Saffery’s Bournemouth office is celebrating the success of four employees who have completed their apprenticeships and passed their ACA exams, marking them as fully qualified accountants.

Over the past four years, these graduates—James Woodward, Alice McNab, John Olejnik, and Edward Holly—balanced both work and study to achieve their qualifications.

Casidhe Baleri, staff partner at Saffery, praised the graduates: “We are incredibly proud of the achievements of James, Alice, John, and Edward. They’ve worked hard, managing to balance their studies with working life. They’ve become valuable members of our team.”

In addition to celebrating the graduates’ success, Saffery has announced that its 2025 trainee and intern programmes are now open for applications.

Prospective applicants can apply from 17 September 2024, with two application windows: the first running until 31 December 2024, and the second from 1 February to 28 June 2025.

Casidhe described the programme as a “brilliant opportunity” for aspiring professionals: “Whether you’re finishing school or college, have completed a university degree, or are looking for a career change, our team would love to hear from you.

“We offer full financial support towards professional qualifications, with hands-on learning opportunities in areas ranging from private wealth to corporate business.”

James Woodward, a University of Bath graduate with a first-class Master’s in Chemical Engineering, reflected on his journey: “Choosing to pursue further studies was a tough decision, but it’s been incredibly rewarding.

“I’m deeply grateful to Saffery for their supportive environment, and I’m excited for what will hopefully be a long and successful career ahead.”

Alice McNab, who joined straight from The Blandford School, shared her thoughts: “Completing the ACA qualification made me realise the importance of believing in yourself.

“It’s a huge achievement to have passed all my exams on the first try, and it’s even better to have no university debt!”

John Olejnik, who studied English and German at the University of Nottingham, said: “I’m overjoyed to have completed my training contract.

“I’m really grateful for the support from the partners and the audit team, and I’m looking forward to continuing my career at Saffery.”

Edward Holly, a graduate of the University of Southampton, added: “I feel incredibly relieved to have passed all my exams and proud to have earned my ACA qualification. All those late nights and busy weekends were worth it in the end.”

Find out more about Saffery here: https://www.saffery.com/careers/life-at-saffery/