Non-Graduate Opportunities

Not everyone wants to go to university before starting their career.

Our School Leaver Apprenticeship Programme gives you the opportunity to gain professional qualifications, earn a salary and build valuable work experience from day one.

As one of the Thames Valley and Southern Region's leading accountancy and business advisory firms, we'll help you develop the skills, confidence and experience needed to build a successful long-term career in accountancy or tax.

You'll join a supportive team, work with real clients and study towards industry-recognised professional qualifications, all while earning a salary and avoiding university tuition fees.

Why start your career with James Cowper Kreston?

Early responsibility
Direct client exposure
A supportive environment
Professional qualifications fully funded
A career with opportunities

Explore our teams

We offer apprenticeship opportunities in a couple of our specialist teams:

Audit & Assurance

Business Tax

Professional qualifications & career progression

Our School Leaver Apprenticeship Programmes combine practical, on-the-job experience with structured professional study. You'll start by working towards one of the following professional qualifications:

After completing your initial qualification, you'll have the opportunity to continue your studies and progress towards chartered qualifications such as:

ACA
ACCA
CTA

You'll gain technical knowledge, commercial awareness, personal effectiveness and professional skills that will benefit you throughout your career.

What we offer

Pay & Benefits

Competitive starting salary with structured annual progression
Full study support including all tuition and exam fees
Paid study leave
Pension scheme
Flexible benefits package

Annual Leave

23 days annual leave
An extra day's leave for your birthday
Option to purchase additional leave through our flexible benefits scheme

Wellbeing and support

Dedicated buddy and line manager
Agile and flexible ways of working
Mental Health First Aiders in every office
Employee wellbeing support

Social and community

Active social committees across all offices
Regular team events and activities
Monthly office pizza lunches
Opportunities to get involved in charity and community initiatives

What we are looking for

You don't need to have studied Accounting, Maths or Business to join us. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and experiences. We believe diverse perspectives make us stronger as a business and help us better support our clients, colleagues and communities.

Minimum requirements

At least 112 UCAS points from your top three A-levels or equivalent (excluding General Studies, Critical Thinking and the EPQ)
Minimum Grade 4 in GCSE Maths and English Language
UK driving licence (essential for Audit & Assurance)
Right to work in the UK for the duration of the apprenticeship

We're particularly interested in students who demonstrate:

Curiosity and an enquiring mindset
Strong communication skills
Resilience and adaptability
Enthusiasm to learn
A genuine interest in business, accountancy or tax
Strong teamwork skills
A positive attitude

Our application process

We aim to make our recruitment process straightforward, transparent and supportive. We have partnered with Sanctuary Graduates & Apprentices to support us in the early stages of our recruitment process.

Step 1: Submit your CV

Submit your CV online.

Step 2: Complete our application form

If you meet our initial eligibility requirements, we'll invite you to complete a short application form.

Step 3: Application review

We'll review your CV and application form together.

Step 4: Eligibility interview

Successful candidates will be invited to a short online interview with Sanctuary to discuss their application and motivations.

Step 5: Assessment Centre

Meet our people, learn more about the firm and take part in a range of individual and group activities.

Step 6: Offer

Successful candidates will receive an offer to join our 2027 School Leaver intake.

If you require any reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process, please let us know and we'll be happy to discuss how we can support you.

Key dates

Applications open: 1 November 2026

Applications close: 31 January 2027

Assessment Centres:

5 March 2027 Audit & Assurance
17 March 2027 Business Tax

I am currently working as a semi-senior in the Audit & Assurance department at James Cowper Kreston. Alongside this I am completing my level 3 AAT and will be shortly moving on to my Level 4 AAT, which helps me put into practice what I have learnt at college into my day-to-day job. The firm will support me in doing my ACCA, this will help me achieve one of my goals which is to become fully qualified. Since starting at James Cowper, I have learnt lots of new skills and due to working on different jobs I’ve learnt about companies, Charities, Academies, LLPs, and Farming Audits. I like how fast pace the job is as it keeps me engaged and there is always something to do. Everyone at James Cowper Kreston have been supportive and welcoming. They are always there to answer questions and will point you in the right direction.
Lana Landauro - Trainee Accountant
I joined James Cowper Kreston as an apprentice straight from sixth form, working in the Outsourcing team. Having been working for James Cowper Kreston for a little over a year, I feel reassured that I am in the right place, as the people around me have shown their passion in helping with my career progression. The firm have given me a chance to gain valuable skills that would have been unattainable without the constructive training programme that they provide. My team have been incredibly supportive from the day I arrived and this has helped me self-develop in both my studies and day-to-day client work. The opportunity to work with multiple clients means I am constantly facing new challenges and continuously learning new skills, which I would have never thought I’d be doing so early on in my career.
Cameron Langley - Trainee Bookkeeper
After leaving school, I joined James Cowper Kreston as a Trainee Accountant. This was a great way to kickstart my career in accounting. The firm has been a great place to work, with an amazing training programme and a very supportive team. I have gained great experience from dealing with and meeting different clients which has been a side to my job I have enjoyed. The knowledge I have gained from the training and learning during this apprenticeship has allowed me to apply this on a day to day basic within the workplace. There is a great level of support within my team and from my line manager who is always there to guide me.
Max Clift - Trainee Accountant