KPMG has partnered with Queens University Management School to provide valuable scholarships to help more students study an accounting degree.
Now in its fifth year, the KPMG Scholarship Programme, in association with Queen’s University Belfast, is designed to encourage and support more students to go to third level education by providing financial and a range of other support throughout the lifetime of their degree course.
Selected scholars will get £3,000 a year to support living costs, a KPMG mentor to support them throughout their degree and two paid summer internships. In addition, scholarship students have a strong chance of being offered a graduate career at the firm.
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The scheme aligns with KPMG’s focus on ensuring it is building a workforce made up of people from diverse backgrounds - whether experience, ethnicity, gender or socio economic - an approach which allows it to better serve its broad range of clients.
Johnny Hanna, Partner-in-Charge of KPMG in Northern Ireland, said: “The KPMG Scholarship Programme has been a major success since it first started five years ago, both for the firm and the students we support. It has helped us to find and attract a broad range of talent from across Northern Ireland and has emboldened our workforce.
“The financial support is of course important but the mentoring that the KPMG team offer to the students is invaluable and, along with the internships at our Belfast office, provides the ideal preparation for a career in the business world. It was a pleasure to welcome this year’s cohort to our Soloist headquarters and we look forward to partnering with them through their university career.
Liam Donohoe, QUB Accounting student and KPMG Scholar, said: “I am truly grateful to be a part of the KPMG scholarship program, as it has significantly enriched my university experience. The support has allowed me to concentrate fully on my studies, minimizing work-related distractions. Currently, I’m really enjoying my placement year at KPMG, getting to know the team better and gaining invaluable hands-on experience that I am confident will be instrumental in shaping my future career.”
Teresa Sloan, Head of Health Fundraising at Queen’s University Belfast said: “Queen’s are committed to delivering a range of partnerships with key businesses to provide our students with the skills, support and mentoring during their degree. The support and investment of KPMG means that students at Queen’s will continue to benefit from the scholarships which help alleviate financial stress and offer additional direction during their studies. We very much appreciate this collaboration with KPMG to invest in the future of our students and our workforce.”
Total investment commitment by KPMG in the programme since starting four years ago through to the end of the current agreement with Queens University Belfast is over £120,000.
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