AN ACCOUNTANCY firm has welcomed two new faces to its Reading office as part of a new intake of 10 interns.
Crowe UK, which is based in Aquis House, Blagrave Street in the town centre, is taking part in the 10,000 Intern Foundation (10kIF) scheme, which helps those from underrepresented groups a flying start at building their career.
Each young starter receives a minimum six-weeks paid employment, helping kickstart their career, develop new skills and receive support from a dedicated mentor.
The experience could also lead to a full-time position as Crowe employed two successful interns following their inaugural participation in the programme last year.
Crowe UK is one of 700 participating firms working across 35 sectors in offering opportunities for young black people.
The audit, tax, advisory and risk firm, is welcoming Kirsten Jong and Imuetinyan Aletor to its Reading office, and its chief executive, Nigel Bostock, is looking forward to their input.
“At Crowe we care about our people, being inclusive and providing opportunity for all,” he said.
“It was an absolute pleasure to have the chance to meet and spend time them and provide insight on Crowe with a great question and answer session as part of the Intern induction programme.
“I wish them every success during their time with Crowe.”
Imuetinyan said: “After discovering the programme from friends, I was captivated by the opportunity it presented to gain hands-on experience in an industry of interest while actively supporting an underrepresented community, making it an ideal fit for my career aspirations.
“I think initiatives such as the 10,000 black interns programme holds significant value in addressing the underrepresentation of individuals from ethnic backgrounds in corporate and professional service jobs by promoting diversity and inclusion in the workplace.
“I believe interning with Crowe will allow me to explore different roles in the professional services industry and thus gain clarity about my career goals. This internship will also provide a platform to develop and refine various relevant skills that will aid in my development.”
Jeremy Cooper, Thames Valley Office Managing Partner, said: “We at Crowe are committed to quality in everything we do and that means we employ the very best talent no matter what their background, ethnicity or where they are from. We want the brightest and best people so that we can deliver exceptional audit, tax, advisory and risk services to our clients and we want our team to reflect the changing nature of British society and business.
“We are proud to be partnering with and promoting the 10kIF’s intern programme for another year because helping change a societal mindset is a mammoth task and requires positive action from all quarters to break down unnecessary barriers for everyone.
“We’re delighted to welcome Kirsten and Imuetinyan to the Thames Valley office as part of this year’s cohort of 10 interns across Crowe’s UK business and look forward to helping shape and support their future.”