PKF Francis Clark recruits trainees from all walks of life – and relies on the ACA to provide the foundation for their success.
PKF Francis Clark takes on around 30 ACA trainees each year, and from surprisingly varied backgrounds. “We’ve had teachers, police, firefighters – even someone from the Special Boat Service,” says training partner and ICAEW qualified person responsible for training, Tom Roach. The firm welcomes career changers, school and college leavers and graduates from diverse disciplines – anyone, in fact, who combines “academic potential with strong problem solving and analytical skills". “It’s nice to go to clients on a science park with a scientist, or to have an ex-teacher looking after academies, so we do try and match people to a certain extent,” Tom adds. “It’s good to have a broad spread of experience – and it makes the job a bit more interesting.”
Founded in Devon over a century ago, PKF Francis Clark is a leading independent chartered accountancy firm in the South West, with more than 900 staff across nine offices from Southampton to Truro. Home-grown talent is crucial when looking to develop finance leaders of the future within PKF Francis Clark. “We’ve tried hard to develop a cohort, and that’s paying dividends at partner level – last year was the first time we promoted a cohort of new partners who had trained together. It gives you a strong unit, and a sense of belonging.”
Founded in Devon over a century ago, PKF Francis Clark is a leading independent chartered accountancy firm in the South West, with more than 900 staff across nine offices from Southampton to Truro. Home-grown talent is crucial when looking to develop finance leaders of the future within PKF Francis Clark. “We’ve tried hard to develop a cohort, and that’s paying dividends at partner level – last year was the first time we promoted a cohort of new partners who had trained together. It gives you a strong unit, and a sense of belonging.”
The ICAEW qualification is more recognised, and it certainly meets all our requirements.
Around 60 trainees in total join the firm each year, with a mix of school leavers studying towards the AAT, and graduates and career changers embarking on the ACA. With recruits arriving with such varied experience, the qualification provides the structure and solid foundation they need to be successful in their new careers. “The ICAEW qualification is more recognised, and it certainly meets all our requirements ,” says Technical & Learning Co ordinator Charlotte Petherick. “It’s great that we can offer students the levy-funded apprenticeship route, and that they can start from the bottom and work their way up. We want them to become partners and directors, and we’ve got many success stories within the firm.”
One such success story is Molly Carter, a career changer who joined the Truro office three-and-a-half years ago. “I went straight into teaching after university, but found it very challenging emotionally,” she explains. After a couple of years as a secondary school maths teacher, she decided to step away. “I wanted a complete change. From teaching, I knew what I didn’t want from a job, and I knew some of the things I definitely did want – to be in a more adult-focused environment, and to have more of a mental challenge rather than an emotional one.”
One such success story is Molly Carter, a career changer who joined the Truro office three-and-a-half years ago. “I went straight into teaching after university, but found it very challenging emotionally,” she explains. After a couple of years as a secondary school maths teacher, she decided to step away. “I wanted a complete change. From teaching, I knew what I didn’t want from a job, and I knew some of the things I definitely did want – to be in a more adult-focused environment, and to have more of a mental challenge rather than an emotional one.”
I wanted to be chartered. I felt like a higher-level qualification was more suitable for me, and the ACA stood out as the prestigious one to have.
The idea of accountancy appealed, so Molly decided to study AAT Level 3 as an evening course to see if she liked it. “And I loved it. The content really suited me. I applied to the ACA graduate programme, and here I am.” During her assessment day – led by Tom – PKF Francis Clark stood out as a down-to-earth, friendly firm. “It felt like somewhere I’d be welcomed,” she says. A role that offered ACA training was also key. “I wanted to be chartered. I felt like a higher-level qualification was more suitable for me, and the ACA stood out as the prestigious one to have.”
New joiners have a comprehensive three-week induction before starting within their assigned department – in Molly’s case, audit. They can then choose to stay with the same team for the three years of their training, or move around and experience other disciplines. “We’re keen for people to have a variety of work, so we have thought about establishing a formal rotation scheme,” explains Tom. “In practice, though, many have preferred to stay where they are. So we tend to do it on a case-by-case basis.” Molly, for one, has enjoyed the stability of being in the same team. “I was placed in the not-for-profit team on day one, and I love it,” she says. “I knew that if I’d wanted to try something else I would have been given the opportunity.”
That stability also helped when it came to exam time, and juggling full-time work with a challenging study schedule. “It is tough,” Molly says. “Your whole life gets dedicated to it at times, and you have to be able to set aside everything else for a while. I think that’s underestimated by people coming into the programme – they can be lulled into a false sense of security at the start, especially if they have exemptions for some of the early exams, but it soon ramps up. I’ve always found learning pretty easy – but not this! I’m lucky I’ve got a very supportive environment at home that’s allowed me to put the hours in and really focus.”
Molly has found an equally nurturing environment at PKF Francis Clark, which officially ranked as one of the UK’s Best Workplaces in both 2023 and 2024. “As a firm we’re very supportive,” says Charlotte. “Trainees have plenty of people to speak to throughout their three years: their training provider, student counsellor, and line manager and partners, as well as me.” And, of course, there’s that all-important training cohort. “We were a team,” says Molly. “We had group chats, and we’d get together for our studies. Having people there that I could talk to and bounce off was vital.” Having completed her studies in November, she has now become a student counsellor herself, supporting others through their studies – and putting the skills she learned in her previous career to good use. “Being able to train and guide junior members of staff plays to my strengths with my background, and I really enjoy it.”
When it comes to her change of career, there are no regrets. “I love the mental challenge and the problem-solving nature of it. I love to play to my strengths, and I’m really given the opportunity to do that here,” she says. “I’m never watching the clock. It’s the perfect balance between challenging but not stressful. I find it really fulfilling.” For PKF Francis Clark, their open, flexible approach to recruitment, combined with the rigour of the ACA qualification, is yielding the home-grown talent the firm needs. For Tom, it’s very much a case of who you are, rather than where you’ve come from. “I’m passionate about taking the best people,” he says. “If you keep taking people who are better than you, you get a stronger and better firm. It’s a recipe for success.”
New joiners have a comprehensive three-week induction before starting within their assigned department – in Molly’s case, audit. They can then choose to stay with the same team for the three years of their training, or move around and experience other disciplines. “We’re keen for people to have a variety of work, so we have thought about establishing a formal rotation scheme,” explains Tom. “In practice, though, many have preferred to stay where they are. So we tend to do it on a case-by-case basis.” Molly, for one, has enjoyed the stability of being in the same team. “I was placed in the not-for-profit team on day one, and I love it,” she says. “I knew that if I’d wanted to try something else I would have been given the opportunity.”
That stability also helped when it came to exam time, and juggling full-time work with a challenging study schedule. “It is tough,” Molly says. “Your whole life gets dedicated to it at times, and you have to be able to set aside everything else for a while. I think that’s underestimated by people coming into the programme – they can be lulled into a false sense of security at the start, especially if they have exemptions for some of the early exams, but it soon ramps up. I’ve always found learning pretty easy – but not this! I’m lucky I’ve got a very supportive environment at home that’s allowed me to put the hours in and really focus.”
Molly has found an equally nurturing environment at PKF Francis Clark, which officially ranked as one of the UK’s Best Workplaces in both 2023 and 2024. “As a firm we’re very supportive,” says Charlotte. “Trainees have plenty of people to speak to throughout their three years: their training provider, student counsellor, and line manager and partners, as well as me.” And, of course, there’s that all-important training cohort. “We were a team,” says Molly. “We had group chats, and we’d get together for our studies. Having people there that I could talk to and bounce off was vital.” Having completed her studies in November, she has now become a student counsellor herself, supporting others through their studies – and putting the skills she learned in her previous career to good use. “Being able to train and guide junior members of staff plays to my strengths with my background, and I really enjoy it.”
When it comes to her change of career, there are no regrets. “I love the mental challenge and the problem-solving nature of it. I love to play to my strengths, and I’m really given the opportunity to do that here,” she says. “I’m never watching the clock. It’s the perfect balance between challenging but not stressful. I find it really fulfilling.” For PKF Francis Clark, their open, flexible approach to recruitment, combined with the rigour of the ACA qualification, is yielding the home-grown talent the firm needs. For Tom, it’s very much a case of who you are, rather than where you’ve come from. “I’m passionate about taking the best people,” he says. “If you keep taking people who are better than you, you get a stronger and better firm. It’s a recipe for success.”
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