As a leading professional services organization searches for new talent, school graduates have been offered the possibility to earn “six-figure wages” in the future.
Next year, graduates can begin a three-year experimental traineeship at KPMG Australia without first attending college.
Graduation posts were difficult to fill as a result of the rapid rise of the technology industry and the decline in the number of migrants to Australia who previously held such positions.
Richard Marrison, head of technology consulting at KPMG, told 7News that the pandemic halted the constant flow of foreigners into the labor market.
This year, the advising firm visited to Western Sydney schools in search of suitable recruits, selecting 11 high school graduates by hand for the program.
The region has a lower proportion of high school graduates enrolling in college.
In several schools, laptop access was banned.
Mr. Marrison stated, “We reasoned that there are likely a large number of exceptionally bright young people who, for social, cultural, or economic reasons, choose not to attend college.”
However, these are still intelligent children who may work in our sector.
Last year’s recruits attended TAFE one day per week and worked in a variety of KPMG industries, including data analytics, cyber work, and software implementation.
The employment program has been a success, with all students passing their TAFE courses within the first year and no students dropping out.
Mr. Marrison stated that the level of engagement and fervor had been exceptionally high, with positive feedback from both sides.
Next year, KPMG plans to increase the number of graduates in Sydney and expand the program to other offices in the country.
He stated, “We think we’re doing something really positive by giving kids who wouldn’t normally be able to join our profession the chance to do so.”
Mr. Marrison stated that the pay might rapidly surpass six figures.
He continued, “(The average wage) is quite substantial.”
According to a research by the 2022 Tech Council of Australia, entry-level tech sector employment pay 32% more than the national average.
“Weekly, IT sector employment pay 64% more than the national average,” the report stated.
About forty percent of those employed in the IT sector lack a postsecondary degree.
The ratio of Australians who attended public schools to those who attended private schools is 1.5 to 1.