A leading Cumbrian accountancy firm is developing its tax department by welcoming two apprentices to the team.
University graduates Kes Fountain (23) and Jaimie Anderson (22) have started their careers at Saint & Co as part of the company’s annual intake of trainees and apprentices.
The pair will be based in the firm’s Carlisle headquarters and work within the tax department. Their appointments coincide with two further apprentices starting at Saint & Co’s Ambleside office.
Alex Dent, Head of Tax at Saint & Co, said: “As a company recognised for providing expert tax advice to our clients, we always strive to develop our capabilities and knowledge within this sector to further benefit our customers.
“Recruiting Kes and Jaimie as apprentices and helping them expand their understanding of tax will enable us to provide a more comprehensive and varied service. They have both shown great enthusiasm to learn a new industry, and they will be huge assets to the company as we build for the future.
“Welcoming them to the team is part of Saint & Co’s ongoing commitment to nurturing young talent and securing the company’s long-term expertise in tax advice.”
Kes has joined Saint & Co as a Tax Trainee following the completion of a Biomedical Sciences degree and he will work towards his Association of Taxation Technicians (ATT) Level 4 qualification by combining his work at the company with studies at Kaplan, Manchester.
As someone with a keen interest in maths and figures, Kes decided to pursue a career in path after seeing a job vacancy at Saint & Co.
He said: “I was looking for something a bit different after university. Working in tax involves a lot of problem solving and is very varied, and it really appealed to me.
“I hadn’t really considered an apprenticeship after my degree but learning on the job really works for me, and I’d definitely encourage more people to take this career pathway.”
Jaimie is following up her degree in Maths by studying for her combined Level 7 Apprenticeship in Chartered Tax (CTA) and The Association of Chartered Accountants (ACA) qualifications, also at Kaplan, Manchester.
Having read on the company’s website that many of its partners and senior staff members had started there as trainees, she reached out to enquire about any vacancies.
Jaimie said: “I’m really excited to learn about tax and accountancy at Saint & Co and I’m grateful for the opportunity. I had only associated apprenticeships with trades, but being able to combine my studies while working means I can learn from the experienced and knowledgeable team that I work with every day.”
Saint & Co has five offices across Cumbria in Carlisle, Ambleside, Cockermouth, Penrith, Wigton and Millom. The company also has four bases in Dumfries & Galloway.
