is Duncan & Toplis chartered accountant, Jordan Owen, who joined the company in 2015 after completing his degree in Accounting and Finance at Nottingham Trent University.

Speaking about his career at Duncan & Toplis, Jordan said: “I applied for the trainee role at Duncan & Toplis when my degree was nearing its end, and was soon invited to undertake a range of aptitude and ability tests, as well as an interview with HR and a director. I was offered the position soon after, which I was thrilled to accept!

“From day one I had exposure to clients in a range of different sectors, from sole traders to private limited companies and public sector entities. I also had a diverse workload which ranged from accounts preparation to audits and corporate tax work.

“Whilst on the pathway, I undertook my ACA qualification, and Duncan & Toplis were really flexible in allowing us to work around our study and exams. They provide students with time off to attend college and study for these exams, which is hugely beneficial.

“Working for Duncan & Toplis is fantastic. It is a large enough company that provides a corporate feel but it is also a company that clearly values and focuses on the personal relationships with its clients. I’m so pleased I applied for the trainee scheme.”

Duncan & Toplis’ training scheme has an excellent track record of leading new recruits toward senior roles, with eight Duncan & Toplis directors having started their careers as trainees within the company.

To apply for the Duncan & Toplis Career Pathway, candidates need to submit their CV before being invited for an interview and assessment process.

Duncan & Toplis will be hosting virtual and in-person recruitment fairs for students across the region where potential applicants can learn more about work at the company and what a career with the company can offer. These include the De Montfort University on 29 October and the Newark Futures First Expo on 3 November. For more information on these events, visit www.duncantoplis.co.uk/events/.

For a full list of current opportunities at Duncan & Toplis, please visit www.joinduncantoplis.co.uk.